Staff
Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH)
-
Dr Fikile Cynthia Mabena
Dr Fikile Mabena works as a Paediatrician, Infectious Diseases Specialist and a clinical lecturer at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. She is the current (from March 2026) Head of the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Division at the University of the Witwatersrand.She is a clinician scientist who strives for dignified, evidence based and compassionate patient care. She is a part-time PhD student at the Vaccines & Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½-VIDA).
Fikile is the current (from June 2024) President of the Southern African Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (SASPID).
E-mail: fikile.mabena@wits.ac.za
-
Dr Nosisa Sipambo
Dr Nosisa Sipambo is a Paediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist, HIV Clinician, Head of Clinical Unit - Infectious Diseases at CHBAH.She is the Vice President of SASPID, Chair of Paediatric and Adolescent SAHCS Committee, Board member of SAHCS, Member of ARV Drug Resistance Committee (ADReC). She serves in various local and national TB, HIV, Medical Education and Leadership and guideline committees.
Her research interests include HIV, TB, Infectious Disease and Inborn Errors of Immunity.
E-mail: nosisa.sipambo@wits.ac.za
-
Dr Thabang Mosese
Dr Thabang Mosese is a Medical Officer and Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Associate Lecturer in the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Department at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, with over 12 years’ experience in advanced HIV management and a particular interest in Infection Prevention and Control.Dr Mosese lectures students and interns on ethical IPC practice and has championed a renewed approach and attitude towards infection prevention.
He is a caring clinician and a true team player. Thabang’s current research interests include changes in HIV related admissions and mortality at CHBAH over the past 20 years.
E-mail: thabang.mosese@wits.ac.za
Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH)
-
Dr Anisa Hoosen
Dr Hoosen is a Senior Medical Officer at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH), working within the Paediatric Virology Clinic in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health for the last 12 years. Her clinical focus is the management of Immune compromised children from birth through adolescence, particularly those with Retroviral disease and related opportunistic infections, providing specialised care for patients referred from across the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan area.Dr Hoosen delivers longitudinal care to chronic patients, monitors treatment adherence and outcomes, supports clinic operations, and contributes to multidisciplinary care aimed at transitioning patients into adult health services. She obtained her medical degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2008 and completed Internship, Community service, and subsequent paediatric focused clinical appointments as a Medical officer across KwaZulu Natal, North West Province, and Gauteng.
Dr Hoosen is also involved in multiple research collaborations with WRHI and values the integration of evidence based practice into patient care. She is currently involved in the ATTUNE research project, which evaluates the use of long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy and teen club interventions in adolescents.
E-mail: anisahoosen@gmail.com
Dr Sheeba Varughese
Paediatrician
E-mail: sheeba.varughese@wits.ac.za
Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital (RMMCH)
-
Adjunct Professor Gary Reubenson
Adjunct Professor Gary Reubenson is a Paediatric Infectious Diseases subspecialist based at Rahima Moosa Mother & Child Hospital, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ where he heads one of the General Paediatric units.He has held representative positions with the Federation of Infectious Disease Societies of Southern Africa (FIDSSA), the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA), the South African Paediatric Association (SAPA), the Ministerial Advisory Committee for Antimicrobial Resistance, and the National Essential Medicines List Committee (NEMLC).
He is passionate about practicing and teaching evidence-based medicine within the fields of Paediatrics and Infectious Diseases. His current research interests include Vaccine preventable infections, Acute respiratory infections and Neonatal infections.
E-mail: gary.reubenson@wits.ac.za
-
Dr Judy Rothberg
Dr Judy Rothberg aims to complete her Cert ID Paeds in May 2026. She holds a DTM&H diploma 2025 (University of Sheffield). Her current role: Ward/unit consultant with an interest in infectious diseases. Once qualified, she will be actively involved in training new Paediatric ID fellows.Infectious Diseases activities include fortnightly combined Micro and ID ward rounds, outreach teaching at Yusuf Dadoo Hospital, combined rounds at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital (Micro/ID/Intensive Care), and monthly TB family clinic at Helen Joseph Hospital.
Academic activities include Gemp 2 lectures, UJ paramedics student lectures, intern training, regular academic presentations to Paediatric department, and participation in weekly Infectious Diseases seminars (run by Adult ID division, HJH).
Current research at RMMCH – Research division has recently received approval to enrol children for Paeds SNAP (SNAP-PY) trial – will be involved in recruiting patients.
E-mail: judy.rothberg@worldonline.co.za
-
Associate Professor Karl-Günter Technau
Associate Professor Karl-Günter Technau is a doctor currently managing the paediatric and family HIV clinic as well as hospital palliative care services at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, having worked there since 2005. Having pursued a part-academic and part-clinical career Dr Technau completed his PhD and MSc (Med) in topics related to maternal and infant HIV diagnosis and holds an associate professorship at WITS since 2019.Realising that working in healthcare requires us to provide treatment with our mind, body and spirit, the last of which is often the most neglected, the current focus of his work is on holistic care for both patients and families in the context of various conditions in the paediatric, obstetrics and gynaecology fields. Importantly, students and healthcare worker staff require support and holistic care, and this aligns with his passion for teaching and supervision.
While teaching and working in clinical care, he continues to pursue research projects aligned with the vision of holistic care as well as his interest in surveillance and cohort research in maternal and child health.
E-mail: karl-gunter.technau@wits.ac.za
-
Dr Renate Strehlau
Dr Renate Strehlau is a Clinician Scientist specialising in Paediatrics and Maternal Health, with a primary interest in paediatric infectious diseases and neurodevelopment I obtained my medical degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and began my career in rural KwaZulu-Natal prior to widespread access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), which shaped a lifelong focus on paediatric HIV and other infectious diseases.My early work on prevention of vertical HIV transmission contributed to national paediatric treatment guidelines. My Masters and PhD projects demonstrated improved neurodevelopmental outcomes with early ART combined with developmental stimulation. Expansion of my research portfolio over the years to encompass a broader range of paediatric infectious diseases, including RSV, SARS-CoV-2 infection, Group B Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and more recently effects of heat exposure during pregnancy and early childhood. I have led over 20 paediatric infectious disease trials, published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, and collaborate widely across clinical, laboratory, and maternal-infant health disciplines.
I currently serve as Deputy Director of the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ VIDA Nkanyezi Research Unit based at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital and hold a joint lectureship – teaching undergraduate medical students,
serving as an examiner and contributing to postgraduate training – in the Department of Paediatrics at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University.
E-mail: renate.strehlau@wits.ac.za
-
Dr Nicola Ellen Van Dongen
Dr Nicola Ellen Van Dongen is a medical officer working at Empilweni Services Research Unit at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, providing HIV, TB and palliative care services through in-patient consultation for the Paediatric and Obstetrics and Gynaecology departments, as well as out-patient clinics; in addition to supporting the HAST programme and research outputs for the unit. I have an interest in providing family-centered care with a focus on health literacy.I am currently a Master's in Public Health candidate at the University of the Witwatersrand (2026-2028). My current Research:
- Adolescent and Young Adult Network of IeDEA (AYANI)
- Evaluation of Long-Acting Injectable (LAI) and Teen Clubs in Adolescents (ATTUNE)
E-mail: nicola.vandongen@wits.ac.za
Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital (NMCH)
-
Mrs Sonya Kolman
Sonya Kolman graduated from Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ with a Bpharm degree. Completed MSc Med (Pharmacy) from Medunsa. Have experience in both retail pharmacy as well as Hospital management.Employed at Netcare Linksfield as the clinical pharmacist from 2010 until April 2017. Successfully implemented the antibiotic stewardship programme at Netcare Linksfield in the ICU and rolled out to the rest of the hospital. Part of the Netcare leadership group for antibiotic stewardship.
Moved to the Nelson Mandela Children Hospital as the clinical pharmacist in 2017.
- Responsible for clinical pharmacy activities in the hospital especially in the NICU and PICU.
- Responsible for all antimicrobial stewardship activities in the hospital and chairperson of the AMS committee Founding member of the Society of Clinical pharmacy. Johannesburg chairperson 2011 – 2015.
- Vice chairperson of Sasocp from 2016-2019. National treasurer from 2019-2021
- External examiner for the MSc Med clinical pharmacy programme at Medunsa university.
- Part time lecturer at School Pharmacy Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University.
- Member of the PPAG (Paediatric Pharmacy Advisory Group) and a drug consultant for UpToDate.
- Member the Gauteng Antimicrobial stewardship committee and secretary of the guideline subcommittee.
- Published numerous articles both locally and internationally.
E-mail: sonya.kolman@nmch.org.zaAssociate Professor David P Moore Clinical Scientist in Paediatric Infectious Diseases E-mail: david.moore@wits.ac.za