I work for a public health institute with a focus on respiratory and meningitis-causing pathogens (bacterial and viral). I have a backgound in laboratory/medical science which includes testing of clinical samples for surveillance, diagnosis and outbreak response. I have experience in molecular diagnostics and pathogen characterization using a variety of molecular methods including PCR and sequencing. I am involved in accreditation and quality management, technical training of laboratory staff and postgraduate supervision of MSc and PhD students. We are the reference centre for laboratory-based surveillance for S. pneumoniae, N. meningitidis, H. influenzae, and group A and group B streptococcus in South Africa. We also serve as a regional reference laboratory for WHO-AFRO for bacterial pediatric meningitis surveillance.