BIOGRAPHY

Prof Christina Hajinicolaou.

Prof. Hajinicolaou is a distinguished paediatrician and specialist in Paediatric Gastroenterology. She completed her MBBCh at Wits in 1983, her MMed in Paediatrics in 1993, and her Cert Gastroenterol (SA) Paeds in 2008. Until her retirement in January 2024, she held several prominent positions, including Divisional Head of Paediatric Gastroenterology at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Head of the Wits Paediatric Gastroenterology Training Complex, and Head of Paediatric Gastroenterology at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH). She played an instrumental role in the recognition of Paediatric Gastroenterology as a subspecialty in 2008, having been involved in the field since 1993. Under her leadership, the Wits Paediatric Gastroenterology Training Complex became the largest training unit in Paediatric Gastroenterology in South Africa.

Prof. Hajinicolaou is a pioneer in educational innovation. She has significantly contributed to curriculum development, assessment, and mentoring of undergraduate students as Head of the GEMP 4 Paediatric Coordination Team, an involvement since 1993. In 2009, she launched the Learner Orientation Programme aimed at ultimately encouraging Health Sciences applications, while promoting and assisting scholars with job shadowing in the Department of Paediatrics.

In 2023, along with a dedicated team, Prof Hajinicolaou launched the national Biliary Atresia Awareness Campaign under the auspices of the Gauteng Provincial Solid Organ Transplant Division, with the support of the Department of Health and the University of the Witwatersrand. Prof Hajinicolaou is also a co-administrator of the "Transplant Saved my Baby" webinar, initiated in 2021. She continues to advocate for state organ transplantation and government legislation for equitable organ donation distribution.

She has participated in numerous research projects and international collaborations, contributing to significant publications and serving as a reviewer for both local and international journals. Her research includes projects on teaching paediatric clinical skills, and international collaborations, such as the Global Alagille Alliance (GALA). Prof Hajinicolaou’ s committee work spans numerous academic and professional organizations. She is passionate in advancing undergraduate and postgraduate training and dedicated in increasing the scarce resource of paediatric gastroenterologists in South Africa and the rest of Africa.

Currently, she is employed as the Undergraduate Paediatric Programme Manager at Wits and as Assistant Director of the Johannesburg, African Paediatric Fellowship Programme (APFP).