Professor Graeme Meintjes

Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa

Professor Graeme Meintjes MBChB (UCT) FRCP (Glasgow) FCP (SA) DipHIVMan (SA) MPH (Johns Hopkins) PhD (UCT)

Professor of Medicine; Second Chair and Deputy Head of the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town (UCT); DST/NRF SARChI Chair in Poverty-related Infections; Adult Infectious Diseases Physician; Full Member; Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IMD); lead of the Clinical Platform of the Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa). 

Graeme Meintjes leads a research programme that focuses on the clinical conditions affecting patients with advanced HIV disease including disseminated HIV-associated tuberculosis, the tuberculosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS) and cryptococcal meningitis. His group also investigates drug-resistant tuberculosis and diagnostics for TB, as well as prevention strategies for HIV and SARS-CoV-2. He has been the PI or local PI of several clinical trials, and conducts observational cohort studies that address questions related to disease pathogenesis. Graeme was principal investigator (PI) of the EDCTP-funded PredART trial that demonstrated that prednisone was effective and safe for the prevention of TB-IRIS in patients at high-risk starting ART (antiretroviral therapy), published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2018. He is currently co-PI of the Wellcome-funded NEW STRAT TB trial investigating novel treatment strategies in patients admitted to hospital with disseminated HIV-associated TB.

He has contributed to the development of management guidelines for HIV, TB and cryptococcal meningitis at a provincial and national level and in WHO (World Health Organization) Guideline Development Groups. He is a Member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and the College of Fellows of UCT, and holds a B1 rating from the National Research Foundation. He has been awarded Training (2007), Intermediate (2012) and Senior (2019) Fellowships by the Wellcome Trust. Graeme undertakes clinical work as a specialist at Groote Schuur Hospital and Khayelitsha Hospital. He also co-ordinates the undergraduate teaching programme of the Department of Medicine. He is the PI of the Fogarty HIV-associated TB Training Program held at UCT in partnership with Johns Hopkins and Vanderbilt Universities (http://www.hattp.uct.ac.za).


Selected publications:

See publications and profile on Research Gate


Contact details:

Faculty of Health Sciences
Department of Medicine
J46.49 Old Main Building
Groote Schuur Hospital
University of Cape Town
Observatory, 7925
 
Tel:  +27 21 406 6075 / 6201
Fax: +27 21 406 6796
Email: graeme.meintjes@uct.ac.za  

Alternate sites: www.cidri.uct.ac.za


Group Members:

Member  Position
NEW STRAT TB Trial  
Charlotte Schutz Co-Principal Investigator
Phiona Namale PhD student and lead investigator
Linda Boloko PhD student and co-investigator
Fortunat Bagula Research Medical Officer and co-investigator
Marcia Vermeulen Research Medical Officer and co-investigator
Ida Oliphant Research Nurse
Monica Toleni Research Nurse
Ivy Apolisi Research Nurse
Mkanyiseli Mpalali Clinical Research Worker
Abulele Bekiswa Lab Technologist
Gadisi Mthambeleni Lab Technologist
HIV and SARS-CoV-2 prevention studies  
Amy Ward Principal Investigator
Phillip du Preez Research Medical Officer and co-investigator
Mandy Liao Rhodes Research Medical Officer and co-investigator
Rene van der Venter Regulatory Officer
Nwabisa Gom Study Co-ordinator
Lebo Tseleka Research Nurse
Nosipho Nombona Research Nurse
Monica Magwayi Counsellor
Nobom Masimini Counsellor
Nonceba Gobe Clinical Research Worker
Mzamo Ntanjana Data Capturer
Nomvula Makade Secretary
Bulelwa Mnyango Community Liaison Officer
Phatuxolo Vinqishe Community Health Worker
Sakhiwo Tunzi Community Health Worker
Francisco Lakay Site Laboratory Manager
ARTIST Trial  
Ying Zhao PhD student and lead investigator
Zaayid Omar Research Medical Officer and co-investigator
Zimasa Gcwabe Study Co-ordinator
Matilda Nduna Research Nurse
Sihle Nqina Clinical Research Worker
Zimkitha Asare Clinical Research Worker
EFFECT Trial  
Kyla Comins Co-Principal Investigator
Richard Halley-Stott Research Medical Officer and co-investigator
MAIT cells and TB studies  
Muki Shey Principal Investigator
Avuyonke Balfour PhD student
Noma Masina PhD student
Rachel Dielle Research Nurse
Fuzeka Mdudlwa Clinical Research Worker
SHIFT-TB study  
Sean Wasserman Co-Principal Investigator
Attie Stadler PhD student and lead investigator
Sekelwa Dumile Study Co-ordinator
Yolisa Sigila Senior Research Nurse
Alfa Pitsha Research Nurse
Kwanele Tyiki Clinical Research Worker
PhD students  
Raymond Moseki  
Avuyonke Balfour Co-supervisor
Rulan Griesel  Co-supervisor
Ying Zhao  
Phiona Namale  
Linda Boloko  
Kate Haigh  Co-supervisor
Attie Stadler  
Ashar Dhana  Co-supervisor
Ayanda Trevor Mnguni  Co-supervisor
Arifa Parker  Co-supervisor
Masters' students  
Siphiwe Baloyi Co-supervisor
Josh Fieggan  Co-supervisor
Marcia Vermeulen Co-supervisor
Herman Bagula  
Evashan Govender  

Collaborations:

International
Tom Harrison, St George's Hospital, London, United Kingdom (UK)
Sile Molloy, St George's Hospital, London, UK
Joseph Jarvis, London School of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, UK
David Boulware, University of Minnesota, United States of America (USA)
David Meya, Makerere University, Uganda
Conrad Muzoora, Mbarara University, Uganda
Anne O'Garra, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
James Brust, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA
Neel Gandhi, Emory University, USA
David Barr, University of Liverpool, UK
Rachel Lai, Imperial College London, UK
Elizabeth Phillips, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, USA
Mark Nicol, University of Western Australia, Australia
Fabrice Bonnet, University of Bordeaux, France

Local
Nelesh Govender, National Institute of Communicable Diseases
Robin Warren, Stellenbosch University
Mbulelo Mntonintshi, Walter Sisulu University
David Stead, Walter Sisulu University

* Only collaborators outside UCT are listed