Liz Wolvaardt

Liz (PhD, PGCHE, MPH, BCur) is an associate professor in health policy and management at the School of Health Systems and Public Health at the University of Pretoria. She is also the programme coordinator for the fully online postgraduate diploma in public health at the same institution.

Her undergraduate degree is in nursing, while her master’s degree is in public health and her doctorate is in education (curriculum development and instructional design). In addition to her formal qualifications, she holds a Fellowship with the sub-Saharan FAIMER regional institute (SAFRI) and was one of the regional co-directors of SAFRI until its closure.

Her primary research interest is health systems strengthening and particularly the use of action research as a way to strengthen health systems. Her other research interests are the inclusion and expansion of public health in the undergraduate medical curriculum and the development of health professions educators. She has published 45 journal articles, co-published a book chapter and has supervised in excess of 50 postgraduate student projects.

She is a long serving member of the board of Sediba Hope Medical Centre (an inner-city clinic) which is part of her social accountability activities.A career highlight was working as a volunteer at the World Health Organization Headquarters in Geneva where she was first stimulated to explore public health as a career option