Fellows
Rufaro Chivaura
SANTHE PhD Fellow
Collaborative Clinical Research Centre (CCRC), Harare, Zimbabwe
Rufaro Chivaura was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe. She holds an MSc in Medical Biochemistry from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and has over eight years of experience working in a medical testing laboratory. Her laboratory work has included immunology assays such as hormone, cardiac, and cancer marker testing, as well as molecular diagnostics for HIV, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MTB-MDR), HPV, and HBV.
She is now seeking to further her academic training through a PhD focused on mapping antibody epitope specificity for broadly neutralising antibodies (bnAbs) against HIV. Her research interest lies in understanding the characteristics of bnAbs, particularly those arising in perinatally infected children, who may develop antibodies with broader cross-clade neutralisation compared to adults.
Her work aims to identify which broadly neutralising antibodies are produced and the specific HIV epitopes they target. This knowledge could inform the development of antibody-based combination therapies and contribute to strategies for a functional cure and future HIV vaccine design.