Professor Uta Lehmann, professor and director of the School of Public Health at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa, is a social scientist by training and has worked in public health and health personnel education for 30 years. Her interests and expertise lie in health policy and systems research, HRH, and qualitative research. Her research projects have included a focus on understanding how relationships, power and politics impact health systems function, and exploring ways to support the voice and capacity of frontline providers. She has led capacity strengthening initiatives for HRH and coordinates a WHO Collaborating Centre for research and training in HRH.