Debbi Marais

Debbi Marais is a Professor (Teaching Focussed) at the University of Warwick within the Warwick Medical School and Health Sciences department. She serves as the Director of Postgraduate Education and is a Principal Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy, demonstrating strategic leadership in enhancing teaching quality, curriculum development, and student mentorship. With over 25 years of experience in higher education, she has held academic positions at Stellenbosch University, University of Aberdeen, and University of Warwick. Her expertise spans teaching, assessment, program coordination, quality assurance, and reflective practice.

Marais’ research interests include pedagogical innovation, with a focus on technology-enhanced teaching and employability & professionalism, as well as public health nutrition covering infant and young child feeding, nutrition transition, and global health. She employs mixed methods in her research and has contributed to understanding exclusive breastfeeding barriers, maternal obesity trends in Africa, and Arabic weight-loss app design. Her work often intersects with technology-enhanced health education and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Her recent publications highlight qualitative studies on food-based dietary guidelines in Kenya and South Africa, mobile health interventions for weight loss, and educational innovations in medical and nutrition training. These works reflect her commitment to global health equity and digital pedagogy, with recurring themes in African and Southeast Asian health contexts. She emphasizes participatory research methods and policy translation in maternal and child nutrition.

Scientific Awards

• Principal Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy

Marais has supervised postgraduate research students (PhD and Masters) and contributed to curriculum reform through collaborative international projects. She has secured external funding for research and demonstrated interdisciplinary expertise in nutrition, public health, and health education.