Aspro Michelle Groome

Michelle Groome is a South African clinician-scientist in infectious diseases and vaccinology, affiliated with the University of the Witwatersrand and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Her work bridges clinical research, surveillance, and public health policy, with a strong focus on vaccine-preventable diseases, maternal immunization, and epidemic preparedness in African settings.

Her recent scholarship centers on COVID-19 epidemiology and vaccine effectiveness, particularly among high-risk groups such as people living with HIV, older adults, and children. Through national surveillance analyses and test-negative designs, she has generated influential evidence on variant-specific severity, hospitalization trends, and the impact of vaccination and prior infection on mortality in South Africa.

Beyond COVID-19, her research spans pediatric pneumonia, hepatitis B vaccine immunogenicity, fungal outbreaks, and maternal vaccination strategies. She contributes to strengthening emergency operations and surveillance platforms, advancing data-driven responses to epidemics. Collectively, this body of work reflects sustained leadership in translating epidemiologic evidence into immunization policy and health system strengthening across the region.