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Specialist Scientist, Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council

Karen Daniels is a social scientist working in the field of public health research. She regards herself as an activist at heart and considers research another site of social activism. She started out as a qualitative researcher after training in English and History, but her interest in health led her to an MPH (UCT) and a Dr.PH (NHV). Over the years she has gained a wide range of experience within the field of health policy and systems research. She has been engaged in projects focused on infectious diseases, human resource solutions, evidence use in policy, gender and policy, as well as policy and guideline implementation. Currently she leads the South African Initiative for Systematic Reviews on Health Policies and Systems. She is also the lead investigator for a review on incentives for lay health workers, a co-investigator on several qualitative studies, and a post graduate supervisor.
Karen has recently been elected onto the Board of Health Systems Global (http://healthsystemsglobal.org/), as well as being a long standing member of the Board of Surplus People Project (http://spp.org.za/).
At the University of Cape Town, she is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Health Policy and Systems Division, School of Public Health and Family Medicine; as well as being the current Chairperson of the Cape Town Chapter of the University of Cape Town Alumni Association.

Experience

  • –present
    Specialist Scientist, Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council

Education

  • 2012 
    Nordic School of Public Health (NHV), DrPH
  • 2006 
    University of Cape Town, MPH