Prof Joel Msafiri Francis is an epidemiologist, and a Research Professor/Reader at the University of the Witwatersrand, School of Clinical Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, and Primary Care. He is rated at the NRF-C2 level by the South Africa's National Research Foundation (NRF).
Prior to joining University of the Witwatersrand, he worked as a research scientist with the National Institute for Medical Research in Tanzania and a research fellow with the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, United States of America.
Prof Francis holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree (equivalent to MBBCh) from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, an MSc in Epidemiology from Harvard University, United States of America, and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of London (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), United Kingdom.
He engages in 1) Research supervision and mentorship of undergraduate, Master, and PhD candidates in Epidemiology, Family Medicine, and Public Health. 2) Health research - areas of interest HIV, Alcohol and Other Drug Use, Mental Health, Noncommunicable Diseases, Implementation Science and Epidemiology (Surveys, Case-Control Studies, Cohort studies, Systematic review and meta-analysis, Cluster Randomised Trials, Randomised Control Trials).
Prof Francis serves on the editorial boards of the following journals: three BMC series journals (BMC- Public Health, BMC – Global Health Research and Policy, and BMC - Infectious Diseases), two PLOS journals (PLOS One and PLOS Global Public Health), statistical editor for the Health Policy and Planning journal, Deputy Editor In Chief at Health Promotion International journal, an editorial advisor at the BMJ Open journal and the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
He serves as an adjunct faculty at the School of Life Science and Bioengineering at Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania. Prof Francis is a member of the International AIDS Society and serves as a Board Member of the International Confederation of ATOD Research Associations (ICARA).
