Dr Mazimkhulu Zungu is a Public Health specialist and senior lecturer in the School of Health Systems and Public Health of the University of Pretoria. He currently also holds the post of Acting Director, National Institute of Occupational Health. He has a strong interest in occupational health of mineworkers, having previously been a Director in the Medical Bureau of Occupational Diseases and Assistant Compensation Commissioner in the office of the Compensation Commissioner for Occupational diseases. He has published extensively on the problem of TB as an occupational risk of health workers, for which work he provided input into technical reports for the World Health Organization. He has also contributed to technical reports focussing on TB in the mining industry for the World Bank, South African Development Community and the National Institute for Occupational Health. His current research will focus on TB in a silica-exposed workforce, an important and under-researched area. His work has supported advocacy for improving the occupational health of vulnerable workers in the mining and health sector through effective mitigation and control of occupational exposures. With his expertise, Dr Zungu will assist with designing strategic research directions related to silica exposure and the factors associated with silicosis and tuberculosis among miners.