PathReD 2025

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME : Friday, 03 October 2025

11:30 - 13:00 \| ANATOMICAL PATHOLOGY VENUE: JULIA
Theme: Soft Tissue Pathology
11:30 - 11:35	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr A Mwazha: UKZN, NHLS
11:35 - 11:50	Invited Speaker	Immunohistochemistry and molecular studies in bone pathology Dr S Zaharie: SU, NHLS
11:50 - 12:05	Invited Speaker	Sarcomas associated with Genetic Cancer Predisposition Syndromes: A pathologist role Dr G Nhlonzi: Lancet, UKZN
12:05 - 12:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-1836	The histopathological profile of soft tissue sarcomas in Kwazulu-Natal Dr T Bagratee
12:15 - 12:20	Q&A	Q&A
Theme: Cytopathology & Liver pathology
12:20 - 12:25	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr N Janda : UP, NHLS
12:25 - 12:35	Oral Presentation PRC25-1066	Maximizing the utility of lung fine needle aspirates for molecular testing: value of cell blocks and corresponding supernatants Dr L Coetzee
12:35 - 12:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-1229	COVID-19's Shadow: the effect of Covid-19 on cytopathology specimens received at an academic laboratory in central South Africa Dr C Bonato
12:45 - 12:55	Oral Presentation PRC25-2014	Histological staging in biliary atresia using the metavir scoring system: A retrospective review of 60 liver biopsy cases Dr M Jele
12:55 - 13:00	Q&A	Q&A
13:00 - 14:00		Lunch Break
14:00 - 17:00 \| ANATOMICAL PATHOLOGY VENUE: JULIA
Theme: Infectious Disease
14:00 - 14:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr L Budding : UFS, NHLS
14:05 - 14:10	Oral Presentation PRC25-1372	A retrospective histopathologic review of tissue schistosomiasis in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa Dr K Majola
14:10 - 14:20	Oral Presentation PRC25-1672	Histopathological and ultrastructural features of human monkeypox infection: A report of two cases and review of the literature Dr B Harrielall
14:20 - 14:30	Oral Presentation PRC25-2367	A comparative study between Ziehl-Neelsen and genexpert test methods in detection of tuberculosis in the gastrointestinal tract in Kwazulu-Natal Ms N Tshuma
14:30 - 14:35	Q&A	Q&A
Theme: Paediatric Pathology
14:35 - 14:40	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr A van Wyk : SU, NHLS
14:40 - 14:50	Oral Presentation PRC25-1634	Molecular classification of medulloblastoma using immunohistochemistry: A single centre study Dr A Mwazha
14:50 - 15:00	Oral Presentation PRC25-1836	Histopathological spectrum of paediatric hepatic tumours at a tertiary laboratory in Tshwane, a report of nine cases and literature review Ms P Segwagwa
15:00 - 15:10	Oral Presentation PRC25-1960	Histopathology and MYCN status in paediatric neuroblastoma patients: a retrospective single centre study Dr N Buthelezi
15:10 - 15:20	Oral Presentation PRC25-1948	The histological subtypes and nuclear grading of renal cell carcinoma in KwaZulu-Natal: a single-centre retrospective review Dr N Madonsela
Theme: Gynaecology Pathology
15:20 - 15:25	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Prof P Schubert : SU, NHLS
15:25 - 16:25	Invited Speaker	Gynaecology case presentation Prof R Wadee : WITS, NHLS
16:25 - 16:30	Q&A	Q&A
16:30 - 16:35	Chairperson's Remarks	Closing Remarks
17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
20:00 - 22:00	QUIZ NIGHT (VENUE: TIBERIUS)

11:30 - 13:00 \| CHEMICAL PATHOLOGY VENUE: SENATE 2

11:30 - 11:35	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair(s): Dr N Moodley : UKZN, NHLS Dr T Mapheto : SMU, NHLS
11:35 - 12:00	Invited Speaker	Advancing laboratory medicine: Leveraging AI and machine learning for evidence-based diagnostics Prof S Yenice : Demiroğlu Bilim University , Türkiye
12:00 - 12:10	Q&A	Q&A
12:10 - 12:35	Invited Speaker	Challenges in diagnosis and monitoring DM in resource-limited countries Prof J Delanghe : Ghent University, Belgium
12:35 - 12:40	Q&A	Q&A
12:40 - 12:50	Oral Presentation PRC25-1230	Evaluation of a customized large language model chatbot for addressing clinical consultative queries in a chemical pathology laboratory Dr S Khan
12:50 - 13:00	Oral Presentation PRC25-1156	Ethnic differences in chromogranin A levels in normoglycaemic black and white South African women Ms. P Ntuli
13:00 - 14:00		Lunch Break
14:00- 17:00 \| CHEMICAL PATHOLOGY VENUE: SENATE 2
14:00 - 14:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chairs: Dr C van Niekerk : UP, NHLS Dr T Simela-Tshabalala : SMU, NHLS
14:05 - 14:30	Invited Speaker	National roll out of POCT: Lessons learned and how we can do better Ms Z L Gwala : NPP, NHLS
14:30 - 14:55	Invited Speaker	Leveraging point-of-care testing for equitable access: Why laboratory-led quality oversight is essential to mitigate risks Dr C Chikomba : NPP, NHLS
14:55 - 15:05	Oral Presentation PRC25-1207	Clozapine therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacokinetics in a south african context Dr S Currin
15:05 - 15:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-1256	A tale of paracetamol, pyroglutamate, and the mimicry of metabolic disease Dr R Singh-Gansan
15:15 - 15:25	Oral Presentation PRC25-1014	Cushing's syndrome in pregnancy: A diagnostic dilemma Dr A Strydom
15:25 - 15:35	Oral Presentation PRC25-1158	Determination of association between Q-risk model and sub-clinical atherosclerosis using carotid intima-media thickness among dimamo residents, limpopo province, South Africa Ms D Mohlele
15:35 - 15:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-1491	Is whole exome sequencing the answer to undiagnosed rare diseases? Dr T Satekge
15:45 - 15:55	Oral Presentation PRC25-2122	Developing entrustable professional activities to demonstrate competency during the training of chemical pathologists in South Africa Dr N Kone
15:55 - 16:00	Q&A	Q&A
Roundtable Discussion
16:00 - 16:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair(s):Mr T Magwai : UFS, NHLS Dr J Rusch : UCT, NHLS
16:05 - 17:00	Roundtable	AI in low to middle income countries: Use in laboratory medicine and implementation. Ethical dilemmas and job security Dr S Khan : WITS, NHLS / Dr R Hesse : PathCare / Mr Z Warasally : UKZN, NHLS(Virtual)
17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING/ CEC Members: Closed Meeting
20:00 - 22:00	QUIZ NIGHT (VENUE: TIBERIUS)

11:30 - 13:00 \| HAEMATOLOGY VENUE: SENATE 1
Theme: Bridging the Gap between Haematology and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
11:30 - 11:35	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr L Ntabeni : UP, NHLS Dr R Grewal : NHLS
11:35 - 11:50	Invited Speaker	The Role of AI in Diagnostic Haematology Dr E Gantana : SU, NHLS
12:00 - 12:25	Invited Speaker Virtual	Harnessing the power of big data to support evidence-based reference intervals for hematology testing Dr M Bohn : University of Toronto
12:25 - 12:30	Q&A	Q&A
12:30 - 12:40	Oral Presentation	False positive malaria rapid diagnostic test results in a non-endemic malaria region in South Africa Dr M Linstron
12:40 - 12:50	Oral Presentation	Challenges in the histopathologic diagnosis of bone marrow tubercolosis Dr S Kennedy
12:50 - 13:00	Oral Presentation	A novel strategy for assessing bone marrow plasma cell percentage: development and internal validation of a surrogate calculation approach Dr E Gantana
13:00		Closing Remarks
13:00 - 14:00		Lunch Break
14:00- 17:00 \| HAEMATOLOGY VENUE: SENATE 1
Theme: Bridging the gap between Transfusion, trauma and the haematology laboratory
14:00 - 14:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair(s): Dr S Cassim : SU, NHLS Dr T. Masia : UL, NHLS
14:05 - 14:30	Invited Speaker	AI in Transfusion Medicine Prof Z Chapanduka : SU, NHLS
14:30 - 14:55	Invited Speaker	Trauma-induced Coagulopathy Dr S Kennedy : UFS, NHLS
14:55 - 15:00	Q&A	Q&A
15:00- 15:10	Oral Presentation PRC-252097	The impact of a single-unit transfusion policy on blood utilisation at steve biko academic hospital Dr V van der Riet
15:10 - 15:15	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1354	A study of patient-reported pain during bone marrow procedure using local anaesthesia with intravenous midazolam at Tygerberg Hospital, South Africa Dr F Alzanad
15:15 - 15:25	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-2127	Haemoglobinopathies in the public health sector of the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa: A Retrospective Analysis Dr M du Toit
Theme: Malignancy Prequel: Bridging the phenotype genotype gap
	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair(s): Prof J Joubert : UFS, NHLS Dr K Lohlun : UCT, NHLS
15:30 - 15:40	Oral Presentation PRC25-1223	Thrombocytosis through time: the evolution of molecular diagnostics Dr S Hoosen
15:40 - 15:50	Oral Presentation PRC25-1936	Effects of sample handling on the detection of key molecular markers in myeloid neoplasms Ms M Stone
15:50 - 15:55	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1354	Diamond-Blackfan Anaemia in a child with RPL5 mutation: NGS clinches the diagnosis Dr Z Nzimande
15:55 - 16:00	Q&A	Q&A
16:00 -16:10	Oral Presentation PRC25-1038	Two cases of CML with T315I kinase domain mutations showing good responses to second generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors Dr C Benjamin
16:10 -16:20	Oral Presentation PRC25-1251	Design and validation of molecular diagnostic assays for key prognostic biomarkers in CN-AML patients at Tygerberg Hospital Ms K Losper
16:20 - 16:25	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1233	Deciphering discordance from transformation: Asynchronous presentation of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma and Follicular Lymphoma Dr H Mothi
16:25 - 16:30	Q&A	Q&A
16:30 - 16:40	Oral Presentation PRC25-2128	The utility of the day 14 bone marrow biopsy in AML - The Groote Schuur experience Dr R Shein
16:40 - 16:50	Oral Presentation PRC25-2222	Atypical presentation of B-acute lymphoblastic Leukaemia in an 8 year old non-RVD reactive male Dr T Matlhako
16:50 - 17:00	Q&A/Closing Remarks	Q&A/Closing Remarks
17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
20:00 - 22:00	QUIZ NIGHT (VENUE: TIBERIUS)

11:30 - 13:00 \| Human Genetics VENUE: ROMANUS
Theme: Genetic Services in Practice: Challenges and Opportunities
11:30 - 11:35	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Mr J Oosthuizenn : UFS, NHLS
11:35 – 12:00	Invited Speaker	Implementing Diagnostic Genomics - Learning from the Successes and Challenges of DDD-Africa Prof A Krause : WITS, NHLS
12:00 – 12:10	Oral Presentation PRC25-3215	Navigating The Challenges of Laboratory Management in The NHLS Human Genetics Laboratory Ms B Makabe
12:10 - 12:20	Oral Presentation PRC25-2119	The Experiences of Laboratory, Research, and Industry-Based Genetic Counsellors in South Africa – A Qualitative Study Ms R Chidrawi
12:20 - 12:30	Oral Presentation PRC25-2113	A Retrospective Review of the Prenatal Genetic Counselling Services in State Healthcare Hospitals of Johannesburg, South Africa Ms A Tshwane
12:30 - 12:40	Oral Presentation PRC25-2368	Retinoic Acid Embryopathy – A Report of Clinical Findings in 8 Cases Dr D Mokwele
12:40 - 12:50	Q&A	Q&A
12:55 - 13:00	Closing Remarks	Closing Remarks
13:00 - 14:00		Lunch Break
14:00 - 17:00 \| HUMAN GENETICS VENUE: ROMANUS
Theme: Population-Based Risk and Genomic Disparities in Africa

14:00 - 14:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: M Malope : SU
14:05 - 14:30	Invited Speaker Virtual	Comparison of Microarray Technologies to Expand Testing at NHLS Human Genetics Laboratory, GSH, Cape Town Dr M Immelman : UCT, NHLS
14:30 - 14:40	Oral Presentation PRC25-2106	Screening For the Presence of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated with Type 2 Diabetes in A Black South African Population Dr D Liseko
14:40 - 14:50	Oral Presentation PRC25-2349	Prevalence Of APOL1 Risk Variants In HIV-Positive Compared To HIV-Negative Individuals with Evidence of Kidney Disease Ms M Notani
14:50 - 15:00	Oral Presentation PRC25-2102	Re-Evaluating Next Generation Sequencing Data: Assessing the Utility of Re-Analysis in Patients Tested Using an Inherited Disease Panel Ms D Jackson
15:00 - 15:10	Oral Presentation PRC25-1907	Haplotype Inference of The BRCA Genes and Trait Association Analysis Within a South African Breast Cancer Cohort Mr J Oosthuizen
15:10 - 15:20	Oral Presentation PRC25-2121	Variant Spectrum of Cystic Fibrosis and Revised Carrier Frequency in Black South Africans Ms F Essop
15:20 - 15:30	Oral Presentation PRC25-1149	Whole Exome Sequencing Identifies Variants in Genes Not Typically Associated with RASopathies Ms M Mudau
15:30 - 15:35	Q&A	Q&A
Theme: Hereditary Cancer in African Contexts: Testing and Translation
15:35 - 15:40	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Mr C Arendse : NHLS
15:40 - 16:05	Invited Speaker Virtual	Embedding African Genetics in Global Drug Development Pipelines: Enter the Humble Cell Dr J Scholefield : CSIR
16:05 - 16:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-2114	Audit of Genetic Testing Outcomes and Sociodemographic Factors in Patients Counselled for Hereditary Breast Cancer Ms S Sibiya
16:15 - 16:25	Oral Presentation PRC25-1905	Validation of a Portable Multiplex PCR System for Automated Genotype Calling of South African BRCA1/2 Founder Variants in Primary Healthcare Mr J Oosthuizen
16:25 - 16:35	Oral Presentation PRC25-2118	Estimating Familial Cancer Cases Averted in a South African Breast Cancer Service Prof M Urban
16:35 - 16:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-2198	Navigating The Nuances Between International Guidelines For Variant Reclassification In Homologous Recombination Genes Involved In Breast And Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility Ms K Nkaita
16:45 - 16:55	Oral Presentation PRC25-2199	Copy Number Variants Affecting DNA Double-Strand Break Repair in South African Breast and Ovarian Cancer Patients Ms M Khala
16:55 - 17:05	Oral Presentation PRC25-2202	Tumor Characteristics and Treatment Response in South African Breast Cancer Patients Genetically Screened for Actionable Variants Involved in DNA Repair Dr N van der Merwe
17:05 - 17:10	Q&A	Q&A
17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
20:00 - 22:00	QUIZ NIGHT (VENUE: TIBERIUS)

11:30 - 13:00 \| IMMUNOLOGY VENUE: AUGUSTUS
Theme: Vaccine Immunology and Antibody Responses in Infectious Diseases
11:30 - 11:35	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr B Ndlovu : UKZN Dr J Kloppers : UFS, NHLS
11:35 – 12:05	Invited Speaker	HIV vaccine discovery medicine Prof P Moore : NICD, NHLS
12:05 – 12:25	Invited Speaker	Long-term antibody responses to Ebola virus and the vaccine vector after rVSV-ZEBOV vaccination in DRC Dr C Kahusu : INRB, DRC
12:25 - 12:35	Oral Presentation PRC25-1838	Longitudinal analysis of serum and saliva SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses following infection and subsequent vaccination Dr M Gededzha
12:35 - 12:45	Invited Speaker	Distinct neutralization sensitivity between adults and infants viruses to broadly neutralization antibodies Dr B Ndlovu
12:45 - 12:55	Invited Speaker	Adenovirus seroprevalence in the context of Ad-Vectored vaccines Dr N Mkhize
12:55 - 13:00	Q&A	Q&A
13:00 - 14:00		Lunch Break
14:00- 17:00 \| IMMUNOLOGY VENUE: AUGUSTUS
Theme: Cellular Immunity in Infectious Disease and Immune Regulation

14:00 - 14:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr S Jallow : NICD, NHLS Dr B Mahlobo : UKZN, AHRI
14:05 - 14:25	Invited Speaker	Cellular Immune Response: Lessons from viral pandemics Prof W Burgers : UCT
14:25 - 14:45	Invited Speaker	Cellular Immune Responses in Lymph Nodes Prof Z Ndlovu : UKZN, AHRI
14:45 - 14:55	Oral Presentation PRC25-2013	The role of natural Killer cells in Immunological control Dr C Thobakgale
14:55 - 15:05	Oral Presentation PRC25-1800	Differential expression of tetraspanins and immune regulation receptors on monocytes and dendritic cells of HIV-elite controllers Ms Y Zungu
15:00 - 15:05	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1816	Screening and Identification of B and T cell epitopes for the design of the HBV therapeutic vaccine Dr M Gededzha
15:05 - 15:10	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1640	Dysregulation of glucose and fatty acid uptake in T cells and antigen-presenting cells of treatment-naïve people living with HIV Ms A Mohamed
15:10 -15:15	Q&A	Q&A
Theme: Therapeutic Discovery and Drug Targets: Natural Compounds, Immune Modulation, and Disease Intervention:
15:25 - 15:30	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr N Mkhize : NICD, NHLS Dr M Gededzha : SMU
15:30 - 15:55	Invited Speaker Virtual	Uncovering the hidden HIV reservoir: Cure-directed research in African women on ART Dr MR Abrahams : UCT
15:55 - 16:05	Oral Presentation PRC25-1383	The anti-bacterial, proliferative, and immunomodulatory activities of Olea africana and Kigelia africana extracts against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, lymphocytes, and neutrophils Mr K Rakgate
16:05 - 16:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-1953	Determination of antimicrobial, proliferative, and immunomodulatory activities of Opuntia ficus-indica leaf extract against Klebsiella pneumoniae, lymphocytes and neutrophils respectively Ms M Rasebotsa
16:15 - 16:20	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1370	Induction of cellular apoptosis and glutathione synthesis effects of Commelina benghalensis acetone extract on RAW 264.7 cells Mr M Ndlovu
16:20 -16:30	Q&A	Q&A
16:30 -16:35	Closing Remarks	Closing Remarks
17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
20:00 - 22:00	QUIZ NIGHT (VENUE: TIBERIUS)

11:30 - 13:00 \| MICROBIOLOGY VENUE: NCC
Theme: Pediatric diseases: Challenges and opportunities
11:30 - 11:35	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr G Booley : UCT, NHLS
11:35 - 11:50	Invited Speaker	Update on GERMS surveillance data Dr V Quan : NICD, NHLS
11:50 - 12:05	Invited Speaker	Diphtheria outbreaks and their challenges Prof A von Gottberg : NICD, NHLS
12:05 - 12:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-1197	Diphtheria outbreak: An opportunity for improving diagnostic capacity Dr C Moodley
12:15 - 12:25	Oral Presentation PRC25-2322	Trends in pathogen and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns at a tertiary level paediatric oncology unit in Johannesburg Dr T Nana
12:25 - 12:35	Oral Presentation PRC25-1783	Evaluation and comparison of the Allplex™ Meningitis-B multiplex PCR assay versus traditional culture for bacterial meningitis diagnosis Dr O Lehlabea
12:35 - 12:40	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1240	Characterisation of Serratia marcescens isolates collected from a neonatal unit in one of the Pretoria hospitals between 2021 and 2023 Dr E Hoedoafia
12:40 - 12:45	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC24-1377	Bloodstream infections in paediatric haematology – time for a change of empiric antimicrobials? Dr F Suleman
12:45 - 12:50	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1215	Investigation of vaccine coverage and BCG-associated disease cases in the Free State, South Africa Mr B Moswane
12:50 - 13:00	Q&A	Q&A/Closing Remarks
13:00 - 14:00		Lunch Break
14:00- 17:00 \| MICROBIOLOGY VENUE: NCC
Theme: The cutting edge - Innovations to improve diagnosis of infections
14:00 - 14:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr R Chomba : WITS, NHLS
14:05 - 14:20	Invited Speaker	Molecular typing and PCR testing in South African microbiology laboratories Prof O Perovic : NICD, NHLS
14:20 - 14:35	Invited Speaker	Multiplex PCR: Experiences and obstacles encountered in clinical microbiology Dr K Strydom : Ampath
14:35 - 14:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-1220	Verification of new screening methodology for carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales to reduce the turn-around-time of results Dr T Thomas
14:45 - 14:55	Oral Presentation PRC25-2081	Evaluating BioFire FilmArray Blood Culture Identification 2 panels diagnostic accuracy for bloodstream infections at a tertiary hospital in Limpopo province Mr M Rampela
14:55 - 15:05	Oral Presentation PRC25-1323	Evaluation of the Vitek® MS mould reagent kit for the identification of medically significant moulds in a diagnostic laboratory Ms M Nkalane
15:05 - 15:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-1323	Quantification of Klebsiella pneumoniae phagocytosis by neutrophils and monocytes using a whole blood flow cytometry assay Ms A De Villiers
15:15 - 15:20	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1331	Rapid identification of bacteria and yeast from positive blood cultures with mass spectrometry Dr C Marais
15:20 - 15:25	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1835	Impact of implementing moderate complexity automated nucleic acid amplification tests in Kwazulu-Natal Dr S Konar
15:25 - 15:30	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1492	16S rRNA as a pathogen-directed biomarker of early treatment response in patients with susceptible tuberculosis Ms S Matukane
15:30 - 15:35	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1807	Characterisation of carbapenemase-encoding genes and colistin resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from KwaZulu-Natal Dr R Singh
15:35 - 15:40	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1423	A pilot study exploring long-read nanopore metagenomics sequencing for heteroresistance detection in clinical specimens Ms K Hattingh
15:40 - 15:55	Q&A	Q&A/Closing Remarks
Roundtable Discussion
16:00 - 16:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr B Skosana : UP, PathCare
16:05 - 17:00	Roundtable	Implementing transformation in pathology: Expanding beyond academic laboratories Prof K Pillay : UCT, NHLS Mr C Ndou : NHLS Ms M Mkhwanazi : NHLS Mr B Mogoye : NHLS
17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
20:00 - 22:00	QUIZ NIGHT (VENUE: TIBERIUS)

11:30 - 13:00 \| PUBLIC HEALTH VENUE: TIBERIUS
Theme: Use of AI, Machine learning in surveillance data/analyses
11:30 - 11:35	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr M Muchengeti: NICD, NHLS
11:35 - 11:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-3102	The role of surveillance data warehouse in cancer surveillance in South Africa Dr J Matthew
11:45 -11:55	Oral Presentation PRC25-2334	Extracting non-small cell lung cancer biomarkers from pathology reports using natural language processing Miss M Mohlala
11:55 - 12:05	Oral Presentation PRC25-2205	Integration of HIV-status in cancer surveillance: a call for action Ms C Metekoua
12:05 -12:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-2331	Enhancing HIV and cancer surveillance: utilizing record linkage methods to develop the South African HIV cancer match study (2004-2021) Ms T Tombe-Nyahuma
12:15 - 12:20	Q&A	Q&A
12:20 - 12:25	Convener	Convener's Remarks Mr H Ramatsoma : NIOH, NHLS
12:25 - 13:00	Roundtable	The ethical dimension of secondary data analysis in research Prof T Roussouw : UP
13:00 - 14:00		Lunch Break
14:00- 17:00 \| PUBLIC HEALTH VENUE: TIBERIUS
Theme: Surveillance/ Outbreaks
14:00 - 14:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Prof C Cohen : NICD, NHLS Dr S Nzenze : NICD, NHLS
14:05 - 14:25	Invited Speaker	Disease surveillance using wastewater – real-life applications in outbreak contexts Dr K McCarthy : NICD, NHLS
14:25 - 14:35	Oral Presentation PRC25-1369	Evaluation of congenital syphilis surveillance system in Kouga Local Municipality, Sarah Baartman District, January 2022 - January 2024 Ms A Solibomvu
14:35 - 14:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-1334	Descriptive analysis of malaria cases in the Eastern Cape Province, 2021-2023 Ms Y Gixela
14:45 - 14:55	Oral Presentation PRC25-2256	A surge in Salmonella paratyphi A infections in Hammanskraal, South Africa: a waterborne threat re-emerges Mr P Sekwadi
14:55 - 15:05	Oral Presentation PRC25-1227	Investigation of a suspected waterborne illness outbreak in Barberton community, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, August – September 2024 Mr S Khumalo
15:05 - 15:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-1339	Epidemiological characteristics of laboratory confirmed mumps infection in South Africa during the 2023 mumps outbreak: January 2023 - January 2024 Ms A Shonhiwa
15:15- 15:25	Oral Presentation PRC25-1785	Investigation of varicella zoster virus outbreak at a correctional facility amidst mpox alert in Limpopo Province, South Africa, July 2024 Ms T Kupa
15:25 - 15:30	Q&A	Q&A
15:30 - 15:35	Sprint Oral Presentation PCR25-2346	Evaluation of the tuberculosis module on the notifiable medical conditions platform, South Africa, Gauteng Province, 2022 - 2023 Ms S Dlamini
15:35 - 15:40	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1338	Epidemiological trends and patterns of hepatitis A among residents in the City of Cape Town, Western Cape, 2019-2024 Ms Thobile Khanyile
15:40 - 15:45	Sprint Oral Presentation PCR25-1662	Analysis of hepatitis B surveillance data within notifiable medical conditions, Chris Hani District, Eastern Cape, May 2022 – May 2024 Ms B Sigonya
15:45 - 15:50	Sprint Oral Presentation PCR25-1071	Epidemiological trends of animal bites and human rabies cases in Limpopo Province, 2011-2023: A retrospective review Ms U Makungo
15:50 - 15:55	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1673	Foodborne illness outbreak linked to Salmonella in Mkhondo sub-district, Gert Sibande District, Mpumalanga Province, August- September 2024 Mr S Sithole
15:55 - 16:00	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1355	Epidemiological characteristics of mpox cases and public health response during the mpox outbreak in South Africa, June – October 2022 Ms A Shonhiwa
16:00 - 16:05	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1335	Outbreak investigation of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections in adult intensive care unit, tertiary hospital, Eastern Cape, December 2024-January 2025 Ms L Mqina
16:05 - 16:10	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1803	Investigating African swine fever outbreak in communal farms, North-West Province, South Africa, January- March 2025 Ms G Mokgaotsi
16:10 - 16:15	Q&A	Q&A
Theme: Bioinformatics
16:15 - 17:15s	South African National Bioinformatics Institute	A Modular Framework for ISO-Accredited Bioinformatics in Public Health Ms S Bam
		Accreditable by design: A Toolkit for Designing Bioinformatics Pipelines that meet Accreditation Standards Ms B Ntozini
		Implementing ISO-compliant Bioinformatic Workflows Ms S Bam Ms B Ntozini Mr P van Heusden
17:15 - 17:20	Closing Remarks	Closing Remarks

17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
20:00 - 22:00	QUIZ NIGHT (VENUE: TIBERIUS)

11:30 - 13:00 \| VIROLOGY VENUE: CLAUDIUS
Theme: HIV Diagnostics and Patient Management
11:30 - 11:35	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Prof M Hsiao : UCT, NHLS
11:35 - 11:50	Invited Speaker	PEPFAR funding cuts: What does this mean for public sector HIV service provision? Ms L Wilkinson : UCT
11:50 - 12:05	Invited Speaker	HIV diagnostics, past, present and future Dr D Morobadi : Ampath
12:05 - 12:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-1245	Establishing the optimal cut-off value to predict HIV infection using Abbott Alinity I HIV antigen-antibody (HIV Ag/Ab) combo assay Dr C Naicker
12:15 - 12:25	Oral Presentation PRC25-1322	Evolution of HIV-1 group-specific antigen gene minority variant cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitopes during early and chronic HIV-1 infection stages Mr T Fortuin
12:25 - 12:35	Oral Presentation PRC25-1324	Evaluation of the impact of dolutegravir on human immunodeficiency virus viral load suppression in the Tshwane District of South Africa Dr M Sekhukhune
12:35 - 12:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-2043	The patterns of HIV drug resistance in newly diagnosed infants in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa Dr T Mosito
12:45 - 12:55	Oral Presentation PRC25-2043	Mutations in HIV-1 nucleocapsid may contribute to unexplained virological failure on dolutegravir regimens Prof G van Zyl
12:55 - 13:00	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-0002	The impact of drug-resistant mutations in individuals with virologic failure on first-line antiretroviral therapy in KwaZulu-Natal Mr M Pillay
13:00 - 13:05	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1275	Sprint oral 4: Optimisation of an in-house multiplex PCR for antiretroviral drug resistance testing Ms K van Eck
13:00 - 14:00		Lunch Break
14:00 - 17:00 \| VIROLOGY VENUE: CLAUDIUS
Theme: HPV prevalence and genotyping
14:00 - 14:00	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr R Lebelo : SMU, NHLS
14:05 - 14:20	Invited Speaker	Trends in HPV-related cancers in South Africa (2011 – 2021) Dr M Muchengeti : NICD, NHLS
14:20 - 14:35	Invited Speaker	HPV infection dynamics in young women in KwaZulu-Natal Dr L Liebenberg : Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation
14:35 - 14:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-1337	Bridging the cervical cancer screening gap: Evaluating mRNA HPV testing as a superior triage tool in resource-limited settings Ms V Nkwinika
14:45 - 14:55	Oral Presentation PRC25-1678	Urethral HPV infection among MSM in a high HIV prevalence setting: A call for integrated STI screening Ms B Sibiya
14:55 - 15:05	Oral Presentation PRC25-1811	High rate of non-vaccine high-risk HPV genotypes in cervical cytology samples classified as atypical in women from South Africa Ms R Mudzuli
15:05 - 15:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-1825	Prevalence, characteristics, and distribution of human papillomavirus according to age and HIV status among women of Eastern Cape Province Ms S Kondlo
15:15 - 15:25	Oral Presentation PRC25-1956	Characterization of HPV status in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa Dr A Khan
15:25 - 15:35	Oral Presentation PRC25-2330	Sleeping awake: The case for human papillomavirus latency in cervical cancer prevention Dr K Govender
15:35 - 15:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-3160	Bridging the gap in cervical screening through expanded genotyping in resource-limited settings: Dominance of high-risk human papillomavirus type 52 Mr K Amissah
15:45 - 15:50	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-2375	Cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and squamous intraepithelial lesion increase risk of anal HPV Dr Z Mbulawa
15:50 - 15:55	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-3180	Self-collected vaginal samples for detection of bacterial STIs and bacterial vaginosis among women positive for human papillomavirus, Pretoria, South Africa Dr R Lebelo
15:55 - 16:00	Q&A	Q&A

16:00 - 16:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr L Hans : WITS, NHLS
16:05 - 17:00	Round table discussions	HPV testing experience from different laboratories Dr M Maseko : UCT, NHLS Dr O Laguda-Akingba : WSU,NHLS Dr K.L Francois : UKZN, NHLS Dr S Maphumulo : UP, NHS Dr R Maphoto SMU, NHLS
17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
20:00 - 22:00	QUIZ NIGHT (VENUE: TIBERIUS)

07:00 - 09:00	Registration, Online Login Support & Poster Viewing
09:00 - 11:00	Opening Plenary Session VENUE: ASSEMBLY
09:00 - 09:10	Opening and Welcome	Prof Koleka Mlisana; NHLS, South Africa
09:05 - 09:30	Steering Strategic Leadership: Advancing Diagnostic Equity and Excellence for Sustainable Health Outcomes	Prof Jeffrey Mphahlele; NHLS Board, NWU, South Africa
09:30 - 10:00	Bridging the Diagnostic Gap: Evolutionary Insights in Diagnostic pathology	Prof Adrian Egli; University of Zurich, Switzerland
10:00 - 10:25	From Crisis to Commitment: Bridging the Healthcare Funding Dilemma for a Sustainable Future	Dr Yogan Pillay; Gates Foundation, South Africa
10:25 - 10:55	Strengthening diagnostics for all: The path towards equitable, high-quality universal health coverage	Dr Pakishe Aaron Motsoaledi; Honourable Minister of Health, South Africa
10:55 - 11:00	Closing	Session Chair
11:00 - 11:30	Comfort Break
11:30 - 13:00	Discipline Specific Scientific Sessions 1
13:00 - 13:45	Lunch Break & Poster Viewing	Sponsor Symposium Improving the approach to cardiovascular risk assessment: Modern equations for LDL-Cholesterol outperform direct LDL-C assays Prof Tahir Pillay: UP, NHLS
13:45 - 17:00	Discipline Specific Scientific Sessions 2
17:00 - 17:15	Comfort break
17:05 - 18:15	ROUNDTABLE : Building a Resilient NHI: Governance Structures, Reimbursement Models and Multi-Sector Partnerships Dr Nomfundo Nhlapo (Chair): Classic Health Consulting Prof Koleka Mlisana: NHLS Prof Nicholas Crisp: NDOH Dr Honours Mukhari : Council for Medical Schemes Prof Sharon Fonn: WITS Dr Busisiwe Skosana: UP, PathCare
18:15- 20:00	Break
20:00 - 21:30	Quiz Night (VENUE: TIBERIUS)

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME : Saturday, 04 October 2025

10:45 -13:00\| ANATOMICAL PATHOLOGY VENUE: JULIA
Theme: Molecular&Surgical Pathology
11:30 - 11:35	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr B Mosoane : UP, NHLS and Dr S Likumba : WSU, NHLS
11:35 - 11:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-2030	Novel TB diagnostics: An autopsy case study with IHC, proteomic, metallomic, and multiplex data analysis Dr M Msimang
11:45 - 11:55	Oral Presentation PRC25-1374	The investigation of microRNA expression as a molecular marker for meningioma at a tertiary laboratory in northern Pretoria, South Africa Miss T Guada
11:55 - 12:05	Oral Presentation PRC25-1374	Histopathological review and viral quantification of Kaposi sarcoma using immunohistochemistry, digital PCR, and digital analysis of whole slide imaging Dr T Bagratee
11:55 - 12:05	Oral Presentation PRC25-2050	Microsatellite stability status and its correlation with clinicopathological features in gastric carcinomas: Insights from a retrospective study in northern Tshwane Ms N Kgokong
12:15 - 12:25	Oral Presentation PRC25-1796	The impact of next generation sequencing on the molecular landscape of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans in black South Africans: A KwaZulu-Natal study Dr T Bagratee
12:15 - 12:25	Oral Presentation PRC25-2126	Pathologic characterization of gastrointestinal B-cell lymphoma over a 15-year period at an academic laboratory in northern Pretoria, South Africa Dr M Keetse
12:35 - 12:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-2329	Evaluation of PD-L1 22C3 using the Leica Bond-III stainer to effectively identify lung cancer patient eligibility for anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy Dr D Lakhoo
12:45 - 12:55	Q&A	Q&A
13:00 - 13:45	Lunch Break
13:45 - 17:00 \| ANATOMICAL PATHOLOGY VENUE: JULIA
Theme: Surgical Pathology
14:00 - 14:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Prof R Wadee : WITS, NHLS
14:05 - 14:30	Invited Speaker	Infectious disease Case Presentation Dr L Budding : UFS, NHLS
14:45 - 14:55	Invited Speaker	Overview of Lymph node pathology Dr C Esterhuizen : UFS, NHLS
14:55 - 15:20	Invited Speaker	Molecular Rising: Use of of Molecular results In our daily Practice Mr M Moodley : NICD, NHLS
15:20 - 15:25	Q&A	Q&A
Young Pathologist Seminar Case Presentation
15:25 - 15:30	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr D de Wet :SU, NHLS
15:40 - 15:50	Registrar Slides	Case presentation Dr A Maphala : UP
15:50 - 16:00	Registrar Slides	Case presentation Dr B Samy : SMU
16:00 - 16:10	Registrar Slides	Case presentation Dr L Sewpaul : UKZN
16:10 - 16:20	Registrar Slides	Case presentation Dr T Make : UFS
16:20 - 16:30	Registrar Slides	Case presentation Dr A Soni : UCT
16:30 - 16:40	Registrar Slides	Case presentation Dr E Wilson : SU
16:40 -16:50	Registrar Slides	Case presentation Dr G Deepnarain : WSU
16:50 - 16:55	Q&A	Q&A
16:55 - 17:00	Closing Remarks	Closing Remarks
17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
18:15 - 19:00		BREAK
19:00 - 22:00	Gala Dinner

10:45 -13:00\| CHEMICAL PATHOLOGY VENUE: SENATE 2
10:45 - 10:50	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair(s): Dr MK Nkoana : SMU, NHLS Dr L Masika : WSU
10:50 - 11:15	Invited Speaker	Demand management tools: Where is the evidence? Prof A Zemlin : SU, NHLS
11:15 - 11:40	Invited Speaker	Precision in Practice: Utilizing data-driven decision-making in Clinical Laboratories Prof S Yenice : Demiroğlu Bilim University , Türkiye
11:40 -11:50	Q&A	Q&A
11:50 - 12:00	Oral Presentation PRC25-1366	Evaluation of a point-of-care testing platform against a HPLC HbA1c measurement method in a South African tertiary-level diabetes clinic Dr S Mohungoo-Khan
12:00 - 12:10	Oral Presentation PRC25-1424	Using baseline serum cortisol to predict adrenal response to ACTH stimulation Dr J Rusch
12:10 - 12:20	Oral Presentation PRC25-2286	Failed serum separation: Identifying underlying causes and emphasizing the need for prompt intervention — a case report Dr V Pretorius
12:20 - 12:30	Oral Presentation PRC25-1641	Tragedy in soweto: assessing south africa’s pesticide poisoning crisis through butyrylcholinesterase levels Dr S Linkov
12:30 - 12:40	Q&A	Q&A
12:40 - 13:00	Information Session	College of Medicine of South Africa : Chemical Pathology Examination update for Pathologists Prof A Zemlin : SU, NHLS Dr S Dlamini : UFS, NHLS
13:00 - 13:45	Lunch Break
13:45 - 17:00 \| CHEMICAL PATHOLOGY VENUE: SENATE 2
14:00 - 14:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chairs: Dr M Maphayi : WITS, NHLS Dr U Ngxamngxa : UKZN, NHLS
14:05 - 14:30	Invited Speaker Virtual	Telepathology : Expanding access to regional laboratories Dr V Gounden : University Hospital Galway, Ireland
14:30 - 14:55	Invited Speaker	Low-cost diagnostics for resource-constrained settings Prof J Delanghe : Ghent University, Belgium
14:55 - 15:05	Q&A	Q&A
14:55 - 15:20	Oral Presentation PRC25-1326	From laborious to effortless: Transforming amino acid result reporting with automation Dr K Magolego
15:15 - 15:25	Oral Presentation PRC25-2204	The assessment of the performance of three low-density lipoprotein cholesterol equations in hypertriglyceridemia samples from an academic hospital, Gauteng Province Dr S Gwiliza
15:25 - 15:35	Oral Presentation PRC25-1076	Optimising serum immunofixation electrophoresis for monoclonal protein identification using β-mercaptoethanol: A quality improvement initiative. Dr C Andrews
15:35 - 15:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-1018	Clinicians’ perspectives on the impact of a ransomware attack on a chemical pathology laboratory Dr A Fataar
15:50 - 16:00	Q&A	Q&A
Roundtable Discussion
16:00 - 16:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Prof R Punchoo : UCT, NHLS
16:05 - 17:00	Roundtable Discussion	Challenges with Separation Techniques : Chromatography Dr S Currin : WITS, NHLS Mr T Magwai : UFS, NHLS Ms H Kruger : Ampath
17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
18:15 - 19:00		BREAK
19:00 - 22:00	Gala Dinner

10:45 -13:00\| Haematology VENUE: SENATE 1
Theme: Haematological Malignancies: Bridging the gap between genotype and phenotype
10:45 - 10:50	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Prof J Joubert : UFS, NHLS Dr K. Lohlun : UCT, NHLS
10:50 - 11:10	Invited Speaker	AML: The Bridge from morphology to Phenotype Prof V Moodley : SMU, NHLS
11:10 - 11:20	Oral presentation PRC25-1426	Case review on Warburg effect: a rare condition of type B metabolic acidosis associated with malignancy Dr A Mhlotshwa
11:20 - 11:30	Oral presentation PRC25-1090 Virtual	A rare turn: Richter’s transformation presenting as testicular diffuse large B-cell lymphoma Dr S Kimberley
11:30-11:55	Invited Speaker Virtual	Eosinophilia: Bridging Haematology with Genetics Prof A Bagg : U.Penn,USA
11:55 - 12:05	Q&A	Q & A
12:05 - 12:15	Oral presentation PRC25-3214 Virtual	Systemic mastocytosis in paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia with RUNX1: RUNX1T1 fusion Dr N Smith
12:15 - 12:20	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1375 Virtual	Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma in a paediatric patient: A case of a rare disease at an unusual age Dr S Mhangwane
12:20 - 12:30	Oral presentation PRC25-1035	Characterizing the MYD88 and CXCR4 gene mutation profile in South African lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma patients Dr K Hodkinson
12:30 - 12:35	Q&A	Q & A
12:35 - 12:45	Oral presentation PRC25-1013	The clinical and diagnostic utility of NGS in AML and myeloid malignancies: a South African perspective Dr K Lohlun
12:45 - 12:55	Oral presentation PRC25-1216	The genomic landscape of aplastic anaemia, MDS, and MDS/MPN in a South African setting Dr C Nunes
12:55 - 13:00	Q&A/Closing Remarks	Q&A/Closing Remarks
13:00 - 13:45	Lunch Break
13:45 - 17:00\| HAEMATOLOGY VENUE: SENATE 1
Theme: Bridging the Gap: Haemostasis and Obstetrics
14:00 - 14:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Prof J Potgieter : UP, NHLS Dr R Mashele : SMU, NHLS
14:05 - 14:25	Invited Speaker	Thrombocytopenia in Pregnancy Dr D Kriel : UCT, NHLS
14:25 - 14:45	Invited Speaker	Thrombosis in Pregnancy Dr P Wessels : Ampath
14:45 - 14:50	Q&A	Q & A
14:50 - 15:00	Oral Presentation PRC25-1010	The chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) von Willebrand factor-ADAMTS13 axis – implications for haemostatic disease models Prof J Joubert
15:00 - 15:10	Oral Presentation PRC25-1010	Occult Hepatitis B in Haemophilia in South Africa Dr L Ntabeni
15:10 - 15:20	Oral Presentation PRC25-2203	Quantification of extracellular vesicles in HIV-associated TTP Prof M Meiring
15:20 - 15:25	Q&A	Q & A
15:25 - 15:35	Oral Presentation PRC25-2080	Clinical presentation, management and outcomes of pulmonary embolism in pregnancy at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospita Dr N Zulu
15:35 - 15:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-2208	Verification and implementation of a bovine chromogenic factor VIII assay for hemophilia A patients on emicizumab therapy Dr T Masia
15:45 - 15:55	Oral Presentation PRC25-1232	A prospective evaluation of dilute Russel’s viper venom test interpretation at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital Prof J Vaughan
15:55 - 16:00	Q&A	Q & A
16:00 - 16:05	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1067	The antiphospholipid antibody profiles of a South African population Dr D Ras
16:05 - 16:10	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-2115	Lupus anticoagulant testing at an academic laboratory in Pretoria, Gauteng Dr M Mmusi
16:10 - 16:15	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1067	Incidence and impact on quality of life of heavy menstrual bleeding in women on oral anticoagulant therapy Dr Hassan
16:15 - 16:20	Q&A	Q & A
Theme: Malignancies Sequel: Bridging the gap between genotype and phenotype
	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Prof J Potgieter : UP, NHLS Dr R Mashele : SMU, NHLS
16:20 - 16:30	Oral presentation PRC25-2160 Virtual	SA rare myeloid neoplasm with eosinophilia and two PDGFRA fusion genes Dr J Bailly
16:30 - 16:40	Oral presentation PRC25-1789	Reactive or clonal myelodysplasia in children: a case report of an adolescent with GATA 2 mutation in Durban, Sout Africa Dr D Pillay
16:40 - 16:45	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-2374	Gaucher disease misdiagnosed as childhood primary myelofibrosis Dr N Ncete
16:45 - 16:55	Q&A	Q & A
16:55-17:00	Closing Remarks	Closing Remarks
17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
18:15 - 19:00		BREAK
19:00 - 22:00	Gala Dinner

10:45 - 13:00 \| HUMAN GENETICS VENUE: ROMANUS
Theme: Innovative Diagnostics for Rare and Complex Genetic Disorders
10:45 - 10:50	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr N van der Merwe : SU
10:50 - 11:15	Invited Speaker Virtual	Translating Genomic Discovery into Clinical Care: Insights from the NeuroDev Study Dr Z Bruwer : UCT
11:15 - 11:25	Oral presentation PRC25-2105	Assessment of the Utility of Face2Gene for the Clinical Diagnosis of 22q11.2 Copy Number Variants in a South African Cohort Mr D McCarthy
11:25 - 11:35	Oral presentation PRC25-3103	Detection of Copy Number Variants Using Targeted Next Generation Sequencing Data From an Inherited Disease Panel Ms N Mayevu
11:35 - 11:45	Oral presentation PRC25-2209	An Audit of Genetic Testing Performed for Intersex Patients Ms B Nonyane
11:45 - 11:55	Oral presentation PRC25-2257	Investigating the Diagnostic Yield of Patients Presenting With Tuberous Sclerosis Tested Using A Next-Generation Sequencing Inherited Disease Panel Ms M Viljoen
11:55 - 12:05	Oral presentation PRC3157	Undetermined Zygosity Twins With B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia: A Case Series Ms Z Nare
12:05 - 12:15	Oral presentation PRC25-3155	Description of Lethal Skeletal Dysplasia at NHLS Braamfontein Dr K Mophiring
12:15 - 12:20	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-2255	Unexpected Molecular Findings: Diagnosing 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome Through Methylation Specific MLPA In A Case Initially Suspected As Russell-Silver Syndrome Ms F Essop
12:20 - 12:25	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-2130	The Significance of Conventional Karyotyping in The Identification of Balanced Structural Abnormalities in The Cytogenetics Laboratory At SANBS Ms Z Mvelase
12:25 - 12:30	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-2253	Atypical Chromosome 11 (11p15.5) Deletion In A Patient Referred For Silver-Russell Syndrome Ms A Sobalisa
12:30 - 12:35	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-2333	Late Diagnosis of Mosaic Turner Syndrome in A 43-Year-Old Female with Isochromosome X Variant Ms T Lehlokoa
12:35 - 12:40	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-2183	Twin Paternity Testing in The In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) Context: An Unexpected Laboratory Finding Mr R Serepa
12:40 - 12:45	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-2116	First Reported Case of Loeys-Dietz Syndrome in an Afrikaner Patient Ms D Jeffries
12:45 -12:55	Q&A	Q&A
12:55 - 13:00	Closing Remarks	Closing Remarks
13:00 - 13:45	Lunch Break
17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
18:15 - 19:00		BREAK
19:00 - 22:00	Gala Dinner

10:45 -13:00\|IMMUNOLOGY VENUE: AUGUSTUS
Theme: Immune Biomarkers in Autoimmunity, Cancer, and Tuberculosis
10:45 - 10:50	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr M Potjo : UP, NHLS Prof Elizabeth Mayne: UCT, NHLS
10:50 - 11:15	Invited speaker	Challenges in diagnosing systemic autoimmune diseases in resource-limited settings in South Africa Prof M Tikly : WITS
11:15 - 11:25	Oral presentation PRC25-1904	A retrospective analysis of antiphospholipid antibodies frequencies and clinical associations in patients tested at NHLS, Immunology Laboratory, Braamfontein Mr N Mampeule
11:25 - 11:35	Oral presentation PRC25-1908	Retrospective analysis of autoantibodies in suspected autoimmune diseases: patterns of antinuclear and antiphospholipid antibodies at the NHLS Mr N Mampeule
11:35 - 11:45	Invited speaker	Inborn errors of immunity hidden in plain sight Dr L Kwofie : UP, NHLS
11:45 - 11:50	Oral presentation PRC25-1153	Investigation of peripheral blood immune cell subsets and cytokine levels in females with breast cancer before and after first-phase chemotherapy Ms N Chicken
11:50 - 12:05	Sprint presentation PRC25-2094	The immunomodulatory effect of the acidic tumour microenvironment Dr C Worsley
12:05 - 12:30	Invited speaker	The performance of tongue swabs for detection of pulmonary tuberculosis Dr C Ealand : WITS
12:30 - 12:50	Invited speaker	Biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of tuberculosis Prof N Chegou : SU
12:50 - 13:00	Oral presentation PRC25-1795	Development of a multiplex HIV/TB point-of-care diagnostic assay based on the microarray technology Dr K Malatji
13:00 - 13:45	Lunch Break
17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
18:15 - 19:00		BREAK
19:00 - 22:00	Gala Dinner

10:45 -13:00 \| MICROBIOLOGY VENUE: NCC
Theme: Innovating TB diagnostics in under-resourced areas
10:45 - 10:50	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr S Singh : SU, NHLS
10:50 - 11:10	Invited speaker	Implementation of tNGS Dr Shaheed Omar : NICD, NHLS
11:10 - 11:30	Invited speaker	Non sputum alternative - Xpert Ultra performance on tongue swabs Ms Anura David : WITS
11:30 - 11:40	Oral presentation PRC25-1359 Virtual	Whole genome sequencing of drug resistant isolates from three provinces of South Africa Dr H Said
11:40 - 11:50	Oral presentation PRC25-1812	Comparative evaluation of the Xpert MTB/XDR and Fluorotype XDR assays for detecting fluoroquinolone resistance in MDR-TB clinical isolates Ms K Mathebe
11:50 - 12:00	Oral presentation PRC25-3159	Machine learning and predictive analytics in tuberculosis research Dr N Dlatu
12:00 - 12:10	Oral presentation PRC25-3092	Unveiling the hidden epidemic of isoniazid mono-resistance, heteroresistance, and mixed tuberculosis infections in a South African rural province Dr O Laguda-Akingba
12:10 - 12:20	Oral presentation PRC25-3163	Investigation of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis at a tertiary laboratory in Pretoria, South Africa Mr N Gogela
12:20 - 12:25	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-001	Effect of mycobacterial heterogeneity on tuberculosis chemotherapy susceptibility and treatment outcomes Dr D Ralefeta
12:25 - 12:30	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-1213	Waste to worth: A diagnostic accuracy of Xpert MTB/XDR on contaminated liquid cultures to salvage the detection of drug-resistant tuberculosis Mr Y Ghebrekristos
12:30 - 12:35	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-2326	RPOB sequencing results of samples reported as rifampicin ‘indeterminate’ on Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra Dr N von Knorring
12:35 - 12:40	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-1911	Comparison of the COBAS MTB test and Xpert MTB/RIF assay for Mycobacterium tuberculosis detection according to acid fast bacillus results Ms P Nhleko
12:40 - 12:45	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-1814	Genomic variants and associated drug resistance profiles revealed by sequencing in drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates from Limpopo Province Mr K Kaapu
12:45 - 12:50	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-1075	Comparative transcriptomics uncover the mechanisms of transcript regulation by coding and non-coding RNAs within the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strains Ms A Nyide
12:50 - 13:00	Q&A	Q&A/Closing Remarks
13:00 - 14:00	Lunch Break
13:00 - 14:00 \| MICROBIOLOGY VENUE: NCC
	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr N Dlamini : UKZN, NHLS
14:00 - 14:30	Debate	Lab Wars: OneSite vs Offsite, which serves pasients better? Dr Y Mahabeer : UKZN, NHLS Dr M Kolojane : WITS, NHLS
Theme: The AMR challenge: Defeating resistance through surveillance, diagnostics & stewardship
14:30 - 14:35	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr C Chu : UFS, NHLS
14:35 - 14:50	Invited Speaker	Why it is so difficult to change behavior in antibiotic prescribing practices? Prof A Brink : UCT, NHLS
14:50 - 15:05	Invited Speaker	Tools and enablers in primary care Prof N Schellack : UP
15:05 - 15:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-1246	Comparison of environmental and colonisation sampling for surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in a neonatal hospital environment Ms K Hattingh
15:15 - 15:25	Oral Presentation PRC25-1957	Characterisation of carbapenemase-containing plasmids in Klebsiella pneumoniae Prof A Whitelaw
15:25 - 15:35	Oral Presentation PRC25-1073	Impact of antimicrobial stewardship ward rounds: A clinician's perspective Dr V Alex
15:35 - 15:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-1088	Prevalence and molecular characterization of multi-drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria in a new regional hospital in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa Dr P Bhola
15:45 - 15:55	Oral Presentation PRC25-1015	Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and genes associated with bacitracin resistance among group A streptococcal isolates collected from Limpopo Province in 2022 Ms M Kgasha
15:55 - 16:05	Oral Presentation PRC25-1949	The changing epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriae at an academic hospital in Johannesburg Dr S Ndzabandzaba
16:05 - 16:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-2299	Phenotypic and molecular characterization of Clostridium clostridioides difficile from private and public healthcare settings in Gauteng, South Africa Dr H Shirinda
16:15 - 16:20	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1085	Susceptibility testing of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates against cefiderocol, ampicillin-sulbactam, and minocycline Dr Y Mahabeer
16:20 - 16:25	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1036	A river in crisis: Water quality, microbial burden, and public health implications of the Jukskei River Ms S Duze
16:25 - 16:30	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1079	A case of Panton Valentine leukocidin (PVL) producing Staphylococcus aureus infection Dr A Yusuf
16:30 - 16:35	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1004	Absence of cefiderocol resistance in BLANDM-producing Enterobacterales from Durban, South Africa Dr K Masemola
16:35 - 16:40	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1330	Characterisation of antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles of Enterococcus faecium isolated from patients with invasive infections in Tshwane Ms L Capriello
16:40 - 16:45	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1916	Multi-carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales in South Africa Dr K Masemola
16:45 - 16:50	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1915	Characterization of Klebsiella species isolated from selected South African wastewater treatment plants Ms M Manavhela
16:50 - 16:55	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1215	Investigation of vaccine coverage and BCG-associated disease cases in the Free State, South Africa Mr B Moswane
16:55 - 17:00	Q&A	Q&A/Closing Remarks
17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
18:15 - 19:00		BREAK
19:00 - 22:00	Gala Dinner

10:45 - 13:00 \| PUBLIC HEALTH VENUE: TIBERIUS
Theme: Occupational Health
10:45 - 10:50	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr M Motlhale : NIOH, NHLS
10:50 - 11:15	Invited Speaker	Ethical use of AI in research Mr K Chetty : HSRC
11:15 - 11:40	Invited Speaker	The role of occupational health in strengthening service delivery: Preventing absenteeism, improving productivity, and ensuring workforce sustainability Prof S Kgalamono : NIOH, NHLS
11:40 - 11:50	Oral Presentation PRC25-1903	Exposure to respirable crystalline silica and heavy metals in a community located in close proximity to Johannesburg mine dumps Mr N Gumbo
11:50 - 12:00	Oral Presentation PRC25-1367	Assessment of work-related airborne contaminant exposure among petrol attendants in Johannesburg, South Africa Ms L Ntlailane
12:00 - 12:10	Oral Presentation PRC25-1379	Developing a potent cascade superoxide dismutase-catalase activity by integrating gadolinium-iron nanozyme with hyper-branched polyglycerol for enhanced chemodynamic therapy Ms M Magogotya
12:10 - 12:15	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-2194	Biological exposure assessment of trichloroethylene in a cohort of commercial dry-cleaning workers by ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectrophotometry Ms L Manamela
12:15 - 12:20	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1663	Advancing health and safety at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases Dr K Naidoo
12:20 - 12:25	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-2011	Surveillance of occupational lung diseases at autopsy in South African miners, 2021 Ms T Mashele
12:25 - 12:30	Q&A	Q&A
12:30 - 13:00	Invite Speaker	Emerging risks in occupational health and safety Dr M Rakgoale : NIOH, NHLS
13:00 - 13:45		Lunch Break
14:00- 17:00 \| PUBLIC HEALTH VENUE: TIBERIUS
Theme: Communicable Diseases
14:00 - 14:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair(s): Dr N Prabdial-Singh : NICD, NHLS Prof J Weyer : NICD, NHLS
14:05 - 14:25	Invited Speaker	The Africa COVID-19 legacy– improved vaccinology for pandemic preparedness Prof P Moore : NICD, NHLS
14:25 - 14:45	Invited Speaker	Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteraemia in adults Dr J Nel : NHLS
14:45 - 15:05	Invited Speaker	Use of mathematical modelling to support viral hepatitis elimination in low and middle-income countries Prof H Razavi : CDA Foundation
15:05 - 15:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-3094	Enhancing tuberculosis control in rural Eastern Cape: integrating community engagement with clinical governance Dr O Laguda-Akingba
15:15 - 15:25	Oral Presentation PRC25-2347	Characteristics of recurrent individuals with tuberculosis and factors associated with unsuccessful treatment outcomes, South Africa, 2019 - 2023 Ms S Dlamini
15:25 - 15:30	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-2112	Insights into the spectrum of exposure to Rift Valley fever virus in people in South Africa, 2015-2023 Dr V Msimang
15:30 - 15:35	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1231	A comparative analysis of COVID-19 symptoms among people living with HIV and those without HIV in South Africa (2020-2023) Ms C Manabile
15:35 - 15:40	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1361	SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and attack rate in a community cohort in South Africa in 2023 Ms C Reddy
15:40 - 15:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-3099	Evaluating the impact of loadshedding on the bacterial counts of Gauteng Forensic Pathology Services Mr T Duba
15:45 -15:55	Q&A	Q&A
15:55 - 16:00		Closing Remarks

16:00 - 16:05	Convener	Conveners Remarks Ms L Johnston : NICD, NHLS
16:05 - 17:00	Roundtable	Role of Public Health in guiding National Policies Prof B Brooke : NICD, NHLS Ms K Koporc : CDC Foundation
17:00 - 17:15		COMFORT BREAK
17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
18:15 - 19:00		BREAK
20:00 - 22:00	Gala Dinner

10:45 - 13:00\| VIROLOGY VENUE: CLAUDIUS
Theme: Method development and surveillance
10:45 - 10:50	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr F Treurnicht : NICD, NHLS
10:50 - 11:05	Invited Speaker	What you measure and what you miss: understanding laboratory methods Prof N Page :NICD, NHLS
11:05 - 11:20	Invited Speaker	Viral metagenomic sequencing using hybridization capture Dr M Hofstra : SU
11:20 - 11:30	Oral Presentation PRC25-1077 Virtual	Addressing gaps in local virological surveillance through automated data visualization tools Dr C Coetzee
11:30 - 11:40	Oral Presentation PRC25-2079	Combined wastewater and clinical genomic surveillance expand outbreak tracking and fills surveillance gaps Mr S Gwala
11:40 - 11:50	Oral Presentation PRC25-1151	Development and evaluation of an end-point polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection and differentiation of monkeypox virus clades Dr T Smith
11:50 - 12:00	Oral Presentation PRC25-2216	Differential diagnosis of vesicular rash in adults with suspected MPOX in South Africa Dr N Moolla
12:00 - 12:10	Oral Presentation PRC25-1381	Investigation of the interaction between histo-blood group antigen-expressing bacteria and rotavirus vaccine shedding in infants Ms N Nndwamato
12:10 - 12:20	Oral Presentation PRC25-2221	Human rabies case associated with the Duvenhage virus, Kenya 2025 Ms A Grobbelaar
12:20 - 12:30	Oral Presentation PRC25-1157	Detection and characterisation of human adenovirus and human rotavirus in stool specimens collected from hospitalised patients in the Tshwane region Prof W van Zyl
12:30 - 12:35	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1204	Cytomegalovirus diversity among patients of all ages in Johannesburg, South Africa, 2022-2023 Dr B Mashishi
12:35 - 12:40	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-2096	Epidemiology of cluster of tanapox in South Africa, 2024 Ms K Govender
12:40-12:45	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-2107	Pixilated by MPOX virus ultrastructure Dr M Birkhead
12:45 - 12:50	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-2164	Evaluation and validation of an ELISA for the detection of IgM antibodies to Sindbis virus in human sera Ms V Patharoo
12:50 - 12:55	Q&A	Q&A
12:55-13:00		Closing Remarks
13:00 - 14:00		Lunch Break
14:00 -17:00 \| Virology VENUE: CLAUDIUS
Theme: Respiratory Diseases
14:00 - 14:05	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr K Francois: UKZN, NHLS
14:05 - 14:25	Invited Speaker	Molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2: lessons learnt Dr L Poon : University of Hong kong, China
14:25 - 14:45	Invited Speaker	Changes in the epidemiology of influenza during 2020-2022 relative to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period (2017-2019) from systematic sentinel syndromic surveillance in South Africa Dr S Walaza : NICD, NHLS
14:45 - 14:55	Oral Presentation PRC25-1007	Limited toxicity and inhibition of influenza virus neuraminidases by 39 plant species used to treat respiratory diseases by South Africans Ms A Davis-Makama
14:55 - 15:05	Oral Presentation PRC25-10110	Diversity across spike signal peptides and haem binding regions among South African SARS-CoV-2 strains, 2020 to 2022 Dr F Treurnicht
15:05 - 15:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-1043	The molecular epidemiology of human respiratory syncytial virus circulating strains on samples from a tertiary pediatric hospital between 2020-2024 Dr M Maseko
15:15 - 15:25	Oral Presentation PRC25-1174	Prospective screening for respiratory pathogens in sudden unexpected death in infancy cases at Tygerberg Forensic Pathology Mortuary in Cape Town Prof C de Beer
15:25 - 15:35	Oral Presentation PRC25-1321	Detection and genetic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during the period 2021 to 2023 at NHLS-DGM academic laboratory Ms T Mokobane
15:35 - 15:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-1378	Improving the stability and in-vitro expression of a synthetic SARS-CoV-2 S gene construct Mr K Bhagwandin
15:45 - 15:55	Oral Presentation PRC25-1384	Investigating histo-blood group antigen phenotypes among COVID-19 patients and non-COVID-19 controls, and association with susceptibility and severity of the disease Ms N Nndwamato
15:55 - 16:05	Oral Presentation PRC25-2125	Surveillance of respiratory viral infections in the Garden Route district of South Africa Prof M Hsiao
16:05 - 16:15	Oral Presentation PRC25-2300	Surveillance of measles in South Africa to support public health responses in South Africa in efforts for elimination Ms K Subramoney
16:15 -16:20	Sprint Oral Presentation PCR25-2345	Evaluating the measles testing algorithm to improve the sensitivity and specificity of measles case classification surveillance: impact on measles elimination Ms L Makhathini
16:20 - 16:25	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1793	Repurposing of FDA-approved HIV and HCV inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 treatment in resource-limited settings Dr K Moeng
16:25 -16:30	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1012	Amino acid substitutions prevalent in fusion protein signal peptides from African RSV-A and RSV-B strains from 2007 to 2022 Dr F Treurnicht
16:30 -16:35	Sprint Oral Presentation PRC25-1179	Limitations of point-of-care testing for low SARS-CoV-2 loads: insights for future pandemics Ms N Mohubedu
16:35 - 16:40	Q&A	Q&A
Theme: Respiratory Diseases
16:40 - 16:45	Chairperson	Chair: Dr O Laguda-Akingba : WSU, NHLS
16:45 - 17:15	Invited Speakers	Emerging Viruses Prof F Burt : UFS, NHLS Prof W Preiser : SU, NHLS
17:15		Closing Remarks

17:15 - 18:15	POSTER VIEWING
20:00 - 22:00	Gala Dinner

07:00 - 08:30	Registration , Online Login Support & Poster Viewing
08:30 - 09:25	Plenary Session
08:30 -08:35	Opening and Welcome	Prof Komala Pillay; (PSC 2023 Chair); UCT, NHLS (Session Chair)
08:35 - 09:00	Working Together for Better Health: Public and Academic Partnerships That Make a Difference	Prof Craig Househam; NHLS Board, South Africa
09:00 - 09:20	Reimagining Public Health diagnostics: Strengthening NHLS for resilience, equity and innovation	Prof Koleka Mlisana; NHLS, South Africa
09:20 - 09:25	Closing	Session Chair
09:25 - 10:25	ROUNDTABLE: Ethical Complexities and Researcher Accountability in Blanket Protocols and Emerging Research Questions Dr. Mathoto Thaoge Zwane (Chair): TUT Prof Paul Ruff: WITS Prof Theresa Rossouw: UP Dr Sylvia Sathekge: NHLS
10:25 - 10:45	Comfort Break
10:45 - 13:00	Discipline Specific Scientific Sessions 3
13:00 - 13:45	Lunch Break & Poster Viewing
13:45 - 17:00	Discipline Specific Scientific Sessions 4
17:15 - 18:15	ROUNDTABLE: Smarter Labs for better heath outcomes: AI Solutions for Resource-Limited SettingsVENUE: NCC Mr. Sibulele Bandezi (Chair): NHLS Prof Adrian Egli: University of Zurich Prof Pieter Meyer: NHLS Prof Tahir Pillay: UP, NHLS Dr Sylvia Sathekge: NHLS
18:15 - 19:00	Break
19:00 - 22:00	GALA DINNER

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME : Sunday, 05 October 2025

09:10 - 11:10 \| ANATOMICAL PATHOLOGY VENUE: JULIA
Theme: Update of Surgical Pathology
09:10 - 09:15	Chairperson	Chair: Dr M Khaba : SMU, NHLS
09:15 - 09:40	Oral Presentation PRC25-1995	Breast cancer, pregnancy and metastasis to the placenta with review of literature Dr L Seepaul
09:40 - 09:45	Oral Presentation PRC25-3216	Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)-like invasive breast carcinoma Dr N Naicker
09:45 - 10:05	Invited Speaker	Feedback on the introduction and implementation of the colorectal carcinoma reporting template: Lessons learnt and way forward Dr A van Wyk : SU, NHLS
10:05 - 10:30	Invited Speaker	Breast myoepithelial and papillary lesions Dr D De Wet : SU, NHLS
10:30 - 10:55	Invited Speaker	Salivary gland myoepithelial and papillary lesions Dr J Opperman : UWC, NHLS
10:55 - 11:05	Q&A	Q & A
11:05 - 11:10	Closing	Closing Remarks
11:10 - 11:25	COMFORT BREAK
11:25 - 13:30 \| CLOSING PLENARY
11:25 - 13:30	Closing Plenary Session
11:30 - 11:35	Opening and welcome
11:35 - 11:55	POCT as the game-changer in global health
11:55 - 12:15	Advancing pathology R&D for equitable health outcomes in the developing world
12:15 - 12:25	PathR&D appreciation & recognition awards
12:25 - 13:30	Closing and vote of thanks
13:30 - 15:30	Lunch and Departure

09:10 - 11:10 \| CHEMICAL PATHOLOGY VENUE: SENATE 2
09:10 - 09:15	Chairperson	Chairs: Dr T Pillay : UKZN, NHLS Prof D Tanyanyiwa : SMU, NHLS
09:15 - 09:40	Invited Speaker	Lysosomal storage disorders: The patient, the tests, the treatment Prof C Vorster : NWU
09:40 - 10:15	Invited Speaker	Personalized diagnostic methods for Gestational Diabetes Ms L Khambule : WITS, NHLS
Roundtable Discussion
10:15 - 10:20	Conveners' Remarks	Dr S Gwiliza : UP, NHLS Dr A Rampul : PathCare
10:20 - 11:10	Roundtable	Alternative Equations for LDL-C Calculations Dr N Moodley : UKZN, NHLS / Prof T Pillay: UP, NHLS / Dr T Jalavu : UWC, NHLS
11:10 - 11:25	COMFORT BREAK
11:25 - 13:30	Closing Plenary Session
11:30 - 11:35	Opening and Welcome
11:35 - 11:55	POCT as the Game-Changer in Global Health
11:55 - 12:15	Advancing Pathology R&D For Equitable Health Outcomes in the Developing World
12:15 - 12:25	PathR&D Appreciation & Recognition Awards
12:25 - 13:30	Closing and Vote of Thanks
13:30 - 15:30	Lunch and Departure

09:10 - 11:10 \| HAEMATOLOGY VENUE: SENATE 1
Theme: Bridging the gap: Haematology and HIV
09:10 - 09:15	Chairperson	Chairs: Dr T. Pheeha : UL NHLS Dr S. Kennedy : UFS, NHLS
09:15 - 09:35	Invited speaker	ADAMTS13: Challenges and Pitalls in TTP Dr S Louw : WITS , NHLS
09:35 - 09:45	Oral presentation PRC25-1787	Analysis of coombs positive autoimmune haemolytic anaemia in an HIV endemic hospital population Dr K de John
09:45 - 09:50	Q&A	Q &A/Closing Remarks
09:50 - 10:00	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-2032	When histologies collide: sequential lymphoma in a young immunocompromised male Dr V Naidoo
10:00 - 10:10	Oral presentation PRC25-2092	HIV-associated multiple myeloma: clinicopathological characteristics, early treatment response and survival rates in the era of antiretroviral therapy Dr A Kema
10:10 - 10:20	Oral presentation PRC25-3101	Frequency of parvovirus B19 in bone marrow samples of patients living with HIV being investigated for Cytopenias in northern Gauteng Dr D Toi
10:20 - 10:25	Q&A	Q &A/Closing Remarks
10:25 - 10:35	Oral presentation PRC25-2123	T-cell Lymphoma in a high HIV prevalence setting at the Johannesburg academic complex South Africa Dr T Wiggil
10:35 - 11:05	Invited speaker Virtual	Hodgkin lymphoma: bridging pathology with biology Prof A Bagg U.Penn,USA
11:05 - 11:10	Closing Remarks	Q&A/Closing Remarks
11:10 - 11:25	COMFORT BREAK
11:25 - 13:30	Closing Plenary Session
11:30 - 11:35	Opening and welcome
11:35 - 11:55	POCT as the game-changer in global health
11:55 - 12:15	Advancing Pathology R&D for equitable health outcomes in the developing world
12:15 - 12:25	PathR&D appreciation & recognition awards
12:25 - 13:30	Closing and vote of thanks
13:30 - 15:30	Lunch and Departure

09:10 - 11:10 \| MICROBIOLOGY VENUE: NCC
Theme: Tackling undeserved diseases & new pathogens
09:10 - 09:15	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr G Shikwambane-Ntlemo : SMU, NHLS
09:15 - 09:35	Invited speaker	From forgotten to the forefront: Neglected & new parasitic diseases Dr C Sriruttan-Nel: NICD, NHLS
09:35 - 09:45	Oral presentation PRC25-1175	Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections in pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Capricorn District, Limpopo Province, South Africa Ms K Nyaku
09:45 - 09:55	Oral presentation PRC25-1794	Seroprevalence study of brucellosis among farmworkers and livestock in communal farming systems of Frances Baard District, Northern Cape Province Ms S Bonga
10:00 - 10:10	Oral-PRC25-2285	Laboratory-based surveillance of Aspergillus species-complexes isolated from clinical specimens in South Africa, 2018 to 2024 Ms N Mpembe
09:55- 10:05	Oral presentation PRC25-2284	Investigating the genotypic characteristics of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia at a tertiary laboratory in Gauteng Dr J Bolukaoto
10:05 - 10:10	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-1152	Rapidly progressing rhinosinusitis in a patient with advanced HIV infection due to Saksenaea oblongispora, a rare cause of mucormycosis Dr B van der Westhuizen
10:10 - 10:15	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-3105	Non-Falciparum malaria: A missed case of Plasmodium vivax Dr V Ntsoane
10:15- 10:20	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-1072	A novel Arsenophonus species isolated from a bacteraemic patient Dr R Chomba
10:20 - 10:25	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-1947	In vitro susceptibility profile of olorofim against thermally dimorphic fungal pathogens causing endemic mycoses in South Africa Dr T Maphanga
10:25 - 10:30	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-2047	Genomic characterisation of zoonotic bacteria carried by wild birds during the migratory season in Gauteng, South Africa Ms T Govender
10:30 - 10:45	Q&A	Q&A/Closing Remarks

10:45-10:50	Chairperson's Remarks	Chair: Dr S Opperman : UCT, SU, NHLS
10:50 - 11:05	Invited speaker Virtual	The Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases (SAJID): a stepping stone for emerging researchers Prof M Cotton (SAJID)
11:05 - 11:10	Closing Remarks	Closing Remarks
11:10 - 11:25	COMFORT BREAK
11:25 - 13:30	Closing Plenary Session
11:30 - 11:35	Opening and welcome
11:35 - 11:55	POCT as the game-changer in global health
11:55 - 12:15	Advancing pathology R&D for equitable health outcomes in the developing world
12:15 - 12:25	PathR&D appreciation & recognition awards
12:25 - 13:30	Closing and vote of thanks
13:30 - 15:30	Lunch and Departure

09:10 - 11:10 \| PUBLIC HEALTH VENUE: TIBERIUS
Theme: Public health – genomics and teaching
09:10 - 09:15	Chairperson	Chair: Prof N Page : NICD, NHLS
09:15 - 09:45	Invited speaker	Resisting the resistance: the SCARS surveillance initiative Dr C Maluleka : NICD, NHLS
09:45 - 10:15	Invited speaker	ADVANCE: GERMS study Dr E Prendergast : Wits Health Consortium
10:15 - 10:25	Oral presentation PRC25-1840	Genomic characterization of invasive Salmonella in South Africa: trends from 2020 to 2022 Ms S Williams
10:25 - 10:35	Oral presentation PRC25-1039	Effects of pyrazinamide and/or ethambutol resistance on tuberculosis treatment outcomes determined by whole genome sequencing, South Africa 2020–2022 Ms S Dlamini
10:35 - 10:45	Oral presentation PRC25-2082	Fatal rabies case in North-West Province, South Africa: a wake-up call for improved prevention and control measures Ms N Sekhoto
10:45 - 10:50	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-1482	Seroprevalence to diphtheria by age in South Africa, 2023 Ms C Slabbert
10:50 - 10:55	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-1643	South Africa field epidemiology training program: lessons learned from implementing intermediate tier, Eastern Cape Province, 2021 – 2022 Ms M Makamu
10:55 - 11:00	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-1278	Workplace human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis programmes for laboratory health workers: a rapid review Ms S Ramahlo
11:00 - 11:05	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-2332	Investigation of a cluster of schistosomiasis cases in a high school in Ladysmith, Uthukela District, South Africa, September 2023 Mr N Zondi
11:05 - 11:10	Q&A	Q & A
11:10 - 11:25	COMFORT BREAK
11:25 - 13:30	Closing Plenary Session
11:30 - 11:35	Opening and welcome
11:35 - 11:55	POCT as the game-changer in global health
11:55 - 12:15	Advancing pathology R&D for equitable health outcomes in the developing world
12:15 - 12:25	PathR&D appreciation & recognition awards
12:25 - 13:30	Closing and vote of thanks
13:30 - 15:30	Lunch and Departure

09:10 - 11:10 \| VIROLOGY VENUE: Prof. Sizulu Moy
Theme: Hepatitis viruses
09:10 - 09:15	Chairperson	Chair: Dr S Nadan : WITS, NHLS
09:15 - 09:30	Invited speaker	Enhancing testing and sampling strategies for viral hepatitis B & C in South Africa Dr N Prabdial-Singh : NICD, NHLS
09:30 - 09:40	Oral presentation PRC25-1041	Increased detection of HBV DNA and mutational analysis in hepatitis B surface antigen negative specimens at NHLS DGM tertiary laboratory Ms N Nkosi
09:40 - 09:50	Oral presentation PRC25-1148	High prevalence of HBV drug resistance mutations and genotypic diversity in HIV-positive South Africans: implications for treatment and surveillance Ms E Magada
09:50 - 10:00	Oral presentation PRC25-1319	Genotyping of hepatitis C virus strains from Gauteng, South Africa, 2021 to 2024 Dr F Treurnicht
10:00 - 10:10	Oral presentation PRC25-2278	An evaluation of the hepatitis C core antigen assay as a means to simplify HCV diagnostic pathways Ms J Thaver
10:10 - 10:20	Oral presentation PRC25-1937	High prevalence of blood-borne viruses among people who inject nyaope from Pretoria, South Africa Ms L Ratshisusu
10:20 - 10:25	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-3195	NS5A resistance-associated substitutions among HCV-infected key populations in South Africa Mr F Latif
10:25 - 10:30	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-1841	Investigation of hepatitis B and C virus in female sex workers from Pretoria region, in 2022 Dr R Maphoto
10:30 - 10:35	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-1670	Trends in the prevalence of hepatitis C in Eastern Cape, South Africa Dr O Laguda-Akingba
10:35 - 10:40	Sprint oral-PRC25-1363	Hepatitis E virus dual infection in individuals infected with hepatitis B virus, in Pretoria, South Africa Ms N Nkosi
10:40 - 10:45	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-1642	High seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus in the Free State Province of South Africa Dr S Maphumulo
10:45 - 10:55	Sprint oral presentation PRC25-3095	Prevalence of hepatitis E in South Africa Dr O Laguda-Akingba
10:55 - 11:10	Q&A	Q & A
11:10 - 11:25	COMFORT BREAK
11:25 - 13:30	Closing plenary session
11:30 - 11:35	Opening and welcome
11:35 - 11:55	POCT as the game-changer in global health
11:55 - 12:15	Advancing pathology R&D for equitable health outcomes in the developing world
12:15 - 12:25	PathR&D appreciation & recognition awards
12:25 - 13:30	Closing and vote of thanks
13:30 - 15:30	Lunch and Departure

07:00 - 07:45	Registration & Online Login Support
07:45 - 09:20	Plenary Session VENUE: ASSEMBLY
07:45 - 07:50	Opening and Welcome	Prof Jaco Joubert; UFS, South Africa (Session Chair)
07:50 - 08:45	ROUNDTABLE: Balancing Ethical Research, Data Access, and POPI Act Compliance in South Africa Dr Ahmed Haeri-Mazanderani (Chair): NICD Prof Mamello Sekhoacha: UFS Prof Sizulu Moyo: HSRC Adv Thandeka Cele: NHLS
08:45 - 09:10	Cracking the Code: Rethinking Cancer Through the Lens of the Host, the Disease, and Novel Diagnostics and Therapeutics	Dr Dewaldt Engelbrecht; WitsDIH , NHLS, South Africa
09:10 - 09:15	Closing	Session Chair
09:15 - 09:20	Venue Transition
09:20 - 11:20	Discipline Specific Scientific Sessions 5
11:20 - 11:35	Comfort Break
11:35 - 13:30	Closing Plenary Session VENUE: ASSEMBLY
11:35 - 11:40	Opening and Welcome	Dr Relebohile Ncha; NDOH, South Africa (Session Chair)
11:40 - 12:00	POCT as the Game-Changer in Global Health	Prof Tivani Mashamba-Thompson; NHLS Board, UP, South Africa
12:00 - 12:20	Advancing Pathology R&D for Equitable Health Outcomes in the Developing World	Prof. Elise Schapkaitz; NHLS, South Africa
12:20 - 13:25	PathReD: Appreciation & Recognition Awards	Dr Babatyi Malope-Kgokong; NHLS, South Africa
13:25 - 13:30	Closing and Vote of Thanks	Prof Adrian Puren; NHLS Board, NICD, South Africa
13:30 - 15:30	Lunch and Departure

WORKSHOP PROGRAMME : Thursday, 02 October 2025

Programme is subject to change

07:00 - 09:00	Registration , Online Login Support & Poster Viewing
09:00 - 09:25	Workshop Opening Session
09:00 - 09:05	Opening and Welcome	Prof Adrian Puren, NICD, South Africa
09:05 - 09:20	Empowering researchers to leverage technological transformations and research to advance future diagnostics and improve health outcomes, in resource-limited settings.	Dr Babatyi Malope-Kgokong; NHLS, South Africa
09:20 - 09:25	Closing	Session Chair

- 09:30 - 10:15 (Click to Show/Hide)	QUALITY ASSURANCE	COLLEGES OF MEDICINE OF SOUTH AFRICA (CMSA)	INTERN MEDICAL SCIENTISTS (HPCSA)	LABORATORY MANAGEMENT	NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE
Cross-disciplinary Information Sessions	Internal Quality Control (IQC) and External Quality Assessment (EQA) challenges in diagnostic laboratories: risk to patient care Convener: Ms Stephina Makena: NHLS Presenters: Dr Marizna Korf: UCT, NHLS Ms Esther Tsheola: NHLS	Registrars CMSA Registrar information Convener: Prof Komala Pillay: UCT, NHLS Presenter: Prof Komala Pillay: UCT, NHLS	Medical science internship induction programme: HPCSA framework, regulatory guidelines, and evaluation procedures Introduction and orientation Conveners: Dr Babatyi Malope-Kgokong: NHLS Prof Muriel Meiring: UFS, NHLS Presenters: Prof Carin Huyser: HPCSA Prof Gloria Selabe: SMU, NHLS Ms Bianca Southon: NHLS Dr Mae Newotn-Foot: SU, NHLS	Closed Session Executive Insights: Shaping the Future of Our Lab Convener: Mr Sibulele Bandezi: NHLS Presenter: Prof Pieter Meyer: NHLS	Contextualising National Health Insurance in Practice: Linkages Across Pathology, PHC and Hospital Care Convener: Mr Benjamin Mogoye: NHLS Presenter: Dr Honours Mukhari: Council for Medical Schemes

- 10:30 - 11:45 (Click to Show/Hide)	ANATOMICAL PATHOLOGY (VENUE: JULIA)	CHEMICAL PATHOLOGY (VENUE: SENATE 2)	HAEMATOLOGY (VENUE: SENATE 1)	HUMAN GENETICS (VENUE: ROMANUS)	IMMUNOLOGY (VENUE: AUGUSTUS)	MICROBIOLOGY (VENUE: NCC)	VIROLOGY (VENUE: CLAUDIUS)	PUBLIC HEALTH (VENUE: TIBERIUS)
Discipline Specific Workshop Sessions	Cytopathology Fluid cytology: A new reporting system Convener: Dr Moshawa Khaba: SMU,NHLS Presenters: Prof Pawel Schubert: SU, NHLS Dr Jackie Chokoe-Maluleke: UCT, NHLS Dr Rubina Razack: SU, NHLS	Laboratory leadership development 1: Leaders eat last and champions sweep the sheds: Key principles in Laboratory Leadership. 2: Opportunities for young scientists in Africa through IFCC collaborations Conveners: Dr Sipho Dlamini: UFS, NHLS Dr Tumelo Satekge: UL Presenters: 1: Prof Rajiv Erasmus: Emeritus Professor, SU 2: Dr Ashlin Rampul: PathCare	Morphology Morphology: Bridging the clinic to microscope gap Conveners: Prof Jessica Opie: UCT,NHLS Dr Fatima Alzanad: NHLS Presenters: Prof Jessica Opie: UCT, NHLS Dr Kate Hodkinson: WITS, NHLS Dr Lungisile Chili: UKZN, NHLS Dr Kathleen De John: UCT, NHLS Dr Caryn Benjamin: UKZN, NHLS	Genetic Diagnosis of Thrombocytopenia-absent radius syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis and 22q deletion syndrome Clinical phenotyping, pre-test genetic councelling, pre-analytical processing Convener: Mr Jaco Oosthuizen: UFS, NHLS Dr Maria Mudau: WITS, NHLS Presenters: Dr Daisy Mokwele: WITS, NHLS Mr Barry Shingwenyana: WITS, NHLS Ms Fahmida Essop: WITS, NHLS	Flow Cytometry Flow Cytometry: Applications in Research, Diagnostics, and Transplant Surveillance Convener: Dr Maemu Gededzha: SMU Dr Luyanda Kwofie: UP, NHLS Mr Nakampe Mampeule: NHLS Presenters: Dr Jean Kloppers: NHLS Prof Vanessa Moodley: SMU,NHLS	One Health: antimicrobial resistance emerging zoonosis (Part 1) Connecting pathology and One Health in resource-limited settings Convener: Dr Hafsah Deepa Tootla: UCT, NHLS Presenters: Prof Adrian Brink: UCT, NHLS Prof Vindana Chibabhai: NICD, NHLS Prof Wynand Goosen: UFS, SU Dr Christoffel (Stefan) Opperman: SU, UCT, NHLS	Changes in Cervical cancer screening in the public sector Implementation of HPV testing and genotyping in the public sector Conveners: Dr Sindiswa Maphumulo: NHLS Dr Oluwakemi Laguda-Akingba: NHLS Presenters: Dr Lucia Hans: NHLS Prof Greta Dreyer: UP	NHLS routine data and analytics for surveillance (Part 1) Accessing and leveraging routine test data for research and surveillance Conveners: Dr Shaheed Vally Omar: NICD, NHLS Prof Adrian Puren: NICD, NHLS Presenters: Mr Khuliso Ravhuhali: NHLS Mr Ephraim Mashaba: NHLS Mr Trevor Bell: NICD, NHLS Dr Ahmad Haeri Mazanderani: NICD, NHLS

- 11:45 - 13:00 (Click to Show/Hide)	ANATOMICAL PATHOLOGY (VENUE: JULIA)	CHEMICAL PATHOLOGY (VENUE: SENATE 2)	HAEMATOLOGY (VENUE: SENATE 1)	HUMAN GENETICS (VENUE: ROMANUS)	IMMUNOLOGY (VENUE: AUGUSTUS)	MICROBIOLOGY (VENUE: NCC)	VIROLOGY (VENUE: CLAUDIUS)	PUBLIC HEALTH (VENUE: TIBERIUS)
Discipline Specific Workshop Sessions	Medical liver and GIT pathology Medical liver and GIT pathology Convener: Dr Nosipho Thobakgale: SMU, NHLS Presenters: Dr Matamola Mwange: UCT, NHLS Dr Sharol Ngwenya: DSN Path Laboratory Dr Lesedi Nevondo: UP, NHLS	1: Laboratory quality management initiatives in resource limited settings 2: Implementation of work-based assessment (WBA) and Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) Conveners: Dr Elsie C. Kruger: SU, NHLS Dr Lamla Siganagana: SU, NHLS Presenters: 1: Ms Nasima Mohamed: Area Manager WC/NC, NHLS(Virutal) 2: Prof Rivak Punchoo: UCT, NHLS	Case Vignettes Closing the gap from clinician to laboratory Conveners: Dr Nadine Rapiti: UKZN, NHLS Dr Siddeeq Hoosen: UKZN, NHLS Presenters: Dr Mahomed Karodia: SMU Dr Siddeeq Hoosen: UKZN, NHLS Dr Stephanie Murugan: UKZN	Genetic Diagnosis of Thrombocytopenia-absent radius syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis and 22q deletion syndrome Testing methodologies, data analysis and interpretation Convener: Mr Jaco Oosthuizen: UFS, NHLS Presenters: Dr Maria Mudau: WITS, NHLS Ms Nkateko Mayevu: WITS, NHLS Ms Fahmida Essop: WITS, NHLS	Primary Immunodeficiencies Diagnostic applications in primary immunodeficiencies Convener: Dr Jean Kloppers: NHLS Presenters: Dr Anneke van Marle: UFS Dr Petri Swanepoel : Ampath	One Health: antimicrobial resistance emerging zoonosis (Part 2) Connecting pathology and One Health in resource-limited settings Convener: Dr Hafsah Deepa Tootla: UCT, NHLS Presenters: Prof Adrian Brink: UCT, NHLS Prof Vindana Chibabhai: NICD, NHLS Prof Wynand Goosen: UFS, SU Dr Christoffel (Stefan) Opperman: SU, UCT, NHLS	Wastewater surveillance for viral pathogens Laboratory processing and testing of wastewater samples for viral pathogens and interpretation of results for public health decision making Conveners: Mr Daniel Silmelane: UL,NHLS Dr Kerrigan McCarthy: NICD, NHLS Presenters: Ms Sibonginkosi Maposa: NICD, NHLS Dr Mukhlid Yousif: NICD, NHLS Dr Victor Mabasa: NICD, NHLS	NHLS routine data and analytics for surveillance (Part 2) Accessing and leveraging routine test data for research and surveillance Conveners: Dr Shaheed Vally Omar: NICD, NHLS Prof Adrian Puren: NICD, NHLS Presenters: Mr Khuliso Ravhuhali: NHLS Mr Ephraim Mashaba: NHLS Mr Trevor Bell: NICD, NHLSs Dr Ahmad Haeri Mazanderani: NICD, NHLS

- 13:45 - 15:00 (Click to Show/Hide)	ANATOMICAL PATHOLOGY (VENUE: JULIA)	CHEMICAL PATHOLOGY (VENUE: SENATE 2)	HAEMATOLOGY (VENUE: SENATE 1)	HUMAN GENETICS (VENUE: ROMANUS)	IMMUNOLOGY (VENUE: AUGUSTUS)	MICROBIOLOGY (VENUE: NCC)	VIROLOGY (VENUE: CLAUDIUS)	PUBLIC HEALTH (VENUE: TIBERIUS)
Discipline Specific Workshop Sessions	Bladder and prostate pathology Bladder and Prostate Pathology Convener: Prof Pawel Schubert : SU, NHLS Presenters: Dr Abrie van Wyk: SU, NHLS Dr Jason Harry: Lancet Laboratories	Molecular diagnostics 1: Molecular Diagnostics: Lessons from a National Referral Lab for Inherited Metabolic Disorders 2: Molecular autopsy of suspected cardiac sudden death Conveners: Dr Carolyn Padoa: WITS, NHLS Ms Bianca Southon: UP, NHLS Presenters: 1: Dr Surita Meldau: UCT, NHLS 2: Dr Barbara van Deventer: UP, NHLS	Haemolytic workshop (Part 1) Bridging the globin to enzyme to membrane gap: Red cell enzymopathies, membranopathies and haemoglobinopathies Conveners: Dr Nadine Rapiti:UKZN,NHLS Dr Amina Moosa: NHLS Presenters: Prof Nazeer Alli: NHLS Dr Lauren Lemkus: UCT, NHLS Dr Bryon Termorshuizen: WITS, NHLS Ms Sakina Loonat: WITS, NHLS Dr Delwen Henderson: WIITS, NHLS	Genetic Diagnosis of Thrombocytopenia-absent radius syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis and 22q deletion syndrome Variant review, reporting , results feedback and post-test genetic couselling Convener: Mr Jaco Oosthuizen: UFS, NHLS Dr Maria Mudau: WITS, NHLS Presenters Dr Nicole Van der Merwe: SU Dr Daisy Mokwele: WITS, NHLS Ms Malebo Malope: SU	Multi-Omics Immunomics approaches to immune biomarker discovery Convener: Dr Moliehi Potjo: NHLS Presenters: Prof Zaza Ndhlovu: AHRI Dr Bongiwe Mahlobo: AHR	Artificial Intelligence (Part 1) Exploring metagenomics and artificial intelligence in pathology resource-constrained environments Convener: Dr Ivy Rukasha: UL, NHLS Presenters: Dr Ruaan Marais: UCT Prof Adrian Egli: UZH	Role of next generation sequencing in pathology (Virtual) Revolutionising viral diagnostics: harnessing next generation sequencing. Conveners: Prof Walda van Zyl: UP,NHLS Prof Corena de Beer: NHLS Presenters: Mr Armand Bester: UFS	Data to policy (Part 1) Using data to create a decision tree to assist evidence informed decision making Conveners: Dr Nishi Prabdial-Sing: NICD,NHLS Ms Leigh Johnston: NICD,NHLS Presenters : Dr Susan Nzenze: NICD,NHLS Mr Sizeka Mashele: NICD,NHLS Dr Susan Meiring: NICD,NHLS Ms Janine Bezuidenhoudt: NICD,NHLS Ms Zandile Nukeri: NICD, NHLS

- 15:00 - 16:15 (Click to Show/Hide)	ANATOMICAL PATHOLOGY (VENUE: JULIA)	CHEMICAL PATHOLOGY (VENUE: SENATE 2)	HAEMATOLOGY (VENUE: SENATE 1)	HUMAN GENETICS (VENUE: ROMANUS)	IMMUNOLOGY (VENUE: AUGUSTUS)	MICROBIOLOGY (VENUE: NCC)	VIROLOGY (VENUE: CLAUDIUS)	PUBLIC HEALTH (VENUE: TIBERIUS)
Discipline Specific Workshop Sessions	CMSA/Digital Pathology CMSA Digital Pathology Convener: Dr Benny Mosoane: UP, NHLS Presenters Dr Mpume Msimang: UKZN, NHLS Prof Meshack Bida: UP, NHLS Dr Brendon Price: UCT, NHLS	Research Strategies for successful grant proposal writing and getting your manuscript published Conveners: Dr Zamathombeni Duma: SMU Dr Bettina Chale-Matsau: SMU, NHLS Presenters: Dr Siyabonga Khoza: WITS, NHLS Prof Tahir Pillay: UP, NHLS	Haemolytic workshop (Part 2) Bridging the globin to enzyme to membrane gap: Red cell enzymopathies, membranopathies and haemoglobinopathies Conveners: Dr Nadine Rapiti:UKZN,NHLS Dr Amina Moosa: NHLS Presenters: Prof Nazeer Alli: NHLS Dr Lauren Lemkus: UCT, NHLS Dr Bryon Termorshuizen: WITS, NHLS Ms Sakina Loonat: WITS, NHLS Dr Delwen Henderson: WIITS, NHLS			Artificial Intelligence (Part 2) Exploring metagenomics and artificial intelligence in pathology resource-constrained environments Convener: Dr Ivy Rukasha: UL, NHLS Presenters: Dr Ruaan Marais: UCT Prof Adrian Egli: UZH		Data to policy (Part 2) Using data to create a decision tree to assist evidence informed decision making Conveners: Dr Nishi Prabdial-Sing: NICD,NHLS Ms Leigh Johnston: NICD,NHLS Presenters: Dr Susan Nzenze: NICD,NHLS Mr Sizeka Mashele: NICD,NHLS Dr Susan Meiring: NICD,NHLS Ms Janine Bezuidenhoudt: NICD,NHLS Ms Zandile Nukeri: NICD, NHLS

16:15 - 16:30

Comfort Break

- 16:30 - 18:00 (Click to Show/Hide)	RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (VENUE: CLAUDIUS)	RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (VENUE: AUGUSTUS)	RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (VENUE: TIBERIUS)	LABORATORY MANAGEMENT (VENUE: ROMANUS)
Cross-disciplinary Workshops and Information Sessions	Assay Development Assay development, validation, and verification Conveners: Dr Clinton Moodley: UCT Dr Sandeep Vasakiar: NHLS Presenter: Prof Mae Newton-Foot: SU, NHLS	Research funding Application for research funding: From the funder’s perspective Conveners: Dr Jitcy Joseph: NIOH, NHLS Dr Babatyi Malope-Kgokong: NHLS Presenter: Dr Justus Meiring: NRF	Resources for research and diagnostics Research and diagnostics in a resource-constrained environment Conveners: Prof Muriel Meiring: UFS, NHLS Prof Gloria Selabe: SMU, NHLS Presenters: Prof Carin Huyser: UP Dr Ravnit Grewal: NHLS	Laboratory leadership development Closing laboratory, corporate and operational gaps: Insights and recommendations from research Convener: Mr Sibulele Bandezi: NHLS Presenters: Selected Business and IT Masters Graduates

- 18:00 - 19:00 (Click to Show/Hide)	QUALITY ASSURANCE
Information Forums	Optimising laboratory perfomance: An ISO - intergatred portfolio model for productivity and profitability Convener: Mr Gcinokwakhe Ngcobo: NHLS Presenters: Ms Patience Dabula: ASLM Ms Busisiwe Ramabodu: BR & Associate Consulting Mr Henry Julius: NICD, NHLS

20:00 - 21:30

Quiz Night
(VENUE: TIBERIUS)

CONGRESS DAY 2: SAT, 4 OCT 2025 — POSTERS / ROUNDTABLE / SPRINT ORALS

- 09:25 - 10:25 (Click to Show/Hide)	INTERN MEDICAL SCIENTISTS (HPCSA) (VENUE: ROMANUS)			COLLEGES OF MEDICINE OF SOUTH AFRICA (CMSA) (VENUE: AUGUSTUS)
Information Session	Medical science internship induction programme: HPCSA framework, regulatory guidelines, and evaluation procedures Compilation of portfolio of evidence guidelines regarding the assessment and moderation of portfolio of evidence Conveners: Dr Babatyi Malope-Kgokong: NHLS Prof Muriel Meiring: UFS, NHLS Presenters: Prof Carin Huyser: HPCSA Prof Gloria Selabe: SMU, NHLS Ms Bianca Southon: UCT, NHLS Dr Mae Newton-Foot: SU, NHLS			MMed, registrar, and junior consultancy survival guide Approaches to MMed research and strategies for navigating registrarship and early consultancy Convener: Dr Kreshalen Govender: UP, NHLS Presenters: Prof Tahir Pillay: UP, NHLS

- 17:00 - 18:15 (Click to Show/Hide)	INTERN MEDICAL SCIENTISTS (HPCSA) (VENUE: ROMANUS)			COLLEGES OF MEDICINE OF SOUTH AFRICA (CMSA) (VENUE: AUGUSTUS)
Information Session	Medical science internship induction programme: HPCSA framework, regulatory guidelines, and evaluation procedures Compilation of portfolio of evidence guidelines regarding the assessment and moderation of portfolio of evidence Conveners: Dr Babatyi Malope-Kgokong: NHLS Prof Muriel Meiring: UFS, NHLS Presenters: Prof Carin Huyser: HPCSA Prof Gloria Selabe: SMU, NHLS Ms Bianca Southon: UCT, NHLS Dr Mae Newton-Foot: SU, NHLS			Introducing the CMSA Young Specialist Forum Understanding the Young Specialist Forum: vision, goals, and priorities Convener: Dr Kreshalen Govender: UP, NHLS Dr Sindy Tu: UCT, NHSL Presenters: Prof Eric Buch: CMSA Dr Ashlin Rampul: PathCare

PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE : 2^nd– 5^th October 2025

SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Pre-congress Day: Thursday, 2 October 2025

07:00 - 09:00	Registration , Online Login Support & Poster Viewing
09:00 - 09:25	Workshop Opening Session
09:00 - 09:05	Opening and Welcome	Prof Adrian Puren; NICD, South Africa
09:05 - 09:20	Empowering Researchers To Leverage Technological Transformations And Research to Advance Future Diagnostics And Improve health Outcomes, In Resource-Limited Settings	Dr Babatyi Malope-Kgokong; NHLS, South Africa
09:20 - 09:25	Closing	Session Chair
09:25 - 09:30	Venue Transition
09:30 - 10:15	Cross-disciplinary Information Sessions
10:15 - 10:30	Comfort Break
10:30 - 13:00	Discipline Specific Workshop Sessions 1
13:00 - 13:45	Lunch
13:45 - 16:15	Discipline Specific Workshop Sessions 2
16:15 - 16:30	Comfort Break
16:30 - 18:00	Research Workshops
18:00 -19:00	Information Forums
19:00 - 20:00	Break
20:00 - 21:30	Quiz Night (VENUE: TIBERIUS)

Congress Day 1: Friday, 3 October 2025

07:00 - 09:00	Registration, Online Login Support & Poster Viewing
09:00 - 11:00	Opening Plenary Session
09:00 - 09:10	Opening and Welcome	Prof Koleka Mlisana; NHLS, South Africa
09:05 - 09:30	Steering Strategic Leadership: Advancing Diagnostic Equity and Excellence for Sustainable Health Outcomes	Prof Jeffrey Mphahlele; NHLS Board, NWU, South Africa
09:30 - 10:00	Bridging the Diagnostic Gap: Evolutionary Insights in Diagnostic pathology	Prof Adrian Egli; University of Zurich, Switzerland
10:00 - 10:25	From Crisis to Commitment: Bridging the Healthcare Funding Dilemma for a Sustainable Future	Dr Yogan Pillay; Gates Foundation, South Africa
10:25 - 10:55	Strengthening diagnostics for all: The path towards equitable, high-quality universal health coverage	Dr Pakishe Aaron Motsoaledi; Honourable Minister of Health, South Africa
10:55 - 11:00	Closing	Session Chair
11:00 - 11:30	Comfort Break
11:30 - 13:00	Discipline Specific Scientific Sessions 1
13:00 - 13:45	Lunch Break & Poster Viewing	Sponsor Symposium Improving the approach to cardiovascular risk assessment: Modern equations for LDL-Cholesterol outperform direct LDL-C assays Prof Tahir Pillay: UP, NHLS
13:45 - 17:00	Discipline Specific Scientific Sessions 2
17:00 - 17:15	Comfort break
17:05 - 18:15	ROUNDTABLE : Building a Resilient NHI: Governance Structures, Reimbursement Models and Multi-Sector Partnerships Dr Nomfundo Nhlapo (Chair): Classic Health Consulting Prof Koleka Mlisana: NHLS Prof Nicholas Crisp: NDOH Dr Honours Mukhari : Council for Medical Schemes Prof Sharon Fonn: WITS Dr Busisiwe Skosana: UP, PathCare
18:15- 20:00	Break
20:00 - 21:30	Quiz Night (VENUE: TIBERIUS)

Congress Day 2: Saturday, 4 October 2025

07:00 - 08:30	Registration , Online Login Support & Poster Viewing
08:30 - 09:25	Plenary Session
08:30 -08:35	Opening and Welcome	Prof Komala Pillay; (PSC 2023 Chair); UCT, NHLS (Session Chair)
08:35 - 09:00	Working Together for Better Health: NHLS A Public and Academic Partnership that makes a Difference	Prof Craig Househam; NHLS Board, South Africa
09:00 - 09:20	Reimagining Public Health diagnostics: Strengthening NHLS for resilience, equity and innovation	Prof Koleka Mlisana; NHLS, South Africa
09:20 - 09:25	Closing	Session Chair
09:25 - 10:25	ROUNDTABLE: Ethical Complexities and Researcher Accountability in Blanket Protocols and Emerging Research Questions Dr. Mathoto Thaoge Zwane (Chair): TUT Prof Paul Ruff: WITS Prof Theresa Rossouw: UP Mr Ephraim Mashaba: NHLS Dr Adetayo Emmanuel Obasa: Wits
10:15 - 10:45	Comfort Break
10:45 - 13:00	Discipline Specific Scientific Sessions 3
13:00 - 13:45	Lunch Break & Poster Viewing
13:45 - 17:00	Discipline Specific Scientific Sessions 4
17:00 - 18:15	ROUNDTABLE: Smarter Labs for better heath outcomes: AI Solutions for Resource-Limited Settings Mr. Sibulele Bandezi (Chair): NHLS Prof Adrian Egli: University of Zurich Prof Pieter Meyer: NHLS Prof Tahir Pillay: UP, NHLS Dr Sylvia Sathekge: NHLS
18:15 - 19:00	Break
19:00 - 22:00	GALA DINNER

Congress Day 3: Sunday, 5 October 2025

07:00 - 07:45	Registration & Online Login Support
07:45 - 09:20	Opening Plenary Session
07:45 - 07:50	Opening and Welcome	Prof Jaco Joubert; UFS, South Africa (Session Chair)
07:50 - 08:45	ROUNDTABLE: Balancing Ethical Research, Data Access, and POPI Act Compliance in South Africa Dr Ahmed Haeri-Mazanderani (Chair): NICD Prof Mamello Sekhoacha: UFS Prof Sizulu Moyo: HSRC Adv Thandeka Cele: NHLS
08:45 - 09:10	Cracking the Code: Rethinking Cancer Through the Lens of the Host, the Disease, and Novel Diagnostics and Therapeutics	Dr Dewaldt Engelbrecht; WitsDIH, NHLS, South Africa
09:10 - 09:15	Closing	Session Chair
09:15 - 09:20	Venue Transition
09:20 - 11:20	Discipline Specific Scientific Sessions 5
11:20 - 11:35	Comfort Break
11:35 - 13:30	Closing Plenary Session
11:35 - 11:40	Opening and Welcome	Dr Relebohile Ncha; NDOH, South Africa (Session Chair)
11:40 - 12:00	POCT as the Game-Changer in Global Health	Prof Tivani Mashamba-Thompson; NHLS Board, UP, South Africa
12:00 - 12:20	Advancing Pathology R&D for Equitable Health Outcomes in the Developing World	Prof Elise Schapkaitz; NHLS, South Africa
12:20 - 13:25	PathReD: Appreciation & Recognition Awards	Dr Babatyi Malope-Kgokong; NHLS, South Africa
13:25 - 13:30	Closing and Vote of Thanks	Prof Adrian Puren; NHLS Board, NICD, South Africa
13:30 - 15:30	Lunch and Departure

Dates:

Venue: