Gerhard Walzl

Gerhard is a clinician scientist and leads the Stellenbosch University Immunology Research Group. Clinically he was trained in the fields of internal medicine, pulmonology and intensive care medicine. His research focuses on the immunology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and in particular host biomarkers, including diagnostic markers, markers of TB treatment response and markers of protective immunity against MTB.

Gerhard's research group is part of several international consortia and conducts recruitment of large cohorts of participants with well-characterized MTB infection and disease phenotypes to search for biomarkers of TB. In addition, he has set up a ‘site of TB disease’ research program at Tygerberg Academic Hospital that includes research bronchoscopies, thoracocentesis and pleural biopsies to investigate immune responses in the lung and pleura. His research spans the divide between clinical and basic sciences in a high TB prevalence area.