Professor Marietjie Venter received a PhD in Medical Virology at University of the Witwatersrand in 2003 and postdoctoral training at the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, United States (2003) on West Nile virus pathogenesis while employed at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD)(1999-2005). She worked on respiratory and in 2006 she joined the University of Pretoria department Medical Virology, where she launched the Zoonotic arbo and respiratory virus program. From (2009-2014), she was Co-director, Centre for Respiratory diseases and Meningitis at National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and from 2014-2016, the One Health Program director, Global Disease Detection Centre, US-Centres for Disease Control and Prevention South Africa. In 2016 she accepted a position as full Professor, Department Medical Virology, University of Pretoria where she co-founded the Centre for Viral Zoonoses and later launched the Centre for Emerging Arbo and Respiratory Viruses where she serve as director and since 2024 as extra-ordinary Professor. In 2024 she accepted the position of distinguished Professor and NRF SARCHi chair in emerging viral threats, One Health surveillance and vaccines (EViTOH), in the Infectious disease and oncology research institute (IDORI) University of the Witwatersrand (April 2024-). She is a specialist in respiratory-, emerging and zoonotic arboviruses focussing on One Health syndromic and genomic surveillance with >175 publications in the field. She won the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) award in 2013 for the Best output by an individual over 10 years through research and its outputs, and was a finalist for the Lifetime achievement award in 2021 and 2024. She is selected as member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) in 2021 and the Royal Society of South Africa (2024). She is President(elect) of the World Society for Virology since (2024-) and chairs the Southern Africa Virology Society (SASV)(2024-). She is an advisor to the World Health Organization on Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus surveillance and serves on the Technical Advisory group for arboviruses, and chairs the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) including COVID19 (SAGO). She is on the Global One Health Community Scientific Advisory Board and chaired the organising committee for the 8th World One Health Conference (WOHC) held in South Africa in September 2024.
