Strategy Board

Professor Ntobeko Ntusi is the President and CEO of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). He is a qualified physician and cardiologist, and holds numerous additional qualifications, including a DPhil in Cardiovascular Medicine from the University of Oxford, St. Cross College, and an MD in Cardiology from the University of Cape Town. He is a distinguished and highly respected figure in the medical community as a key global opinion leader. His lifelong passion for evidence-based healthcare, health systems research, noncommunicable disease multimorbidity, and universal health coverage has positioned him as a trailblazer in medical research.

Prof. Ntusi is committed to advancing medical research and innovation; and is passionate about improving healthcare outcomes aligned with the SAMRC’s mandate to advance the nation’s health and quality of life. His leadership spans various national, regional, and international platforms, where he has played pivotal roles in shaping academic agendas, postgraduate medical education standards, and advancing key national strategic priorities. His commitment to mentoring young professionals and supervising postgraduate students underscores his passion for nurturing the next generation of medical leaders, instilling hope for the future of medical leadership.

Kasia Jurczak is the Head of Unit “Combatting diseases” at European Commission’s Directorate General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD). Together with her team, she provides strategic steer for the funding for health research and innovation under Horizon Europe, covering both infectious and non-communicable diseases.

Kasia has 20 years of experience in the EU-level policy development and implementation in the areas of public health, labour and social policy, civil protection and humanitarian aid. Prior to joining DG RTD, she worked in the private office of the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, advising on response to COVID-19, global health emergencies and EU’s humanitarian aid in Latin America and the Caribbean. She also advised the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility on skills policy. Kasia has been working for the European Commission since 2012.

Kasia studied social science at the London School of Economics and Political Science (BSc) in the UK and University of Leuven (MA) in Belgium. She is a Polish national.

Dr Rajiv Bahl is a physician-scientist, with specialization in paediatrics (MD Pediatrics: University of Delhi) and public health (PhD: All India Institute of Medical Sciences). He has also received an Honorary Doctorate from University of Bergen, Norway, in 2022 in recognition of his contributions to maternal and child health research. He has 30 years of experience leading health research and translating research to public health policy both in India and at a global level.

Dr Bahl has held the position of Head of Research on Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health at the World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva (2013-22). Prior to that, he was responsible for Newborn and Child Health research at WHO (2003-2012) and was a scientist in the ICMR Advanced Centre for Diarrheal Disease and Nutrition Research at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) from 1994-2002.

Katherine (Kate) Frohlich is the Scientific Director of the Institute of Population and Public Health, CIHR, since September 2023. She is also a Professor in the Département de médecine sociale et préventive, École de Santé Publique, Université de Montréal (ESPUM) as well as Research Associate with the Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique (CReSP). Her programme of research, funded for over 20 years by both CIHR and SSHRC, focuses on better understanding and reducing social inequities in urban youth health. A dedicated interdisciplinary scholar, her work straddles the boundaries of health promotion, social epidemiology, sociology of health and health geography. She also co-holds the Myriagone McConnell-UdM Chair on Youth Knowledge Mobilisation, an interdisciplinary, intersectoral Chair with colleagues from the Faculty of Arts and Science, UdM.

Dr Supakit Sirilak serves as the Executive Director of the Health Systems Research Institute (HSRI). He holds a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) from Chulalongkorn University. Additionally, he has earned a Master of Primary Health Care Management (MPHM) from ASEAN Institute for Health Development (AIHD). He also received a diploma in Preventive Medicine Specialist from the Medical Council of Thailand.

Prior to becoming the Executive Director of HSRI, Dr Supakit held various esteemed positions within the Thai Ministry of Public Health (MOPH). These roles included the Director General of the Department of Medical Sciences, the Deputy Permanent Secretary, MOPH Office of the Permanent Secretary, the Chief of Inspector General, the Chief of Provincial Health Office, and the Senior Advisor in Preventive Medicine. He also served as the 9th and the 10th president of the National Health Assembly Committee.

Notably, during the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Supakit chaired the MOPH Intelligence Unit, playing a pivotal role in developing key strategies and policy options. His leadership and expertise were crucial in the government’s response to the pandemic.

Dr Supakit’s expertise extends across various critical areas of health policy. His profound knowledge of global health issues and his exceptional skills enable him to tackle complex health challenges on an international scale. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field, Dr Supakit has received the prestigious Golden Garuda Award from the Prime Minister himself.

Professor Wesselingh is an infectious diseases physician and researcher in HIV, vaccine development and the impact of the microbiome on human health. He undertook his undergraduate and doctoral training at Flinders University/Flinders Medical Centre in South Australia and his post-doctoral training at Johns Hopkins in the United States.

Until July 2023, Professor Wesselingh was the inaugural Executive Director of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and the Research Director of Health Translation SA. He was also a member of NHMRC Council, Chair of Research Committee, and the President of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (AAHMS).

Professor Wesselingh brings a wealth of medical experience, clinical leadership as well as national and international success. Between 2007-2011, he was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University and from 2002-2007, he was Director of the Burnet Institute an independent medical research institute specialising in infectious diseases, immunology and global health.

Throughout his career, Professor Wesselingh has consistently worked towards the integration of high-quality medical research with health-care delivery, leading to improved health outcomes for Australia and the poorly resourced countries of the region.