Meet the 2023 South African Women in Science Awards finalists
Prof. Liesl Joanna Zühlke
Prof. Liesl Zühlke is the Vice-President of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Extramural Research and Internal Portfolio, a paediatric cardiologist in the Division of Paediatric Cardiology at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, and the Director of the Children's Heart Disease Research Unit at UCT. Prof. Zühlke's research projects span congenital and rheumatic heart disease, HIV in adolescents, grown-up congenital heart disease and cardiac disease in women of childbearing age.
Zühlke is an NRF B2-rated researcher (2023-2027) and received the 2018 MRC/UK Department of International Development African Research Leader Award. She was a finalist in the 2020 National Science and Technology Forum-South32 Awards for the TW Kambule-NSTF Award – Researcher and is designated one of the top three international scholars in rheumatic heart disease research. In 2020 she received the NRF Public Engagement with Research Award and, in 2022, she received the Metrodora Award in Public Health Leadership in Science and Medicine; the American Heart Association Young Hearts Award; and the Alan Pifer Research Award from UCT. In addition to her medical degrees, Prof. Zühlke holds a master of public health in clinical research methods and a PhD, both from UCT, and an MSc in health economics, outcomes and management of cardiovascular sciences from the London School of Economics. Her Google Scholar h-index is 50 and i10 index is 105. Prof. Zühlke has more than 51 000 citations, including 38 citation classics (over 100 citations, 10 with over 1 000 citations), 178 peer reviewed publications, and is listed on SciVal as within the top 5% of research achievers at UCT in her field.
Zühlke is a past president of the South African Heart Association and the Paediatric Cardiac Society of South Africa; outgoing chair of the Pan-African Society of Cardiology Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology Task Force; and co-chair of the Rheumatic Heart Disease Task Force. Internationally, she serves as the President of Rheumatic Heart Disease, Evidence, Advocacy, Communication and Hope organisation and is a board member of the World Heart Federation. She is on the medical advisory committee of Children's Heart Link and the international advisory committee of Global Alliance for Rheumatic and Congenital Hearts, as well as being an executive member the Strep A Vaccine Global Consortium. She is passionate about the prioritisation of women and children in the global health agenda, both as co-creators and recipients of efforts to improve the lives of women and children across the world.
