About Professor Pavitra Pillay
Chairperson
ND: Medical Technology; NHD: Medical Technology; BTech: Biomedical Technology; MPH;
PhD (Public Health)
Prof Pavitra Pillay is the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), South Africa, and has served as Secretary and Vice Chair of the South African Committee of Health Sciences Deans (SACOHSD). She is a registered Cytotechnologist with early career experience in laboratory diagnostics at Regional Laboratory Services in KwaZulu-Natal. With over 29 years in higher education, spanning roles from Lecturer to Deputy Dean, she demonstrates extensive leadership in curriculum development, academic governance, and institutional transformation.
Her professional contributions extend to key national regulatory and educational bodies. She is actively involved with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), contributing to professional standards, accreditation, and quality assurance in health education and practice. She is also an active member of the South African Association of Health Educationalists (SAAHE), supporting initiatives in scholarly teaching, interprofessional education, and health professions education research.
Prof Pillay’s work aligns with SACOHSD’s mission to advance collaborative, high-quality, and socially responsive health sciences education. She has led initiatives to strengthen interprofessional education, enhance postgraduate training, and improve student success and graduate readiness. Her leadership promotes curriculum innovation, graduate employability, and the integration of public health and community-oriented approaches within health education. She is a strong advocate for addressing student challenges, including health and wellbeing, equitable clinical placement opportunities, and employability, and acknowledges the need for engagement with the National Department of Health (NDoH), the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), and other stakeholders to strengthen these pathways.
She is the co-director of the Centre for Bilharzia and Tropical Health Research (CBTHR), a global collaborative platform focused on female, adolescent, and reproductive health, HIV, and gender-related health challenges. Her research interests include cervical cancer, HPV, adolescent sexual risk behaviour, infectious diseases, public health, and epidemiology. She also serves on the World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Advisory Group on Urogenital Schistosomiasis, contributing to global policy and research translation.
Prof Pillay provides strategic leadership to strengthen partnerships across higher education institutions, bridge engagement with regulatory and professional bodies, and promote impactful research-informed teaching. Her work advances transformation, equity, and the development of a competent, socially accountable health workforce responsive to national and global priorities.