Prof Gillian Nelson

Gillian Nelson is a South African public health and environmental health researcher whose work centres on occupational and environmental exposures in vulnerable worker and community populations. Her scholarship spans oncology pharmacy safety, informal sector work environments, mining-related hazards, and community-level metal exposure, with a strong emphasis on translating evidence into improved health protection policies and standards.

Recent studies examine antineoplastic drug contamination in oncology pharmacies and critically appraise national standards against international best practice, highlighting gaps in safety governance. Parallel research on nail technicians in formal and informal sectors advances exposure science through personal monitoring and participatory self-assessment methods, addressing solvent-related risks and overlooked informal workplaces.

Nelson’s contributions also include investigations of manganese neurotoxicity in mineworkers and exposed communities, linking environmental and occupational exposures to cognitive outcomes. Earlier work on school-based health interventions reflects transdisciplinary expertise in implementation science. Collectively, this portfolio demonstrates strengths in field-based exposure assessment, risk evaluation, and policy-relevant public health research.