Aspro Olga Perovic

Olga Perovic is a leading South African clinical microbiologist and infectious diseases researcher associated with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases and the National Health Laboratory Service. Her work centers on antimicrobial resistance, invasive bacterial diseases, and laboratory-based surveillance across Africa. She has played a prominent role in shaping regional and global AMR research agendas, including contributions to WHO priority-setting initiatives.

Her publications highlight expertise in large-scale surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease, neonatal sepsis, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, with strong emphasis on bloodstream infections and high-mortality pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii. She integrates epidemiology, clinical data, and advanced genomic tools to clarify resistance mechanisms, transmission dynamics, and treatment outcomes in resource-limited settings.

Perovic’s contributions extend to One Health investigations and systematic analyses of AMR burden in the WHO African Region, informing stewardship policies and vaccine impact assessments. Her leadership in strengthening genomic surveillance and clinical microbiology capacity in Africa has positioned her as a key figure in translating laboratory evidence into public health strategy and policy.