Tulio de Oliveira

Professor Tulio de Oliveira is a Brazilian-born bioinformatician renowned for his pioneering work in genomic surveillance of infectious diseases. With over two decades of experience, he has significantly contributed to understanding and combating various viral outbreaks, including HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Chikungunya, Dengue, SARS-CoV-2, Zika, and Yellow Fever. His expertise lies in utilizing genomic sequencing and bioinformatics to track and respond to epidemics. Notably, he led the teams that identified the Beta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 in South Africa, providing critical data that informed global public health responses.

Professor de Oliveira's academic journey began with a BSc from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, followed by an MSc and PhD from the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine at UKZN. He furthered his research through fellowships at the University of Oxford, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, and the University of Edinburgh. In 2017, he founded KRISP at UKZN and, in 2021, established CERI at Stellenbosch University to enhance epidemic response through innovative genomic research.

His contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including being named to TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People list in 2022 and 2024, the Gold Medal Award from the South African Medical Research Council in 2022, the German Africa Prize, and the Order of Merit from the Portuguese government.