SAWiSA 2026 Finalist Profile: Prof. Marietjie Venter
As South Africa commemorates the 70th anniversary of the historic 1956 march of 20 000 women to the Union Buildings, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) is proud to showcase the extraordinary finalists for the 2026 South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA).
Prof. Marietjie Venter is a finalist in the Distinguished Woman Researchers category: Natural and Engineering Sciences. She is a Distinguished Professor of Virology at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and holds the SARChI Chair in Emerging Viral Threats, One Health Surveillance and Vaccines. She has served in several leadership positions, including Co-Director of the Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases; One Health Programme Director at the Global Disease Detection Centre; and Director of the Centre of Emerging Arbo and Respiratory Virus Research at UP.
Prof. Venter's research aims to improve global health security by focusing on emerging and re-emerging zoonotic viruses, particularly vector-borne (arbo-) and respiratory viruses of epidemic and pandemic potential; integrating One Health approaches across human, animal and environmental interfaces to strengthen early detection, prevention and response through the development of novel molecular and sero-diagnostic tools; vaccines, syndromic and genomic surveillance; and virus discovery. She leads African and global multidisciplinary surveillance networks, raising awareness among scientists, clinicians, veterinarians and the public about emerging and re-emerging diseases. Her research has contributed significantly to improved diagnostics and to understanding of the epidemiology, pathogenesis and genomics of zoonotic, arbo- and respiratory viruses – including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, SARS-CoV-2 and West Nile virus – their transmission dynamics and epidemic and pandemic preparedness globally.
Prof. Venter has successfully mentored numerous early-career researchers, including more than 10 postdoctoral fellows, 25 PhD and 40 master's and honours students, with a focus on promoting young women in science. She is registered with the HPCSA as a Medical Scientist (Virology) and with the South African Veterinary Council as a Para-Veterinarian specialising in zoonotic diseases. She serves as an ad-hoc reviewer for the Wellcome Trust and journals including The Lancet and Emerging Infectious Diseases and is an Associate Editor for One Health Outlook (impact factor 4.6).
As an NRF B2-rated scientist, she has authored more than 190 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, including Emerging Infectious Diseases, The Lancet, Nature, Science, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Her publications have more than 13 000 citations, with 28% among the most highly cited publications worldwide over 10 years, and 53% in the top 10% of journals by CiteScore. She is a frequent keynote speaker to international scientific and lay audiences, including press interviews to raise awareness of emerging diseases. She is President of the World Society for Virology and Chairperson of the Southern Africa Virology Society.
Prof. Venter has received national and international recognition, serving as an advisor to the Department of Health, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and the International Atomic Energy Agency on zoonotic disease diagnostics; to the WHO on influenza and respiratory syncytial virus surveillance; and to the Technical Advisory Group for Arboviruses. She chaired the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens from 2021 to 2025. She won the TW Kambule-National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) award for best outputs by a scientist over 5 to 10 years (2013) and was a Lifetime Achievement Award finalist in 2021 and 2024. She is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa and the Royal Academy of Science of South Africa and won the Marloth Medal for a distinguished scientific career, mentorship and global leadership in advancing One Health for epidemic and pandemic preparedness (2026). Prof. Venter chairs local and international conferences, including Virology Africa and the World One Health Conference, further advancing the role of women in science and leading global health policy.
