About
Prof. Mathildah Mokgatle is an NRF C2-rated public health scientist, Professor, and Head of the Department of Public Health in the School of Health Care Sciences at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU). With over 17 years of academic leadership, she has played a pivotal role in advancing higher education, research, and institutional transformation in South Africa. Her research focuses on sexual and reproductive health, HIV and STI prevention, population health, and health systems strengthening. Prof. Mokgatle has supervised more than 90 postgraduate students, published over 250 scholarly works, secured significant research funding, and serves on numerous national and international research, advisory, and policy committees. She is widely recognised for her contributions to public health research, postgraduate education, and evidence-informed policy development.
Biography
Professor Mathildah Mokgatle is an NRF C2-rated public health scientist, Professor, and Head of the Department of Public Health in the School of Health Care Sciences at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU). She holds qualifications in Diagnostic Radiography, Public Health, and a PhD, and has built an exceptional career spanning academic leadership, research, postgraduate education, and public health policy. With more than 17 years of leadership experience in higher education, Prof. Mokgatle played an instrumental role in the transformation of South Africa's higher education sector during the merger that established the University of Limpopo. She has since continued to shape institutional strategy through her leadership of postgraduate education, curriculum development, research governance, and academic quality assurance. A passionate advocate for student success, Prof. Mokgatle champions data-informed, student-centred approaches that strengthen mentorship, academic support, and postgraduate development. She has successfully supervised and graduated over 80 master's and 10 doctoral candidates while mentoring numerous early-career academics. Her extensive research portfolio includes more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and significant contributions to conference proceedings and collaborative research outputs. Her research interests include sexual and reproductive health, HIV and STI prevention, population health, health systems strengthening, and community-based public health interventions. She has led and contributed to numerous nationally and internationally funded research initiatives and currently serves as Node Director and Chair of the Steering Committee for the SAMRC-SAPRIN BAMMISHO Project, a population-based surveillance platform investigating the health impacts of mining communities. Prof. Mokgatle has served on several prestigious national and international committees, including the South African Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19, where her evidence-based contributions informed national public health policy. She also serves on advisory, mentorship, and scientific committees across the higher education and health sectors and is an active reviewer and guest editor for several leading academic journals. Her work continues to advance public health research, strengthen higher education leadership, and improve health outcomes across South Africa and the African continent.