Investigation of central-memory T cells as correlates of protection against tuberculosis in humans

Nishtha's area of focus is TB-HIV co-infection in South Africa. She is based at the Clinical Infectious Diseases Research Initiative at the University of Cape Town, under the supervision of Associate Professor Katalin Wilkinson and Professor Robert Wilkinson. Nishtha aims to identify biomarkers of protective immune reconstitution in Mtb-sensitised individuals starting antiretroviral therapy, specifically central-memory T cells as correlates of protection against tuberculosis in humans. She is evaluating gene transcriptional signatures characteristic of central-memory T cells, and using FACS analysis to investigate central-memory T-cell subsets in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

This grant was awarded under the scheme's previous name of Master's Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine.