Miss Yenzekile Zungu

Yenzekile Zungu is an immunology researcher whose work centers on the intersection of HIV and emerging viral infections, particularly SARS-CoV-2. Affiliated with research initiatives in South Africa, Zungu contributes to studies rooted in high HIV prevalence settings, advancing understanding of how chronic HIV infection reshapes systemic and mucosal immunity.

Published research highlights how HIV alters B cell maturation pathways during COVID-19, skewing responses toward extrafollicular activation and potentially limiting durable antibody memory. Additional work explores gastrointestinal immune dysfunction in chronic HIV, including irreversible CD4+ T cell depletion and persistent immune activation, even under antiretroviral therapy.

Zungu’s scholarship also examines how HIV modulates SARS-CoV-2 disease severity, interferon signaling, and immune cell dynamics across infection waves and viral variants. Through detailed cellular phenotyping and mucosal analyses, these contributions clarify mechanisms underlying coinfection, vaccine responsiveness, and long-term immune resilience in vulnerable populations.