Dr Malebo Makunyane is a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Cape Town Lung Institute. She contributes to a multi-disciplinary project focused on mapping and monitoring the respiratory effects of climate variability, aeroallergens, and air pollution in South Africa. She holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Pretoria, with a strong background in biostatistics and statistics. Her doctoral research examined the association between climate variability and cardiorespiratory health outcomes across five major South African cities. Her current work integrates environmental data, including climate, pollen, and air quality, to investigate the drivers of respiratory illness. She also explores the use of proxy data such as over-the-counter medication sales to support syndromic surveillance and the early detection of respiratory disease surges.