Dr Sonwabile Dzanibe
Affiliations
- Research Fellow, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
Key Expertise
Bacterial Infections, HIV, T-and B-cell Immunology, Vaccine Design, Vaccine Development
Main Research Focus
Dr Sonwabile Dzanibe is a Senior Research Officer in the Division of Immunology and a Principal Investigator leading research in systems serology and vaccine development. Dr Dzanibe's primary research focus is on understanding factors that shape the development and maturation of the infant immune system. Using advanced systems immune profiling, Dr Dzanibe's team examines infant cellular immunity and vaccine responses to uncover critical vaccine biomarkers, paving the way for the development of low-cost vaccines. Currently, Sonwabile's research group is investigating how perinatal HIV exposure affects infant immune responses to childhood vaccines, as well as responses to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and group B streptococcus (GBS). Their efforts also extend to the development of novel GBS vaccines.
Most Significant Paper Authored in 2024
Premature skewing of T cell receptor clonality and delayed memory expansion in HIV-exposed infants.
Dzanibe, Sonwabile & Wilk, Aaron & Canny, Susan & Ranganath, Thanmayi & Alinde, Berenice & Rubelt, Florian & Huang, Huang & Davis, Mark & Holmes, Susan & Jaspan, Heather & Blish, Catherine & Gray, Clive. (2024).
This study found that infants exposed to HIV even in the absence of infection exhibit a reduction in the diversity of their TCR Vβ clonotypes early in life and linked to poor or delayed memory maturation. This premature skewing could limit the range of antigens their immune systems can recognize and poor memory expansion impairing the development of a robust, long-lasting adaptive immune response.