Penny Moore (virologist)

Last updated

Penelope Moore
Born (1975-04-29) 29 April 1975 (age 49)
Alma mater University of Witwatersrand
University of London
Known forHIV research, Covid 19 research, Omicron variant
Scientific career
Fields Virology
Institutions University of the Witwatersrand
NICD
Website Prof Moore at WITS

Penelope Moore is a virologist and DST/NRF South African Research Chair of Virus-Host Dynamics at the University of the Witwatersrand [1] [2] in Johannesburg, South Africa and Senior Scientist at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. [3]

Contents

Education and work

Moore received her Master of Science degree in Microbiology from the University of Witwatersrand. In 2003, she completed her PhD in Virology at the University of London. [2] [4]

She was one of the first scientists to bring the Omicron variant of COVID-19 to public attention. [5] She remarked of the pace of the preliminary research that “We’re flying at warp speed. [6]

Her current work focuses on the HIV neutralizing antibodies and their interactions with HIV. [4] These antibodies would form the basis for an HIV vaccine. [7]

Recognition

In 2009, Moore received a Sydney Brenner Fellowship [8] from the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and was awarded a Friedel Sellschop Award by the University of the Witwatersrand. [9]

In 2015 while at the Centre for HIV and STI at the NICD and the Wits School of Pathology Moore was awarded the Chair in Virus-Host Dynamics for Public Health at Wits. [10]

In 2018 Moore was awarded a Silver Medal by the South African Medical Research Council for "important scientific contributions made within 10 years of having been awarded [her] PhD." [7] [11]

Moore is a founding member of the South African Young Academy of Science, [7] [12] a full Member of the American Society for Virology [12] and a Member of the ASSAf. [12]

See also

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References

  1. "Penny Moore". The Conversation. 26 November 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 The University of the Witwatersrand. "Wits University". Penelope.Moore@wits.ac.za. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  3. "Penny Moore - Senior Scientist - NICD". LinkedIn. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Professor Penny Moore PhD | SANTHE". www.santheafrica.org. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  5. "South African health experts have identified a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2: what's known so far". University of Pretoria. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  6. Callaway, Ewen (25 November 2021). "Heavily mutated coronavirus variant puts scientists on alert". Nature. 600 (7887): 21. doi:10.1038/d41586-021-03552-w. PMID   34824381. S2CID   244660616.
  7. 1 2 3 "Professor Penny Moore received a Silver Medal from SAMRC". NICD. 12 September 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  8. "Annual Report - Director's Report" (PDF). p. 1. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  9. "Who are the founding members?". The Mail & Guardian. 11 November 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  10. "Wits Research Matters" (PDF). University of the Witwatersrand. p. 32.
  11. "SAMRC to honour distinguished scientists at a 50th Gala Event". UCT Lung Institute. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  12. 1 2 3 "MEMBERS". SAYAS. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2022.