Prof Lisa Micklesfield

Lisa Micklesfield is a South African public health researcher and professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, widely recognised for her leadership in the Africa Wits-INDEPTH Partnership for Genomic Studies (AWI-Gen). Her work bridges epidemiology, genomics, and clinical research, with a strong focus on cardiometabolic health, obesity, diabetes, and HIV in African populations. She has played a central role in advancing large multicentre cohort studies across sub-Saharan Africa.

Her publications highlight expertise in type 2 diabetes incidence, obesity phenotypes, dyslipidaemia, and regional adiposity, integrating metabolic, hormonal, and omics data to refine risk prediction. Recent studies extend to bone health in women living with HIV and gene–environment interactions, as well as genome-wide analyses of drug-related adverse events. This body of work demonstrates strength in longitudinal design, biostatistics, and transdisciplinary collaboration.

Micklesfield’s research has substantially shaped understanding of ageing, HIV, and non-communicable diseases in African contexts. By incorporating sex-specific, ethnic-specific, and life-course perspectives, her contributions inform targeted prevention strategies and public health policy. Emerging work on air pollution and cardiometabolic risk further underscores a commitment to addressing environmental and social determinants of health.