Lecturer | Univeristy of the Witwatersrand | South Africa
Dr. Raeesa Manjoo-Docrat is a developing scholar affiliated with the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, whose work contributes to the advancement of quantitative epidemiology and public health modelling in South Africa. Her research focuses on the development and application of spatial, age-stratified epidemiological models aimed at understanding disease transmission dynamics within heterogeneous populations. With four peer-reviewed publications and 27 citations, she has established a growing academic footprint supported by an h-index of 2, reflecting the early but significant influence of her work. Her recent open-access article in Heliyon (2025), which applies spatial modelling frameworks to the South African COVID-19 pandemic, exemplifies her commitment to integrating mathematical rigor with real-world public health challenges. Manjoo-Docrat has collaborated with multidisciplinary teams comprising epidemiologists, mathematicians, and public health scientists, enabling her to contribute to robust analytical frameworks and high-quality scientific outputs. These collaborations also highlight her ability to operate effectively within diverse research environments and to engage in evidence-based problem solving that supports both academic and policy-relevant outcomes. Her research sits at the intersection of infectious disease dynamics, health systems planning, and data-driven decision support, positioning her work within a globally relevant domain of applied epidemiology. Beyond academic metrics, her contributions have societal impact by informing approaches to epidemic preparedne ss, guiding interventions for vulnerable demographic groups, and enhancing understanding of spatial disparities in health outcomes. Through her continued scholarship, Manjoo-Docrat aims to strengthen the integration of mathematical modelling into national and regional public health strategies, ensuring that data-informed insights contribute to improved health resilience and equitable disease control.
Featured Publications
1. Manjoo-Docrat, R., Abdelatif, N., Holloway, J., Dudeni-Tlhone, N., Dresselhaus, C., Mbayise, E., … Makhanya, S. (2025). Spatial age-stratified epidemiological model with applications to South African COVID-19 pandemic. Heliyon, 11(11), e43171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e43171
2. Dresselhaus, C., Fabris-Rotelli, I., Manjoo-Docrat, R., Brettenny, W., Holloway, J., Thiede, R., Debba, P., & Dudeni-Tlhone, N. (2023). A spatial model with vaccinations for COVID-19 in South Africa. Spatial Statistics, 58, Article 100792. Cited by 2.
3. Manjoo-Docrat, R. (2022). A spatio-stochastic model for the spread of infectious diseases. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 533, 110943. Cited by 16.
4. Fabris-Rotelli, I., Holloway, J., Kimmie, Z., Archibald, S., Debba, P., Manjoo-Docrat, R., … Potgieter, A. (2022). A Spatial SEIR Model for COVID-19 in South Africa. Journal of Data Science, Statistics, and Visualisation, 2(7), 14–45. Cited by 5.
Dr. Raeesa Manjoo-Docrat’s work advances data-driven epidemiological modelling to strengthen public health response strategies. Her research provides actionable insights that support disease forecasting, health policy planning, and improved population-level outcomes.