Head of the Clinical and Diagnostic Virology Research Group: Prof Diana Hardie

The Clinical and Diagnostic Virology Research Group consists of medical scientists, pathologists, and registrars that work in National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) in addition to their capacity in University of Cape Town.

The group has broad research interests that focus on local clinical and diagnostic needs. Other than establishing and evaluating in house and commercial diagnostic tests, our unit also performs basic science and operational research around various relevant aspects of clinical virology. These topics includes: HIV testing and epidemiology, hepatitis B/C/D/E viruses, hepatitis C drug resistance, respiratory pathogens, novel viruses, and viral infections in the immunocompromised host. Problematic diagnoses are investigated further, sometimes with the help of other research groups within the division.

Virology registrars in the group identify their own field of interest and conduct research projects that form part of the requirements for their pathology qualification.