Professor Liesl Zühlke is a South African clinician and global health leader with extensive experience in public health research and health system strengthening. She is currently Vice President for Extramural Research & Internal Portfolio at the South African Medical Research Council, where she oversees research strategy and supports the advancement of health research across priority disease areas.

In addition to her role at SAMRC, she has held senior leadership positions in national and international health initiatives, contributing to efforts aimed at improving child and cardiovascular health outcomes in resource-limited settings. In 2026, Professor Zühlke was named as one of five L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science laureates in recognition of these contributions. 

She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Global AMR R&D Hub Board of Members, where she supports the Hub’s strategic direction and strengthens collaborative efforts to accelerate research and development in AMR.