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About

Jonathan B. Levin is a highly respected academic and biostatistician based in South Africa, where he served at the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Public Health from 2007 to 2023. Throughout his tenure, he has been at the forefront of public health and epidemiological research in the Southern African context, contributing significantly to health sciences through applied statistical methods, collaborative field research, and health systems analysis. Dr. Levin’s academic foundation is grounded in a PhD in Statistics and Biometry from the University of Natal, which he has successfully applied across a broad array of public health research themes. His further affiliations with renowned global institutions like the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Uganda Virus Research Institute demonstrate his strong international academic reach and collaboration in tackling infectious diseases and health inequities. A central theme in Dr. Levin’s research has been the dual public health crises of HIV and tuberculosis. His contributions range from epidemiological modeling to practical intervention studies, such as investigating SMS-based adherence support systems for TB patients and evaluating the effectiveness of community health worker (CHW) programs in promoting treatment uptake and continuity of care. These studies emphasize not only innovation in intervention strategies but also a critical lens on access, equity, and efficiency within resource-limited health systems. Jonathan Levin’s recent work has explored quality-of-care assessment tools for CHW services, aligning with broader efforts to strengthen health systems from the ground up. His research has received support from prominent funding bodies including the Wellcome Trust and South Africa's Medical Research Council (MRC). These partnerships underscore the real-world policy relevance and applied nature of his work, which aims to bridge gaps between research, implementation, and health outcomes. A versatile and multidisciplinary contributor, Levin works across statistical modeling, program evaluation, implementation science, and operational health research. His methodological expertise supports a wide range of studies, often embedded in rural and peri-urban communities across Southern Africa. He is particularly passionate about improving equity in health service delivery, a theme consistently reflected in his published work. Dr. Levin’s scholarship continues to inspire evidence-based public health strategies, and his mentorship and collaborative spirit have made a lasting impact on students, colleagues, and the public health community in Africa and beyond. His ongoing commitment to health systems strengthening, data-driven policy, and capacity building cements his reputation as a leader in applied public health research.

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Skills

Experience

Professor of Biostatistics

University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University)

Apr-2007 to Present

Education

University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)

Ph.D. in Statistics and Biometry

Passout Year: 1990

Publication

  • dott image December, 2006

Rape perpetration by young, rural South African men: Prevalence, patterns and risk factors

Sexual violence is a well-recognised global health problem, but there has been remarkably little research on men as perpetrators. The objectives of this paper are to describe the prevalence,...