Dr. Stephanie Leigh

Stephanie Leigh is a South African researcher whose work bridges clinical pharmacy, antimicrobial stewardship, and regulatory science. Her scholarship reflects a strong commitment to strengthening public healthcare systems, particularly within the South African context, through evidence-based medicine and policy-informed research.

Her research focuses on antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic utilisation in hospital settings, and the optimisation of treatment protocols for diabetic foot ulcers. She has examined prescribing trends during the COVID-19 period, evaluated local antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, and highlighted gaps between treatment guidelines and real-world practice. Her work also advances the role of pharmacists in multidisciplinary care and antimicrobial stewardship education.

In parallel, she contributes to natural product and pharmaceutical innovation research, applying chemometric modelling and synergy analysis to essential oil combinations for respiratory infections. More recently, she has explored regulatory review processes within African medicines authorities, demonstrating an interest in improving medicine evaluation systems and strengthening regulatory capacity across healthcare sectors.