As a junior doctor, Professor Gert van Zyl was struck by the difference that antiretroviral therapy made to the quality of life of HIV patients. This realisation sparked a curiosity and passion for research that is relevant to the South African context.

Being a virological pathologist working at the interface between the clinic and the laboratory offered the challenge and opportunity to bridge this gap, says Van Zyl, newly appointed Head of Stellenbosch University's (SU) Department of Pathology.

He was born and bred in Pretoria and studied medicine at the University of Pretoria, did his medical internship at Tygerberg Hospital and worked as a medical officer in medical virology at Pretoria Academic Hospital. He obtained the FCPath(SA) Virology in 2003 and the MMed Virological Pathology in 2004. From 2004 to 2005 he was acting head of SU's Division of Medical Virology and the Virology Laboratory, National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) Tygerberg. 

Since he started his career in medical virology there has been rapid scientific development, but the biggest transformation has been improvement in patient care, he says. “Prior to 2004, HIV-infected patients in the public sector could be offered little more than treatment for a few opportunistic infections. In 2006, soon after the antiretroviral (ARV) rollout started, we offered HIV drug resistance testing as part of research and clinical care. This enabled a better understanding of the reason for failure and HIV-1 drug resistance in children and adults.

“As HIV therapy improved and it became a manageable condition, finding cures became the next frontier. Also, my research took a corner to look at HIV persistence in children to improve our understanding of future cures."

Van Zyl says he was fascinated by living things and how they interact since childhood. “Especially plants and animals, but as a young adult studying medicine this shifted to humans and their health."

His research interests are diagnostic medical virology, HIV drug resistance in children and adults, HIV persistence and early infant HIV diagnosis.

Department to build on existing strengths

Regarding his plans for his Department, Van Zyl says it consists of Divisions that have different workspaces, use diverse technologies, and require very different skill sets.

“However, we also share a lot. Pathology services can be compared to the backstage workers of the artistic theatre, whereas the other healthcare workers are more like the stage actors. The backstage workers are seldom noticed unless things go wrong. Pathologists and the teams of technologists and scientists who work together are important in the smooth running of the healthcare service, often invisible but just as important as the patient-facing healthcare workers.

“My vision is to build on the existing strengths of the Department especially with reference to utilising new scientific and technological developments in improving our service. I would also want to harness the skills within our Department to be cross-cutting, learning from each other and using our shared knowledge to improve our service and research outputs. I see my role as championing the role of pathologists and scientists as experts who have to safeguard patient health and maintain quality while delivering a cost-effective service."

Asked about the highlights of his career, Van Zyl says being involved in treating patients with HIV when the ART rollout started in 2004 was most fulfilling. “We went from being unable to offer any proper care to being overwhelmed by those needing care and therapy as patients flocked to treatment sites. We had become involved in knowledge transfer and working together closely to improve service delivery from the laboratory bench to the bedside. The ART rollout is one of the success stories of South African public healthcare."

He adds that in 2014 he had the privilege to visit the laboratory of Dr John Mellors in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a short sabbatical. “He exposed me to cutting-edge research in the field of HIV reservoirs. This was followed by my more intensive involvement in postgraduate supervision."

Van Zyl describes his appointment as a wonderful opportunity to learn, develop more skills and work with the thought leaders in his environment. “Championing the role of experts in decision-making and facilitating our joint success by working to removing barriers and collaborating to find solutions are what I most look forward to."

What he enjoys most in his work environment are the people and their shared values and vision. “Being involved in an academic department offers the opportunity to be part of an individual's growth. It is most fulfilling to see how junior colleagues grow in knowledge, skill, and confidence. It energises me to work with young talented and enthusiastic students and colleagues helping them to develop while overcoming the hurdles and challenges of experimental science. Attending a graduation ceremony of a student or junior colleague and seeing them having successful careers is one of the most fulfilling things that I could be part of."

The newly appointed head of department has a wife and two children and loves spending time with them and in nature when he is not working. “My best days are when I am outside at dawn jogging or watching the sunset with family or friends. The latter I do too infrequently."​