Marietjie Venter (PhD (Medical Virology) (WITS) (2003)) is an expert in zoonotic arbo and respiratory viruses and One Health. 

She launched the Zoonotic arbo & respiratory virus research program, Department Medical Virology, University of Pretoria in 2006. She had joint appointments as co-director, Centre for Respiratory diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa(2009-2014) and One Health Program director, Global Disease Detection Centre, (US-CDC), South Africa (2014-2016). She joined University of Pretoria full time in 2016 as full Professor and co-founder of the Centre for Viral Zoonoses where she continued a One Health surveillance program on zoonotic arbo and respiratory viruses. She launched the Centre of Emerging arbo and respiratory virus research (CEARV) in October 2023 where she serves as the director and currently as extraordinary Professor. 

In April 2024 she joined the Infectious disease and oncology research institute (IDORI) as a distinguished Professor and NRF SARCHi chair in emerging viral threats, One Health surveillance and vaccines (EViTOH). 

She has >170 publications in this field with an H index of 48 (Scopus) and > 9500 scientific citations and is a member of the Academy of Science, South Africa (ASSAf) (2021-). She is international One Health day contact for Africa, Vice President, (Africa) of the World Society for Virology(2020-) and President(elect)(2024-). She is an advisor to the World Health Organization on Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus surveillance, on the Technical Advisory group for arboviruses and chairs the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens including COVID19 (SAGO). She co-chairs the newly established Virology group for the Federation of infectious Diseases Societies of South Africa (FIDSSA). She is on the Global One Health Community Scientific Advisory Board and chairs the organising committee for the 8th World One Health Conference (WOHC) that will be held in South Africa in September 2024.