▁career ▁was ▁closely ▁inter w oven ▁with ▁that ▁of ▁his ▁wife , ▁Z ena ▁Stein . ▁He ▁is ▁considered ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁pione ers ▁of ▁ep ide mi ology ▁in ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Mer v yn ▁Wil fred ▁Sus ser ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 2 6 ▁September ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁in ▁Johannes burg , ▁South ▁Africa ▁to ▁Sol omon ▁and ▁I da ▁Rose ▁( née ▁Son ) ▁Sus ser . ▁His ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁M ok op ane ▁in ▁L imp opo ▁Province , ▁where ▁he ▁learned ▁to ▁track ▁game ▁in ▁the ▁wild . ▁His ▁mother ▁committed ▁suic ide ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁young ▁boy . ▁His ▁parents ▁en rolled ▁him ▁in ▁a ▁Catholic ▁girls ' ▁school ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁best ▁education ▁available ▁before ▁later ▁switching ▁to ▁an ▁un spec ified ▁boys ' ▁school ▁several ▁hundred ▁miles ▁away . ▁ ▁Sus ser ▁married ▁Z ena ▁Stein ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁Sus ser ▁and ▁Stein ▁had ▁three ▁children : ▁Ez ra ▁Sus ser , ▁Ruth ▁Sus ser ▁and ▁I da ▁Sus ser . ▁ ▁Sus ser , ▁Stein ▁and ▁colle agues ▁began ▁their ▁care ers ▁at ▁a ▁clin ic ▁in ▁Alex andra ▁Township , ▁where ▁they ▁developed ▁t ies ▁with ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁anti - A part heid ▁Mov ement ▁including ▁Joe ▁Slo vo , ▁Ah med ▁Kath r ada , ▁Walter ▁S is ulu ▁and ▁Nelson ▁Mand ela . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁work ▁they ▁were ▁influenced ▁and ▁ment ored ▁by ▁Sid