Dr Rene Loewenson FRSPH is a Zimbabwean epidemiologist, public health practitioner, and Director of the Training and Research Support Centre. She has since 1980 implemented research, participatory action research, policy analysis, and training and has led various international research consortia on equity in health, social and commercial determinants of health and health systems, social participation in health, and public health law and practice, including internationally on public health and COVID-19. She is a founder member of the Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET) and currently co-leads work in EQUINET on health impact assessment in commercial sectors and urban health equity. She co-ordinates the International Shaping health consortium working on various aspects of social participation and policy analysis in health. She has been a member/ chair of a range of national and global bodies on health, and advisor to various UN and international consortia and processes.