Dr. Karen du Preez is a clinician-scientist, epidemiologist, and global health researcher based at the Desmond Tutu TB Centre (DTTC), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University (SU). She has dedicated her career to improving outcomes for children and adolescents affected by tuberculosis (TB), particularly in high-burden settings like South Africa.  She is passionate about reducing childhood TB mortality and morbidity through evidence‑based interventions and health‑policy integration, and has been awarded an NIH K43 Emerging Global Leader Award.

Trained as a medical doctor (MBChB), Dr. du Preez went on to complete postgraduate training in Epidemiology and Biostatistics (MSc) in 2015, completed her PhD at SU in 2020, and a one-year post-graduate certificate in Spatial Analysis for Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in 2023, equipping her with a strong clinical and methodological foundation for tackling complex health challenges. Since joining the DTTC in 2008, she has emerged as a leading expert in paediatric TB operational and implementation science, with a focus on translating research into real-world health system improvements.

Since 2022, she serves as Chair of the South African TB Think Tank Child, Adolescent and Maternal TB Task Team, focusing on harmonizing efforts to improve child, adolescent, and maternal TB policy and strategy.