Professor Joyce M Tsoka-Gwegweni is currently the Associate Professor & Acting Head of the Discipline of Public Health Medicine since January 2012. Prof Tsoka-Gwegweni has more than 20 years of health science research experience. She has served for more than 15 years in management and leadership positions. She joined the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2009 as a Deputy Dean of the Medical School until end of 2011. In 2012 she became the first Academic Leader for Teaching and Learning in the School of Nursing and Public Health, College of Health Sciences. Prior to joining the University she occupied a high profile post of a Content Advisor for the Portfolio Committee on Health in the National Assembly, Parliament of the Republic of South Africa (2008 to 2009). She also served as Research Manager of the Research Management Division and as a Senior Scientist for the Malaria Research Unit at the South African Medical Research Council from 1999 to 2007. She currently sits on various Boards and Committees of the University: School Board of the Nursing and Public Health, School Executive Management Committee, Biomedical Research Ethics Committee, Centre for Rural Health Advisory Board. She was Chair of the School of Nursing and Public Health Teaching and Learning Committee and Exam Board, Planning Committee at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine 60th Anniversary Celebrations, Faculty Undergraduate Committee and Exam Board, Academic Promotions, and Exclusions Appeals Committees. She also served as a Member of the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine Faculty Committees: Postgraduate, Executive, Board, HOD Forum. At the College level she sat on the Academic Affairs Quality Board, College Management Committee as well at the University Senate, Executive/Deans and Deputy Deans Forum. She has various qualifications in the field of Public Health and health sciences that include a PhD from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, two masters degrees: one from the former University of Natal, a Master of Science degree in Medical Parasitology, and another a Master of Public Health from the University of the Western Cape, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology from the University of South Africa (UNISA) and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Biological Sciences from Reading University, UK, and various business management and leadership qualifications. Academic Leadership and management Currently, her main responsibilities are Academic Leadership, Teaching and Learning, Research and Community Engagement. As an Academic leader and manager she is responsible for key areas that include: Strategic planning; Human resource development, support and management; Financial planning and administration; Research and Project support and management; Quality Assurance; Transformation; Training; Advising; and Advocacy of institutional interests. She is responsible for 25 staff members (13 academics, 8 registrars and 3 support staff). Teaching and Learning Professor Tsoka-Gwegweni is primarily involved with teaching postgraduate students. She is currently supervising 4 Master of Medical Science, 3 Master of Public Health, students and 7 PhD students. She also gives lectures on an ad hoc basis on Health Research Ethics (Research Methods Module) to 2nd year MPH students and 3rd year MBChB (Selectives Module). In 2013 she introduced a support programme with a grant from the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) for post graduate students where she teaches a cohort of PhD students on a quarterly basis. In 2012 she was involved with teaching of undergraduate medical students (MBChB) in Years 1-3. What she enjoyed most in this teaching was the community-oriented and research-based structure of the modules.

Maternal, Women’s and Child Health; Communicable diseases, Parasitology, Health Research Ethics, Nutrition, Health Promotion