Prof Deborah Glencross

Deborah Glencross is a South African laboratory medicine scientist affiliated with the National Health Laboratory Service and the University of the Witwatersrand. Her work centres on strengthening public sector diagnostic services, particularly within the context of HIV and associated opportunistic infections. She is widely recognised for advancing the use of national laboratory data to inform policy, optimise service delivery, and support equitable access to essential diagnostics.

Her research focuses on CD4 testing, reflex cryptococcal antigenaemia screening, laboratory efficiency, and cost modelling across a decentralised laboratory network. Recent studies examine the economic implications of extending CrAg screening thresholds, the impact of COVID-19 on HIV diagnostic services, and strategies to improve turnaround times in remote settings. She has also contributed to assay verification and quality improvement initiatives to ensure reliable detection of cryptococcal disease.

Glencross’s scholarship demonstrates expertise in health systems analytics, implementation science, and laboratory performance monitoring. By integrating operational data with epidemiological insight, her work has shaped national guidelines, enhanced quality assurance practices, and reinforced the laboratory’s role in managing advanced HIV disease in South Africa.