The University of Cape Town invites you to an inaugural lecture by Professor Sheetal Silal.
Professor Sheetal Silal from the Department of Statistical Sciences will present her inaugural lecture titled “Models, Policy, and People: Predicting Heath Impact in a Complex World”
Date: Tuesday, 12 May 2026
Time: 18:00 SAST
Venue: Chris Hani Lecture Theatre, Level 1, Chris Hani Building, Upper Campus, UCT
This lecture will explore how simulation models are used to support public health decision-making in the face of uncertainty, and why decision support is essential in shaping effective responses. It will examine how simulation models bring together data on diseases, populations, and health systems to help predict the potential impact of different policy choices. Drawing on prior work, the lecture will highlight how models provide a systems perspective, capturing the complexity of real-world health challenges. It will also consider the importance of collaboration, and how integrating diverse expertise into models can strengthen decision support, improve health outcomes, and ultimately build more equitable and resilient health systems.
About the speaker
Professor Sheetal Silal is Director of the Modelling and Simulation Hub, Africa (MASHA) at the University of Cape Town and an Honorary Visiting Research Fellow in Tropical Disease Modelling at Oxford University. Her research focuses on developing and applying mathematical transmission models to understand disease dynamics, assess public health interventions, and support evidence-based decision-making. She chairs the World Health Organization’s Immunization and Vaccines-related Implementation Research Advisory Committee and serves on the WHO Collaboratory Technical Advisory Group. Through these roles, she contributes to global immunization strategy and advances the use of modelling to inform health system planning, endemic disease control, and pandemic preparedness efforts.