Fiona Els joins the GCRO on 1 March 2023 as an Epidemiologist

Fiona Els joined the GCRO on 1 March 2023 as an Epidemiologist to work on monitoring COVID-19 in wastewater. She has a joint appointment between the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and GCRO, working with both organisations to determine the burden of COVID-19 on urban communities. Fiona holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Epidemiology and biostatistics, MSc in Biochemistry, as well as a Bachelor of Science (BSc) Honours in epidemiology and biostatistics from the University of Pretoria. She also holds a BSc Honours in Aquatic Science and a BSc in Biological and Environmental Science from the North West University. Her research interest includes integrating water quality in a public health setting, and she hopes by the end of the project there will be tangible recommendations to improve the general health of the population and to respond to government policy-relevant information needs. We, at the GCRO, are happy to welcome her to the team.