Dr. Despina Demopoulos

Despina Demopoulos is a South African clinician-researcher associated with the Wits Transplant Unit and the University of the Witwatersrand. Her work centres on paediatric and adult liver transplantation, critical care, and complex infectious and inflammatory conditions in children. She contributes to advancing transplant services in resource-constrained settings, with a strong focus on equitable access and program development.

Her publications highlight expertise in paediatric liver transplantation, including living donor and ABO-incompatible procedures, graft reduction techniques, and management of acute liver failure. She has reported innovative surgical approaches in small children and explored transplant outcomes to expand the donor pool. These studies demonstrate strengths in multidisciplinary collaboration, clinical innovation, and outcomes research within high-need contexts.

Additional research addresses paediatric critical care, respiratory infections such as RSV, acute respiratory distress syndrome, pain management, and HIV-related vasculopathy. This breadth reflects a commitment to improving child health systems and evidence-based practice in Southern Africa. The profile is informed by a focused but still developing body of publications that underscore growing impact in transplant and paediatric medicine.