TEAM
Dr. Robert Gifford
CERI Team

Dr. Robert
Gifford

Research Fellow
// Affiliations
Primary
CERI- Stellenbosch University
Also at
University of Glasgow
// Education
PhD in Evolutionary Virology
Imperial College, 2019

Dr. Robert J. Gifford is a virologist and evolutionary biologist whose research focuses on the long-term evolution of viruses and their interactions with host genomes. His work integrates comparative genomics, phylogenetics, and data-oriented software development to investigate viral diversity, endogenous viral elements (ERVs), and the evolutionary processes shaping genome function.

// Research Output

Publications

2026
Ancient Pathogen Genomics in Africa – Current Evidence and Future Directions

Vukovikj M, Mavian C, Wang H, Gifford R, de Oliveira T, Schlebusch C

Preprints.org
2025
Identifying genomic surveillance gaps in Africa for the global public health response to West Nile virus: a systematic review

Moir M, Sitharam N, Hofstra L, Dor G, Mwanyika G, Ramphal Y, Reichmuth M, San J, Gifford R, Wilkinson E, Tshiabuila D, Preiser W, Konou A, Bitew M, Onoja A, Paganotti G, Abera A, Maror J, Kayiwa J, Abuelmaali S, Lusamaki E, de Oliveira T, Alcantara L, Holmes E, Padane A, Musa A, Abera A, Campbell A, Ssemaganda A, Ahouidi A, Muianga A, Samson A, Onoja A, Alemu B, Foka C, Baxter C, van Zyl D, de Castro Silva D, Martin D, Wilkinson E, Kouma E, Simo F, Mwanyika G, Godebo G, D’or G, Tegally H, Omara I, Maror J, Poonagavan J, Juma J, Oludele J, Xavier J, Lourenco J, Fokam J, Maeka K, Singh L, Chabuka L, Issaka M, Hofstra M, Giovanetti M, Faye M, Koffi M, Owusu M, Dikongo M, Alimohamed M, Bitew M, Moir M, Kraemer M, Sitharam N, Jerome N, Mbhele N, Miantsatian Andry N, Tomori O, Magalutcheemee R, Guimaraes R, Oyola S, Abuelmaali S, Golubchik T, Fonseca V, Preiser W, Ramphal Y, Venter M, Burt F, Baxter C, Lessells R, de Oliveira T, Tegally H

The Lancet Microbe
6:101176
2025
Identifying genomic surveillance gaps in Africa for the global public health response to West Nile Virus

Moir M, Sitharam N, Hofstra M, Dor G, Mwanyika G, Ramphal Y, Reichmuth M, James S, Gifford R, Wilkinson E, Tshiabuila D, Preiser W, Konou A, Bitew M, Onoja B, Paganotti G, Abera A, Maror J, Kayiwa J, Abuelmaali S, Lusamaki E, , Venter M, Burt F, Baxter C, Lessells R, de Oliveira T, Tegally H

doi: 10.1101/2024.12.18.629123.
2024
A new lineage nomenclature to aid genomic surveillance of dengue virus

Hill V, Cleemput S, Pereira JS, Gifford RJ, Fonseca V, Tegally H, Brito AF, Ribeiro G, de Souza VC, Brcko IC, Ribeiro IS, De Lima ITT, Slavov SN, Sampaio SC, Elias MC, Tran VT, Kien DTH, Huynh T, Yacoub S, Dieng I, Salvato R, Wallau GL, Gregianini TS, Godinho FMS, Vogels CBF, Breban MI, Leguia M, Jagtap S, Roy R, Hapuarachchi C, Mwanyika G, Giovanetti M, Alcantara LCJ, Faria NR, Carrington CVF, Hanley KA, Holmes EC, Dumon W, Lima ARJ, de Oliveira T, Grubaugh ND.

PLoS Biology
22(9):e3002834. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002834.
2024
A new lineage nomenclature to aid genomic surveillance of dengue virus

Hill V, Cleemput S, Fonseca V, Tegally H, Brito AF, Gifford R, Tran VT, Kien DTH, Huynh T, Yacoub S, Dieng I, Ndiaye M, Balde D, Diagne MM, Faye O, Salvato R, Wallau GL, Gregianini TS, Godinho FMS, Vogels CBF, Breban MI, Leguia M, Jagtap S, Roy R, Hapuarachchi C, Mwanyika G, Giovanetti M, Alcantara LCJ, Faria NR, Carrington CVF, Hanley KA, Holmes EC, Dumon W, de Oliveira T, Grubaugh ND

medRxiv [Preprint]
2024.05.16.24307504. doi: 10.1101/2024.05.16.24307504
2014
HIV-1 adaptation to antigen processing results in population-level immune evasion and affects subtype diversification

Tenzer S, Crawford H, Pymm P, Gifford R, Sreenu VB, Weimershaus M, de Oliveira T, Burgevin A, Gerstoft J, Akkad N, Lunn D, Fugger L, Bell J, Schild H, van Endert P, Iversen AK.

Cell Reports
7:doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.03.031
2010
The HIV-1 Subtype C Epidemic in South America is Linked to the United Kingdom

de Oliveira T, Pillay D, Gifford RJ; for the UK Collaborative Group on HIV Drug Resistance

PLoS One
19;5(2):e9311
2007
Phylogenetic surveillance of viral genetic diversity and the evolving molecular epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus type 1

Gifford RJ, de Oliveira T, Rambaut A, Pybus OG, Dunn D, Vandamme AM, Kellam P, Pillay D; UK Collaborative Group on HIV Drug Resistance

J Virol
81(23):13050-6
2006
Assessment of automated genotyping protocols as tools for surveillance of HIV-1 genetic diversity

Gifford R, de Oliveira T, Rambaut A, Myers RE, Gale CV, Dunn D, Shafer R, Vandamme AM, Kellam P, Pillay D; UK Collaborative Group on HIV Drug Resistance

AIDS
20(11):1521-9