Group Chief Executive Officer

Prof Gavin Churchyard

MBBCh, FCP (SA), MMed, PhD

Prof Churchyard is an NRF A-rated scientist and a specialist physician, internationally renowned for his contributions in tuberculosis (TB). He is the founder and CEO of The Aurum Institute NPC, an independent, public benefit organisation that focuses on TB and HIV service delivery, management and research. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of Witwatersrand, School of Public Health and an Honorary Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Prof Churchyard is the Chair of the WHO/TDR Disease Reference Group for TB, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer (2009-2012) and a member of the WHO Stop TB Research movement, both of which set global research priorities for TB. He is also the Chair of the WHO Task Force for developing policy for new TB drugs, a member of the WHO Strategic Technical Advisory Group for TB that advises WHO on policy for TB, a member of the WHO expert committees for TB preventive therapy and TB screening and a member of the WHO Working Groups for TB/HIV, MDR-TB and infection control.

He is the co-Chair of the NIH HIV Vaccine Trials Network-TB vaccine working group, Vice Chair of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group Transformative Science Group for TB, Co-Chair of a Fogarty Global Infectious Disease training grant for MDR-TB. He is the principal investigator on a number of TB trials being conducted in South Africa. He has contributed to industry, national and international guidelines for TB and HIV, and has published widely in the areas of TB and HIV treatment and prevention.

Journal Articles

White, R.G., Fiore-Gartland, A.J., Hanekom, W.A., Vekemans, J., Garcia-Basteiro, A.L., Churchyard, G., Rangaka, M.X., Frick, M., Behr, M.A., Hill, P.C. and Mave, V., 2024. What is next for BCG revaccination to prevent tuberculosis?. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
Reid, M., Agbassi, Y.J.P., Arinaminpathy, N., Bercasio, A., Bhargava, A., Bhargava, M., Bloom, A., Cattamanchi, A., Chaisson, R., Chin, D. and Churchyard, G., 2023. Scientific advances and the end of tuberculosis: a report from the Lancet Commission on Tuberculosis. The Lancet.
Kim, S., Wu, X., Hughes, M.D., Upton, C., Narunsky, K., Mendoza-Ticona, A., Khajenoori, S., Gonzales, P., Badal-Faesen, S., Shenje, J. and Omoz-Oarhe, A., 2022. High Prevalence of Tuberculosis Infection and Disease in Child Household Contacts of Adults With Rifampin-resistant Tuberculosis. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 41(5), pp.e194-e202.
Mendelsohn, S.C., Fiore-Gartland, A., Awany, D., Mulenga, H., Mbandi, S.K., Tameris, M., Walzl, G., Naidoo, K., Churchyard, G., Scriba, T.J. and Hatherill, M., 2022. Clinical predictors of pulmonary tuberculosis among South African adults with HIV. EClinicalMedicine, 45, p.101328.
Chihota, V.N., Ntshiqa, T., Maenetje, P., Mansukhani, R., Velen, K., Hawn, T.R., Wallis, R., Grant, A.D., Churchyard, G.J. and Fielding, K., 2022. Resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among highly TB exposed South African gold miners. PloS one, 17(3), p.e0265036.
Mulenga, H., Fiore-Gartland, A., Mendelsohn, S.C., Penn-Nicholson, A., Mbandi, S.K., Borate, B., Musvosvi, M., Tameris, M., Walzl, G., Naidoo, K. and Churchyard, G., 2022. The effect of host factors on discriminatory performance of a transcriptomic signature of tuberculosis risk. EBioMedicine, 77, p.103886.
Hanifa, Y., Fielding, K.L., Chihota, V.N., Adonis, L., Charalambous, S., Foster, N., Karstaedt, A., McCarthy, K., Nicol, M.P., Ndlovu, N.T. and Sinanovic, E., 2018. The utility of repeat Xpert MTB/RIF testing to diagnose tuberculosis in HIV-positive adults with initial negative result. Gates Open Research, 2, pp.22-22.
Singer, S.N., Ndumnego, O.C., Kim, R.S., Ndung'u, T., Anastos, K., French, A., Churchyard, G., Paramithiothis, E., Kasprowicz, V.O. and Achkar, J.M., 2022. Plasma host protein biomarkers correlating with increasing Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection activity prior to tuberculosis diagnosis in people living with HIV. EBioMedicine, 75, p.103787.
Churchyard, G., Cárdenas, V., Chihota, V., Mngadi, K., Sebe, M., Brumskine, W., Martinson, N., Yimer, G., Wang, S.H., Garcia-Basteiro, A.L. and Nguenha, D., 2021. Annual tuberculosis preventive therapy for persons with HIV infection: a randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, 174(10), pp.1367-1376.
Wallis, R.S., Ginindza, S., Beattie, T., Arjun, N., Sebe, M., Likoti, M., Edward, V.A., Rassool, M., Ahmed, K., Fielding, K. and Ahidjo, B.A., 2021. Adjunctive host-directed therapies for pulmonary tuberculosis: a prospective, open-label, phase 2, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
Seaton, K.E., Deal, A., Han, X., Li, S.S., Clayton, A., Heptinstall, J., Duerr, A., Allen, M.A., Shen, X., Sawant, S. and Yates, N.L., 2021. Meta-analysis of HIV-1 vaccine elicited mucosal antibodies in humans. NPJ vaccines, 6(1), pp.1-11.
Baliashvili, D., Gandhi, N.R., Kim, S., Hughes, M., Mave, V., Mendoza-Ticona, A., Gonzales, P., Kim, N., Selvamuthu, P., Badal-Faesen, S. and Upton, C., 2021. Resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among household contacts: a multinational study. Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Shin, H., Jo, Y., Chaisson, R.E., Turner, K., Churchyard, G. and Dowdy, D.W., 2020. Cost‐effectiveness of a 12 country‐intervention to scale up short course TB preventive therapy among people living with HIV. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 23(10), p.e25629.
Ferguson, O., Jo, Y., Pennington, J., Johnson, K., Chaisson, R.E., Churchyard, G. and Dowdy, D., 2020. Cost‐effectiveness of one month of daily isoniazid and rifapentine versus three months of weekly isoniazid and rifapentine for prevention of tuberculosis among people receiving antiretroviral therapy in Uganda. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 23(10), p.e25623.
Auld, S.C., Maenetje, P., Ravimohan, S., Weissman, D., Ncube, I., Mlotshwa, M., Ratsela, N., Chase, W., Vangu, M.D.T., Wallis, R. and Churchyard, G., 2020. Declines in lung function after antiretroviral therapy initiation in adults with human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis: a potential manifestation of respiratory immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 70(8), pp.1750-1753.
Suryavanshi, N., Murrill, M., Gupta, A., Hughes, M., Hesseling, A., Kim, S., Naini, L., Jones, L., Smith, B., Gupte, N., Dawson, R., Mave, V., Meshram, S., Mendoza-Ticona, A., Sanchez, J., Kumarasamy, N., Comins, K., Conradie, F., Shenje, J., Nerette, Fontain, S., Garcia-Prats, A,, Asmelash, A,, Nedsuwan, S., Mohapi, L., Lalloo, U., Ferreira, A.C.G., Okeyo, E., Swindells, S., Churchyard, G., and Shah, N.S.; A5300/I2003 Study Team. 2020. Willingness to Take Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) Preventive Therapy Among Adult and Adolescent Household Contacts of MDR-TB Index Cases: An International Multisite Cross-sectional Study. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 70(3), pp.436-445.
Gupta, A., Swindells, S., Kim, S., Hughes, M.D., Naini, L., Wu, X., Dawson, R., Mave, V., Sanchez, J., Mendoza, A. and Gonzales, P., Kumarasamy, N., Comins, K., Conradie, F., Shenje, J., Fontain, S.N., Garcia-Prats, A., Asmelash, A., Nedsuwan, S., Mohapi, L., Lalloo, U.G., Ferreira, A.C.G., Mugah, C., Harrington, M., Jones, L., Cox, S., Smith, B., Shah, N.S., Hesseling, A.C., Churchyard, G.; ACTG 5300/IMPAACT I2003 PHOENIx Feasibility study team. 2020. https://academic.oup.com/cid/article-abstract/70/3/425/5426963 Clinical Infectious Diseases, 70(3), pp.425-435.
Ravimohan, S., Maenetje, P., Auld, S.C., Ncube, I., Mlotshwa, M., Chase, W., Tiemessen, C.T., Vangu, M.D.T., Wallis, R.S., Churchyard, G., Weissman, D., Kornfeld, H., Bisson, G.P., 2019. A common NLRC4 gene variant associates with inflammation and pulmonary function in human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis. Clinical Infectious Diseases: an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Mabuto, T., Hansoti, B., Kerrigan, D., Mshweshwe‐Pakela, N., Kubeka, G., Charalambous, S., and Hoffmann, C., 2019. HIV testing services in healthcare facilities in South Africa: a missed opportunity. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 22(10), p.e25367..
Schumacher, S.G., Wells, W.A., Nicol, M.P., Steingart, K.R., Theron, G., Dorman, S.E., Pai, M., Churchyard, G., Scott, L., Stevens, W. and Nabeta, P., 2019. Guidance for Studies Evaluating the Accuracy of Sputum-Based Tests to Diagnose Tuberculosis. The Journal of infectious diseases, 220(Supplement_3), pp.S99-S107.
Ravimohan, S., Auld, S.C., Maenetje, P., Ratsela, N., Mlotshwa, M., Ncube, I., Smith, J.P., Vangu, M.D.T., Sebe, M., Kossenkov, A. and Weissman, D., Wallis, R.S., Churchyard, G., Kornfeld, H., Bisson, G,P, 2019. Lung injury on antiretroviral therapy in adults with human immunodeficiency Virus/Tuberculosis. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 70(9), pp.1845-1854.
Churchyard, G.J. and Swindells, S., 2019. Controlling latent TB tuberculosis infection in high-burden countries: A neglected strategy to end TB. PLoS medicine, 16(4), p.e1002787.
Pillai, N., Foster, N., Hanifa, Y., Ndlovu, N., Fielding, K., Churchyard, G., Chihota, V., Grant, A.D. and Vassall, A., 2019. Patient costs incurred by people living with HIV/AIDS prior to ART initiation in primary healthcare facilities in Gauteng, South Africa. PloS one, 14(2), p.e0210622.
Churchyard, G.J., A Short Regimen for Rifampin-Resistant Tuberculosis. N Engl J Med. 2019 Mar 28;380(13):1279-1280.
Reid, M.J., Arinaminpathy, N., Bloom, A., Bloom, B.R., Boehme, C., Chaisson, R., Chin, D.P., Churchyard, G., Cox, H., Ditiu, L. and Dybul, M., 2019. Building a tuberculosis-free world: The Lancet Commission on tuberculosis. The Lancet, 393(10178), pp.1331-1384..
Hanifa, Y., Toro Silva, S., Karstaedt, A., Sahid, F., Charalambous, S., Chihota, V.N., Churchyard, G.J., von Gottberg, A., McCarthy, K., Nicol, M.P., Ndlovu, N.T., Stevens, W., Fielding, K.L., and Grant, A.D., 2019. What causes symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis in HIV-positive people with negative initial investigations?. The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 23(2), pp.157-165.
Di Tanna, G.L., Khaki, A.R., Theron, G., McCarthy, K., Cox, H., Mupfumi, L., Trajman, A., Zijenah, L.S., Mason, P., Bandason, T., Durovni, B., Hoelscher, M., Clowes, P., Mangu, C., Chanda, D., Pym, A., Mwaba, P., Cobelens, F., Nicol, M.P., Dheda, K., Churchyard, G., Fielding, and K., Metcalfe, J.Z., 2019. Effect of Xpert MTB/RIF on clinical outcomes in routine care settings: individual patient data meta-analysis. The Lancet Global health, 7(2), pp.e191-e199.
Hippner, P., Sumner, T., Houben, R.M., Cardenas, V., Vassall, A., Bozzani, F., Mudzengi, D., Mvusi, L., Churchyard, G. and White, R.G., 2019. Application of provincial data in mathematical modelling to inform sub-national tuberculosis program decision-making in South Africa. PloS one, 14(1), p.e0209320.
Rachow, A., Ivanova, O., Wallis, R., Charalambous, S., Jani, I., Bhatt, N., Kampmann, B., Sutherland, J., Ntinginya, N.E., Evans, D. and Lönnroth, K., Niemann, S.,Ulrich, E., Schaible, Geldmacher, C., Sanne, I., Hoelscher, M., and Churchyard, G., 2019. TB sequel: incidence, pathogenesis and risk factors of long-term medical and social sequelae of pulmonary TB–a study protocol. BMC pulmonary medicine, 19(1), p.4.
Grant, A.D., Charalambous, S., Tlali, M., Karat, A.S., Dorman, S.E., Hoffmann, C.J., Johnson, S., Vassall, A., Churchyard, G.J., and Fielding, K.L., 2020. Algorithm-guided empirical tuberculosis treatment for people with advanced HIV (TB Fast Track): an open-label, cluster-randomised trial. The lancet HIV, 7(1), pp.e27-e37.]
Chihota, V.N., Ginindza, S., McCarthy, K., Grant, A.D., Churchyard, G. and Fielding, K., 2015. Missed opportunities for TB investigation in primary care clinics in South Africa: experience from the XTEND trial. PLoS One, 10(9), p.e0138149.
Churchyard, G.J., Stevens, W.S., Mametja, L.D., McCarthy, K.M., Chihota, V., Nicol, M.P., Erasmus, L.K., Ndjeka, N.O., Mvusi, L., Vassall, A. and Sinanovic, E., 2015. Xpert MTB/RIF versus sputum microscopy as the initial diagnostic test for tuberculosis: a cluster-randomised trial embedded in South African roll-out of Xpert MTB/RIF. The Lancet Global Health, 3(8), pp.e450-e457.