Rene Loewenson (FRCPH) is an epidemiologist, public health practitioner and director of the Training and Research Support Centre in Zimbabwe. Since 1980, she has implemented research, participatory action research, policy analysis, training and mentoring of work and has led various international research consortia on equity in health, social and commercial determinants of health and health systems, on social participation in health, on policy change in family and child health and wellbeing and on public health law and practice, including in work on public health and COVID-19. She is a founder member of EQUINET in east and southern Africa and cluster lead of its Equity Watch work, 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 international consortia and processes.