Karine Scheuermaier

Karine Scheuermaier is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. She holds an MB BCh, DipMed, and an MD from Paris, reflecting a strong foundation in medicine and research. Her work is centered on sleep physiology, circadian rhythms, and their intersection with HIV, cardiometabolic health, and public health challenges in African populations.

• MB BCh
• DipMed
• MD (Paris)

Her research interests span Sleep Physiology, Circadian Rhythms, Cardiometabolic Health, HIV Comorbidities, and Public Health in Africa. She investigates how sleep disruption affects mental health, cardiovascular risk, and metabolic outcomes, particularly in vulnerable populations such as adolescents, shift workers, and people living with HIV. Her work often employs objective sleep measurements and large cohort studies, including the Ndlovu Cohort Study.

The 15 most recent publications highlight a consistent focus on sleep and circadian health across diverse African contexts, with increasing attention to adolescents, aging, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her studies frequently appear in high-impact journals such as SLEEP, Scientific Reports, and The Lancet Global Health, and often address methodological rigor and public health implications. Themes include sleep in HIV, shift work, mental health, and the need for improved diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders in low-resource settings.

Scientific Contributions and Public Health Impact:

• Extensive research on sleep disturbances in people living with HIV
• Investigation of cardiovascular risk in African populations
• Studies on adolescent sleep health across urban and rural Africa
• Methodological work on sleep assessment tools (e.g., PSQI validation)
• Public health advocacy for addressing sleep disorders in LMICs

Dr. Scheuermaier’s work demonstrates a strong commitment to improving health outcomes through rigorous physiological research and epidemiological investigation. She is actively involved in mentoring and collaborative research, though specific students and grants are not listed in the provided materials. She has contributed to understanding the biological and social determinants of sleep and circadian disruption, particularly in underrepresented African populations.