Two accolades for UKZN’s Prof Refiloe Masekela

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) proudly celebrates the promotion of Professor Refiloe Masekela, Dean of the School of Medicine, to the esteemed rank of Full Professor.

Adding to this remarkable achievement, Professor Masekela has been awarded a prestigious B-rating by the National Research Foundation (NRF), a distinction reserved for internationally recognised researchers who their peers acknowledge as global leaders in their fields.

Professor Masekela is a globally acclaimed paediatric pulmonologist and an influential health scientific leader whose career spans more than 17 years of impactful research in lung health. Her impressive body of work, spanning paediatric asthma, lung physiological testing, and respiratory disease epidemiology, has positioned her at the forefront of paediatric respiratory medicine internationally.

She currently holds the distinguished position of National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Professor (2022–2027), one of the most prestigious global health research appointments, underscoring the international relevance and excellence of her scholarship.

A celebrated academic and clinician, Professor Masekela has also been honoured with the American Thoracic Society’s (ATS) World Lung Health Award 2025, which recognises outstanding contributions to global lung health, with emphasis on addressing inequities related to gender, race, ethnicity, and economics.

Her influence extends across numerous high-profile global organisations and leadership structures including as Co-Chair of the Global Asthma Network, President of the Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS) and Co-Chair of the Federation of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) Lung Health Task Force Steering Committee.

Her expertise is further reflected in her memberships on major international committees, including the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Scientific Committee; the European Respiratory Society’s (ERS) Global Lung Initiative (GLI); the ERS Long Range Planning Committee for Paediatrics; and the American Thoracic Society’s Ethics and Conflict of Interest Committee.

At a national level, she currently serves as President of the South African Thoracic Society, shaping respiratory healthcare policy and practice in South Africa.

Professor Masekela is also an exceptionally productive scholar, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications and contributions to eight book chapters in globally influential texts such as the Global Asthma Report, Manson’s Textbook of Tropical Infectious Diseases, and Coovadia’s Textbook of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Her commitment to capacity development is equally notable. She has supervised and graduated 36 PhD and Master’s students, many of whom now play key roles in advancing child health across the continent. She also co-directs the PATS-MECOR training programme, teaches on the VIPPRA academy, and served as a mentor and reviewer for the USAID-funded SMART4TB investigator programme.

In addition, she leads the African Paediatric Fellowship Training Program, an ELMA-funded initiative enhancing paediatric and subspecialist training across Africa to improve child health systems and outcomes.

Professor Busisiwe Ncama, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Health Sciences congratulated Professor Masekela, “The NRF B-rating, combined with her promotion to Full Professor, represents an outstanding milestone in her distinguished academic journey. We applaud Professor Masekela for her unwavering dedication to advancing paediatric respiratory health, her visionary leadership, and her relentless pursuit of excellence in research, mentorship, and service. Thank you for inspiring greatness!”