Working Groups Drive Innovation and Collaboration at Global Knowledge Hub

October 2024

For the Stellenbosch University/Northwestern University Global Health Knowledge Hub, launching winter 2024, teamwork comes in the form of scientific working groups, and they don’t just dream, they do.

Research from their working groups will be at the forefront of the Hub’s collaborative innovation.

Working groups, or a team of experts working together toward a distinct goal, are key to global health research and collaboration. There are four initial working groups that have been established in the areas of Global Primary Care, Biomedical Engineering, Health Professions Education, and Climate, Health, Environmental Engineering.

Global Primary Care

The Global Primary Care working group drives toward people-focused care that includes health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. The faculty leads for this working group are Bob Mash, PhD (SU) and Lisa Hirschhorn, MD, MPH (NU). Mash, an established researcher and family physician by background, is the executive head of the Department of Family and Emergency Medicine and distinguished professor at Stellenbosch University in Family Medicine and Primary Care. Hirschhorn, whose work focuses on understanding the implementation gap and disparities in delivery, outcomes and quality of care in resource limited settings, is the director of the Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health Ryan Family Center for Global Primary Care and a professor in the Feinberg School of Medicine Medical Social Sciences (Implementation Science) and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences departments.

Biomedical Engineering

The Biomedical Engineering working group centers on advancements in technology and medicine that lead to the development of devices for global health improvements. Leading this working group are Matt Glucksberg, PhD (NU) and Kristiaan Schreve, PhD (SU). Glucksberg, co-director for the Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health Center for Innovation in Global Health Technologies and professor of Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University, has technical expertise in tissue mechanics, microcirculation, and optical instrumentation. Schreve is a professor in the Design and Mechatronics Division at Stellenbosch University, with specialties in computer-aided design, reverse engineering and rapid prototyping.

Health Professional Education

The Health Professional Education working group concentrates on preparing those in educational leadership roles for further career development. As the faculty leads, Ashti Doobay-Persaud, MD (NU) and Susan van Schalkwyk, PhD (SU) are both accomplished in the field of education. Doobay-Persaud is co-director of the Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health Center for Global Health Education, director of the Master of Science in Global Health (MSGH) degree program, and has a dedicated research interest in ethical practice in global health. Van Schalkwyk is the executive head of the Department of Health Professions Education in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University, with a specific research focus on strengthening postgraduate studies and academic writing. 

Climate, Health, Environmental Engineering

The Climate, Health, Environmental Engineering working group focuses on the impact of different industries on the environment and is led by Prof. Christina Trois (SU) and Kim Gray, PhD (NU). Trois is an internationally recognized leader in engineering and is director of the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (CRSES) at Stellenbosch University. Gray serves as Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Family Chair in Civil and Environmental Engineering at McCormick School of Engineering and studies environmental chemistry and applied ecology in natural and engineered environmental systems.

A delegation of Havey Institute for Global Health leadership visited Stellenbosch in March 2024 to discuss ways to expand the partnership.

As working group partnerships grow, both Stellenbosch University and Northwestern University continue to expand their global health work to new and impactful areas of study.  

The first annual Stellenbosch University Northwestern University partnership conference will be held in South Africa March 17-18, 2025, and in Chicago in 2026. Learn more about the Hub on the Stellenbosch University/Northwestern University Global Health Knowledge Hub website. 

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