Dr Pretorius completed PhD at the University of Pretoria specialising in Biochemistry and more specifically Veterinary Immunology. As a cellular immunologist her research focus mainly on the development and evaluation of vaccines in the corresponding host animals including ruminants and horses. Large animal immunology has been lacking in the availability of suitable assays, antibodies and other techniques. She has largely contributed to this field in the interpretation of cellular immune interactions in large animals through transcriptome sequencing and traditional immune assays using ELISPOT, cytotoxic T cell assays, immune cell proliferation and phenotype analyses with flow cytometry for use in ruminants and horses.

These studies have contributed to the training and mentoring of students in the field of cellular immunology and has led the adaptation of our cellular methods for testing of veterinary diseases including E. ruminantium, AHSV, BTV, LSDV, Rift valley fever and African swine fever.