Dr Simon Mendelsohn

Clinical Research Officer

Affiliations

  1. Fellow, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
  2. South African TB Vaccine Initiative (SATVI)

Key Expertise

Biomarker Discovery; Management of TB, TB-IRIS & TBM; Molecular Medicine; TB; Vaccine Development

Main Research Focus

Simon’s research focusses on developing and validating novel tools for diagnosing persistent

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) infection, incipient and asymptomatic tuberculosis (TB) disease, monitoring response to TB treatment, and biomarker-guided TB preventive and curative therapy. He is part of the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI).

Most Significant Paper Authored in 2024

Transcriptomic signatures of progression to tuberculosis disease among close contacts in Brazil.

Mendelsohn, S. C., Andrade, B. B., Mbandi, S. K., Andrade, A. M. S., Muwanga, V. M., Geluk, A., Mayanja-Kizza, H., Hill, P. C., Thiel, B. A., Weiner, J., Kaufmann, S. H. E., Walzl, G., Hatherill, M., & Sterling, T. R. (2024)

This study addresses the critical need for a prognostic test to identify individuals at highest risk of progressing to tuberculosis (TB) disease following exposure. The research evaluated host blood transcriptomic signatures in close contacts of TB patients in Brazil, demonstrating that these signatures can predict incident TB risk within 9 months of measurement. This is significant as it allows for targeted administration of preventive therapy, potentially reducing unnecessary treatment and improving patient outcomes. The findings support the geographic generalisability of these signatures, reinforcing their potential for widespread use in TB control programs.