Marilyn Couch
Marilyn Couch is a dedicated Researcher with over five years of research experience at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). She holds a Master’s degree in Social Science (Health Research Ethics) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, completed in collaboration with the South African Research Ethics Training Initiative (SARETI), a programme dedicated to strengthening ethical research practices across the African continent.
With a diverse academic background, including a Bachelor of Commerce in Law, an Honours in Human Resource Management, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management, Marilyn brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her work. At the HSRC, she contributes to multiple projects and was recognised with the Emerging Researcher Award (2023) for a project that later culminated in a co-authored book publication.
She has served on the HSRC Research Ethics Committee for two years and currently sits on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Research Ethics Committee. In addition, she is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where she lectures international master’s students on health law and research ethics.
Marilyn’s scholarly contributions include several peer-reviewed journal articles and co-authorship of a book, with an expanding portfolio of publications underway. Her research interests lie at the intersection of ethics, law, and public health. She is preparing for doctoral studies in this field, with the aim of deepening her expertise and broadening the impact of her work.