Professor Naomi Levitt

Professor Naomi Levitt, a Fellow of the University of , is an endocrinologist/diabetologist with a strong interest in public health who has simultaneously retained an interest in understanding the mechanisms underlying obesity and diabetes in the African context. She is director of the Chronic Diseases Initiative for Africa, one of the 11 Centre’s of Excellence (CoE) in developing countries, funded through the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and United Health’s Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases. CDIA is a network of multidisciplinary researchers drawn from six universities in (the Universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, Pretoria and Northwest and Witwatersrand), the South African Medical Research Council, researchers from other African countries (Botswana. Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania) and Harvard University, as well as representatives from South African Departments of Health. Her main current research interests fall into three categories; Diabetes: 1) Epidemiology: examining the burden of diabetes, the epidemiological interaction between non-communicable diseases, in particular diabetes and HIV, and more recently diabetes and tuberculosis; 2) Clinical studies directed at understanding the phenotype and directing management of ketosis prone diabetes; and 3) health services: developing and evaluating models of primary level care for people with chronic diseases. Professor Levitt has contributed to 14 book chapters and published 218 papers in medical journals, she has co-authored South African and sub Saharan African Guidelines for Diabetes Qualifications 1975 MBChB 1981 MD University of Cape Town 2004 FCP (SA) (by peer review) 2014 Fellow University of Cape Town

Employment history 1976 Internship - 1977-1980 Research Fellow - UCT/MRC Diabetes Research Group 1981 SHO - Department of Medicine - Groote Schuur Hospital 1982-1985 Registrar - Department of Medicine - Groote Schuur Hospital 1986 -July Senior Registrar - Department of Medicine - Groote Schuur Hospital 1986-1987 Research Fellow - Diabetes Research and Training Centre - University of Chicago (1 year) 1988-1989 Senior Registrar - Endocrine Unit - Groote Schuur Hospital 1989-1992 Specialist - Department of Medicine and Endocrine Unit - Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town. 1992-1997 Senior Specialist - Department of Medicine and Endocrine Unit - Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town. 1997-2003 Associate Professor – Department of Medicine and Endocrine Unit – Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town. 2000-2002 Head, Endocrine Unit, Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town. 2003- Professor – Department of Medicine and Head, Division of Diabetic Medicine and Endocrinology – Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town. 2009 - Director, Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa 2014 Fellow University of Cape Town

Professional activities/offices held 1. Chairperson for the International Diabetes Federation Africa Region Task Force for the development of Clinical Practice Guidelines for the management of diabetes for sub- Saharan Africa 2003 – 2006.

2. Contributor to drafting of the African Declaration for Diabetes Mellitus.

3. Member of subgroups for Development of National Guidelines for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity at Primary Care Level in South Africa (Department of Health)

4. Executive member Society for Endocrinology Metabolism and Diabetes of Southern Africa 1996 –1997, 2002-2003,

5. Vice chairperson Society for Endocrinology Metabolism and Diabetes of Southern Africa 1998-2000, 2005-2006

6. Chairperson Society for Endocrinology Metabolism and Diabetes of Southern Africa 2000-2002 and 2007-2009.

7. Vice chairperson Society for Endocrinology Metabolism and Diabetes of Southern Africa 2007-2008

8. President, Diabetes South Africa, 2008 - 2012

Invited participant: 1. Temporary consultant to the WHO on screening for diabetes ( African representative) (2002- 2003) 2. International Diabetes Federation meeting on type 2 diabetes in the adolescent: the evolving epidemic ( African representative) 3. International Diabetes Federation Task Force on development of guidelines for post- transplantation diabetes 2003 – 2004 ( African representative) 4. WHO/International Diabetes Federation workshop on health coverage for diabetes in Africa – I was invited to attend the meeting by the Head of the Non communicable disease programme of the National Department of Health. The Department Health was represented by the Deputy Head of the NCD programme 5. Oxford 2020 Vision conference aiming to accelerate progress in preventing and controlling diabetes and related chronic diseases. 6. International Diabetes Federation Task Force on development of international guidelines for diabetes 2005