Professor Tess van der Merwe was the Honorary Secretary of the International Association for the Study of Obesity for a period of 8 years and currently remains the Africa consultant for this association. In addition, she is the Chair and Founder of the South African Society for Obesity Metabolism (SASSO) and has served this organisation for more than 25 years. Professor van der Merwe currently serves on the Scientific Board of the International Federation for Surgical Obesity.

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She received her MBChB from the University of Pretoria, South Africa (1982) and was subsequently awarded an FCP (SA), before becoming a registered Endocrinologist and gaining her PhD at the University of the Witwatersrand. During 1989 to 1995, she spent a large percentage of time with Professor P. Lönnroth and other esteemed colleagues at the Sahlgrenska Hospital in Göteborg, Sweden, acquainting herself with various research models in cellular and clinical obesity. Subsequently, from 2003 to 2006 she was appointed as an Associate Professor of Endocrinology at the University of the Witwatersrand.

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Professor van der Merwe has been the recipient of numerous research grants during her academic career and is currently assisting Dr Emma Börgenson, based at  the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, within the TESLA research cohort. Additionally, she has in excess of 112 publications in the field of obesity, metabolism and endocrinology, and has contributed to obesity study modules for the Foundation for Professional Development and IASO. In 2006 & 2010 she wrote a manual on obesity management guidelines for South Africa and currently serves on the editorial board of a number of international journals.

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In the past, key areas of research interest included investigating in vivo and in vitro adipose tissue lipolysis and relating these findings to intermediary metabolism, quantification of body composition and body fat distribution genetics. She conducted a research portfolio in the clinical consequences and outcomes of bariatric surgery as well as MC4R polymorphisms in a South African obese population. 

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Over the past 15 years, she has conducted in excess of 680 media and television interviews and devoted much energy to creating a better understanding of the disease of obesity amongst public, media and medical professionals. She is frequently involved with providing public information and assisting with media releases. She has lectured to more than 2000 general practitioners during educational courses and symposiums. She still contributes to the SCOPE international obesity course and is currently a member of the EAC-BS accreditation review committee for the Surgeon of Excellence Program. 

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Before embarking into the field of medicine, Professor van der Merwe received numerous ballet and cultural awards. Notably, she was offered a scholarship to study ballet in Europe where she was fortunate to be given a masterclass by the legendary Margot Fonteyn. She was offered a position to continue her ballet career at the American Ballet Theatre but declined due to her academic interests. Her matriculation was awarded with seven distinctions, as the top student in Gauteng in 1976. She boasted a significant pageantry career during her early university years along with entering the South African aerobics championships. 

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Currently, her primary clinical commitment is in the field of bariatric and metabolic surgery for obese and diabetic patients, however, she is branching into the usage of new weight-loss medications for select patients. She resides in Pretoria, South Africa, with her two children, seven Poodles, two Yorkshire Terriers, and Giant Schnauzer.

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Notable career awards are:

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• SASSO and/or SEMDSA awards for best scientific presentations in the field of diabetes or endocrinology or obesity. 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002

• Zeneca Research Award. 1997

• Nomination for best publication, Faculty of Health Sciences. ‘Lactate and glycerol release from the   subcutaneous adipose tissue of obese urban women from South Africa; Important Metabolic Implications’. 1998

• Faculty of Health Science Highest Research Award for research excellence. 2001

• Swedish Medical Association: Invited lecture, Stockholm. 2003

• Louis Mervish Eponymous Lecture, SAGES. 2006

• University of Pretoria Millennium Lecture. 2006

• American Biographical Society Election: ‘Great Women of the 21st Century’ published 2006

• International expert voting panel – diabetes and bariatric surgery guidelines. 2007

• World Congress of Arts Science and Communications Lifetime Achievement Award. 2007

• 50th SAGES/SASES award for the best oral presentation. 2012

• Rooi Rose Red Chair interview. 2013

• The Who’s Who of the World nomination for most distinguished physicians in the world. 2013

• Selected to the IASO prestigious Awards Committee for ICO. 2014