Carolyn Williamson PhD

Carolyn Williamson is  Professor and Head of Division of Medical Virology at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.  She is also a full member of the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine. 

Dr Williamson received her PhD in Microbiology, from the University of Cape Town in 1988 where she worked on viruses as potential biological control agents of agricultural pests.  After a brief period in Canada, she returned to South Africa in 1990 as a post-doctoral scientist /Lecturer.  Her work on HIV started in 1992 when she was employed by the South African Institute for Medical Research.  She has been employed by the University of Cape Town (UCT) since 2002. She currently heads the HIV Diversity and Pathogenesis Group in the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, and is a member of numerous national and international research consortia and groups.  Dr Williamson has organized numerous international workshops and conferences, and is a member of a number of international scientific advisory committees.  Her research focus is on HIV evolution, pathogenesis, and vaccine development.  She has over seventy publications in the field of HIV research.