Charlene Downing
Watson Caring Science Scholar
Professor of Nursing
Johannesburg, South Africa
Professor Charlene Downing is a Full Professor in the Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. She teaches Research Methodology at the undergraduate level and is recognised for her scholarship in Jean Watson’s Caring Science and the philosophy of Ubuntu—“I am because of you.” These philosophies guide her teaching, research, and leadership, emphasising caring and interconnectedness.
Professor Downing has authored 96 peer-reviewed publications since 2015 and currently supervises 39 master’s and 42 doctoral candidates. Over the past decade, she has successfully supervised 53 master’s and 23 PhD graduates.
Her honours include Fellowship by Examination of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (2022), an NRF C2 rating (2023), induction into the FUNDISA Hall of Fame (2023), Fellowship of the Academy of Nursing of South Africa (2024), and First Runner-Up in the 2025 Nursing Excellence Award.