Centre for Global Surgery

Our Team

Prof. Kathryn Chu
Director and Professor of Global Surgery

Prof. Chu is a general and colorectal surgeon. She received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University. She completed her medical degree and general surgery residency at the University of California‑San Francisco. She was a Fulbright scholar at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where she received a Master’s degree in Public Health and Developing Countries. She is an adjunct professor at University of Botswana (Department of surgery), a Board member of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health and the inaugural director of the Centre of Global Surgery.

Ms. Tamlyn Mac Quene
Research Fellow

Ms. Mac Quene is a global/public health and infectious diseases specialist. She received her undergraduate degree in molecular biology followed by her honour’s degree in Immunology and Infectious diseases from the University of Cape Town. She completed her Master in Infectious Diseases and Public Health at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands. She has a keen interest in interdisciplinary research and work relevant to global surgery and improving equitable access to care. Currently, she works on the Equi‑Injury project focused on understanding how to improve access to quality care for the injured in low‑and middle‑income countries.

Dr. Ntombekhaya Tshabalala
Post‑Doctoral Fellow

Dr. Tshabalala is a Research Fellow on the Equi‑Injury and Rural Surgery projects. She founded Imijelo Yophuhliso after completing her PhD in Disability Studies at the University of Cape Town. Her work involves Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) in research, with a strong commitment to disability and financial inclusion. She has a keen interest in using photo‑voice and cartoons as Participatory Action Research tools, raising consciousness while mobilizing community groups toward social action and inclusive leadership.

Mrs. Olwethu Nodo
Research Assistant

Mrs. Nodo is completing her Master’s Degree in Research Psychology at the University of the Western Cape. She completed her internship in 2022 under the Institute for Life Course Health Research at Stellenbosch University where she took part in qualitative, quantitative and feasibility studies. She is passionate about community engagement, health-related research and community development. Currently, she is working as a research assistant on the Equi‑Injury project which aims to improve access to quality care for injured individuals in low- and middle‑income countries.

Ms. Kriste Alberts
Research Assistant

Ms. Alberts holds a BSc in Microbiology & Biochemistry and an Honours in Medical Science (specialising in Microbiology & Virology) from the University of the Free State. She has a Master’s in Public Health (Epidemiology & Biostatistics) from UCT. Passionate about public health, she works on the Equi‑Injury project to enhance data availability and access to surgical care in low‑ and middle‑income countries.

Mrs. Mercia Companie
Administrative Assistant

Mrs. Companie holds a BSc Life Sciences (biomedical) and a BSc Honours in Microbiology from UNISA. She’s interested in diabetes research and health equity. After completing a 2‑year internship with DSI‑HSRC at Stellenbosch, she now serves as the Centre’s Administrative Assistant.

Ms. Zoë Ferreira
Intern

Ms. Ferreira is the DSI‑HSRC intern. With Psychology undergraduate & Honours from the University of the Western Cape, she brings a passion for mental health, empowering marginalised communities, and interest in global surgery’s mental‑health impacts.

Students

Ms. Johnelize Louw
Doctoral student

Ms. Louw is a virology and cancer science professional. She holds degrees in Chemical Biology and Medical Virology, and an MSc in Cancer Science from Stellenbosch. She’s pursuing a doctorate in Health Systems and Public Health.

Dr. Anronel Stofberg
Master’s student

Dr. Stofberg is a medical officer/investigator at Tygerberg Hospital. She graduated in Medicine from Stellenbosch and is pursuing an MPH at UCT. She is passionate about clinical research and evidence‑based medicine to improve quality of life.

Extraordinary Staff

Dr. Lubna Samad
Extraordinary Senior Lecturer

Dr. Samad is a paediatric surgeon based in Karachi, Pakistan, serving as Director at IRD Global and Chairperson of IRD Pakistan. She led Pakistan’s national surgical plan, the country’s first surgical indicators survey, and contributes to WHO and MSF initiatives in global surgery.

Prof. Sherry Wren
Extraordinary Professor

Prof. Wren directs Global Surgery at Stanford’s Center for Innovation and Global Health. She’s a general surgeon specialising in hepatobiliary, GI oncology, robotic and humanitarian surgery. She also serves as Secretary of the American College of Surgeons.

Prof. Justine Davies
Extraordinary Professor

Prof. Davies is Professor of Global Health at University of Birmingham. Her work focuses on equitable health systems, modeling for surgical and cardiovascular disease care in Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Malawi, South Africa and Ethiopia.

Dr. Tiffany E. Chao
Extraordinary Senior Lecturer

Dr. Chao is General Surgeon at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford. Her research spans cost‑effectiveness, device innovation, and expanding surgical services in low-income settings.

Dr. Lucia D’Ambruoso
Extraordinary Senior Lecturer

Dr. D’Ambruoso is Senior Lecturer in Global Public Health at Aberdeen. She is a social scientist and health systems researcher, currently studying mental health, injury and trauma care in South Africa, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Pakistan.

Dr. Jakub Gajewski
Extraordinary Senior Lecturer

Dr. Gajewski is a health sociologist and Program Director for Research at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He’s led implementation research to build surgical capacity in hospitals across Malawi, Zambia, and Tanzania.

Dr. Owolabi
Extraordinary Senior Lecturer

Dr. Owolabi is a nurse/midwife and Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at Arizona State University, and a Research Fellow at Stellenbosch. Her research centres on community-engaged prevention and management of diabetes and chronic diseases.

The Management Committee and Governing Board

Management Committee

• Prof Kathryn Chu, Director: Centre for Global Surgery
• Prof Sean Chetty, Executive Head: Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care
• Prof Rene English, Head: Division of Health Systems and Public Health
• Prof George Oosthuizen, Head: Division of General Surgery

Governing Board

• Prof Kathryn Chu (Director of the Centre for Global Surgery)
• Prof Elmi Muller (Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, FMHS)
• Prof Nico Gey van Pittius (Vice Dean of Research & Internationalisation, FMHS)
• Prof Sean Chetty (Executive Head: Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care)
• Prof Rene English (Head: Division of Health Systems and Public Health)
• Prof George Oosthuizen (Head: Division of Surgery)
• Prof Abebe Bekele (Dean, School of Medicine, University of Global Health Equity)
• Prof Hakon Angell Bolkan (Global Health Professor, Consultant general and abdominal surgeon, NTNU)
• Prof Heike Geduld (Senior Specialist, Western Cape Provincial Emergency Medicine Services)
• Prof Lubna Samad (Director, IRD Pakistan)