Linda Mpofu-Dobo

Linda Mpofu-Dobo is a PhD Fellow at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Gabarone, Botswana, conducting her research within the Botswana Harvard Health Partnership (BHP), viral hepatitis group. She holds a Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree, an Honours degree in Human Genetics, and an MSc in Molecular Medicine, and previously interned at BHP prior to beginning her doctoral studies.

Her research focuses on hepatitis B virus (HBV), particularly in the context of HIV–HBV co-infection, with an emphasis on how HIV treatment influences clinical outcomes in co-infected individuals. She is also interested in host genetic and immunological factors that influence HBV infectivity and disease progression, and aims to expand her work into HBV mono-infected populations during her PhD.

Her work contributes to one of the first comprehensive investigations of viral hepatitis in Botswana and provides evidence to inform national strategies for managing HBV, especially in the setting of HIV co-infection.

Beyond her research, she is committed to mentorship and capacity building and serves as a mentor in the Girls Excelling in Maths and Science (GEMS) programme at BIUST, supporting science education for girls in remote secondary schools across Botswana.