Prof Lizo Mazwai
Chairperson
Prof Mazwai is a retired Professor of Surgery and Chief Specialist from the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital. He is currently a Specialist General Surgeon at St Mary’s Private Hospital in Mthatha. Professor Mazwai has a wide range of experience in the health sector, which includes sitting on a number of committees. He has also published extensively, in both journals and on the Internet.

Prof Zodwa Dlamini
Vice-Chairperson
Prof Dlamini is currently the Deputy Executive Dean and a Full Professor at UNISA. Her research interests include characterisation of genes involved in cancer and apoptosis. She is also involved in screening plant extracts for anti-cancer activity by regulation of splicing. Professor Dlamini is involved in reviewing manuscripts submitted for publication in scientific journals and in reviewing grant applications submitted to the NRF and CANSA. She also sits on the NRF IRDP Health Sciences Advisory Panel.

Dr Kebogile Mokwena
Dr Kebogile Mokwena is Head of Department of Public Health, Medunsa Campus. Her research interests include culture sensitive health promotion, public health training programs, asthma, non communicable diseases and drug abuse. She is a reviewer of manuscripts for several research journals and serves in a number of Boards

Dr Nange Lidovho
Dr Lidovho started his law career in 1986 at the Thohoyandou Magistrate office, where he did his internship. He has a wide range of experience, having worked as a legal consultant, a lecturer, Advocate and Acting Dean. He is currently the legal advisor to the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Venda, a position he has held since 1995.

Dr Sibongile Gumbi
In the past, Dr Gumbi has worked at senior management level at the CSIR and at the MRC. Currently, she is Chief Executive of Smart Innovation, a company that provides support to technology enterprises and corporate clients in the life sciences field.

Ms Gloria Spelman
Ms Spelman is qualified as a Certified Government Auditing Professional and the Certified Quality Assurance Reviewer of the Internal Audit functions from the Institute of Internal Auditors. She currently works for the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. Ms Spelman has previous experience working in government and for the National Department of Health.

Prof Charles Feldman
Prof Feldman started his career as an intern at Johannesburg Hospital in 1976. His experiences include Medical Officer in the Defence Force, Director of Pulmonology and Intensive Care Unit, and Research Fellow and Honorary Senior Visitor Colleague at the Royal Brampton Hospital in the UK. Currently, Prof Feldman is Professor of Pulmonology and Chief Physician in the Pulmonology Division of Carlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and University of the Witwatersrand.

Dr Patricia Hanekom

Ms Edith Vries
Prof Vries began her career as a social worker and family therapist in private practice. She is currently Executive Head in the Office of the CEO in the Independent Development Trust. Professor Vries is a highly qualified international expert in various facets of human and social development, and is a leading academic researcher and management specialist. She also brings with her a significant track record of high-performance executive-level leadership in the public, private and political sector, as well as international research experience in development.

Prof Keymanthri Moodley
Prof Moodley completed her undergraduate medical training in 1988, and in 2004, she was awarded her doctorate in Bioethics. She is Associate Professor at the Bioethics Unit – Tygerberg Division and works as an investigator on clinical trials. For the past seven years, Professor Moodley has also provided Good Clinical Practice Training at the faculty. She has recently been appointed to the National Health Research Ethics Council.

Prof Machaba Sathekge
Prof Sathekge is Chief Specialist and head of department of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Pretoria / Steve Biko Academic Hospital. He has had a wide range of academic research and professional roles, which have resulted in many national and international publications.

Prof Lynn Morris
Prof Morris is currently Chief Specialist Scientist at the National Institute for Virology in Johannesburg (now NICD) and also head of the AIDS Unit at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases. Additionally, Dr Morris is an executive committee member of CAPRISA and has been appointed as a member of the WHO HIVResNet Steering Committee. She is also a member of R&D International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) Scientific Advisory Committee.

Prof Umesh Lalloo
Prof Lalloo is currently the Dean of Medicine at Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine and prior to that he was Professor and Chief Specialist, and Head of Pulmonology and Critical Care and Adult Health Programs at the school. Professor Lalloo is also committed to a number of community projects, including the Phoenix Hospice, and he is a member of the National Asthma Education Program and supports community-based asthma management.