Carmen Pheiffer is a Chief Specialist Scientist and the Director of the Non-Communicable Diseases Research Unit (NCDRU), South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC).

She is an Extraordinary Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Pretoria. She is the Principal Investigator of the Metabolic Disorders of Pregnancy Research Group within the NCDRU at the SAMRC, focusing on obesity, gestational diabetes, and related metabolic disorders, associated biomarkers, and maternal and child health outcomes.

Her research interests lie in the pathophysiology of obesity, gestational diabetes, and related metabolic disorders, with a particular focus on pregnancy as a critical window influencing both maternal and child health outcomes.

Her work integrates basic science, clinical, and public health approaches to better understand disease mechanisms, identify biomarkers, and inform prevention and intervention strategies. She is particularly interested in the early-life origins of metabolic disease and the intergenerational transmission of risk.

She previously served as Secretary (2022-2024) of SASBMB before her current position as Vice-President.