Victoria Kasprowicz

Victoria Kasprowicz earned her Masters degree in molecular and cellular biochemistry, followed by a PhD in clinical medicine, at Oxford University, UK. She worked as a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University and was subsequently promoted onto the faculty. Since 2008 she has been actively engaged in research and scientific capacity strengthening efforts in Africa where she has worked as Director of Education and Training for the KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for TB and HIV (K-RITH), in Durban, South Africa, and most recently as Head of Programmes for SANTHE.  Her research has focused on the immune system’s response to a range of pathogens, including HCV, a virus that affects the liver. Her most recent research aimed to identify biomarkers for TB, guide the design of novel immune-based TB diagnostics, and better understanding the impact of HIV on the immunological response to TB in patients infected with both pathogens. Kasprowicz has a special interest in developing partnerships to enhance HIV and TB research on the continent, strengthening researcher engagement with local communities and other stakeholders, and sharing the learning around research capacity strengthening efforts. She is helping to establish the Enhancing Scientific Capacity for Africa through Learning And Teamwork in monitoring and Evaluation (ESCALATE) network.