Head of Department
Position: Head of Department
Qualifications: BSc (PT), MSc (PT), PhD (UWC)
Prof Ennion worked as a clinician for seven years before entering academia. She graduated with her PhD from UWC in 2015 and has an advocatory approach to research. Her niche is lower limb prosthetic rehabilitation, specifically focused in rural settings. She is also interested in the prevention of lower limb amputation and improving access to assistive devices in general.
She supervises multiple postgraduate students and teaches on the undergraduate curriculum.
Qualifications: BSc (PT), MSc (PT), PhD (UWC)
Biography
Prof Liezel Ennion is an NRF-rated researcher and full time permanent senior lecturer at the Department of Physiotherapy since 2012.Prof Ennion worked as a clinician for seven years before entering academia. She graduated with her PhD from UWC in 2015 and has an advocatory approach to research. Her niche is lower limb prosthetic rehabilitation, specifically focused in rural settings. She is also interested in the prevention of lower limb amputation and improving access to assistive devices in general.
She supervises multiple postgraduate students and teaches on the undergraduate curriculum.
Academic Staff
Position: Contract lecturer
Qualifications: BA (Sports Science) (SU), BSc (PT) (UWC), MSc (Clinical Epidemiology) (SU), PhD (Physiotherapy) UWC
He currently teaches first and second-year modules within the undergraduate programme.
He completed a PhD, which looks at developing a clinical decision-making model to improve the survival of persons who have sustained a traumatic spinal cord injury.
Qualifications: BA (Sports Science) (SU), BSc (PT) (UWC), MSc (Clinical Epidemiology) (SU), PhD (Physiotherapy) UWC
Biography
Mr Blake Boggenpoel is a physiotherapist by profession and currently a lecturer within the UWC physiotherapy department (2015 – present).He currently teaches first and second-year modules within the undergraduate programme.
He completed a PhD, which looks at developing a clinical decision-making model to improve the survival of persons who have sustained a traumatic spinal cord injury.
Position: Associate Professor
Qualifications: BSc (PT), MSc (PT), PhD (UWC)
Prof Ennion worked as a clinician for seven years before entering academia. She graduated with her PhD from UWC in 2015 and has an advocatory approach to research. Her niche is lower limb prosthetic rehabilitation, specifically focused in rural settings. She is also interested in the prevention of lower limb amputation and improving access to assistive devices in general.
She supervises multiple postgraduate students and teaches on the undergraduate curriculum.
Qualifications: BSc (PT), MSc (PT), PhD (UWC)
Biography
Prof Liezel Ennion is an NRF rated researcher and full time permanent senior lecturer at the Department of Physiotherapy since 2012.Prof Ennion worked as a clinician for seven years before entering academia. She graduated with her PhD from UWC in 2015 and has an advocatory approach to research. Her niche is lower limb prosthetic rehabilitation, specifically focused in rural settings. She is also interested in the prevention of lower limb amputation and improving access to assistive devices in general.
She supervises multiple postgraduate students and teaches on the undergraduate curriculum.
Position: Contract lecturer
Qualifications: BSc (PT) (UWC), MSc (PT) (UWC)
Ms Gamiet started part-time clinical supervision of undergraduate students in 2003, and has been involved in undergraduate teaching since 2013. She is also involved in undergraduate and postgraduate (one Master's student) research supervision.
Her research interests include clinical reasoning and clinical education and physiotherapy education with regards to physical activity and exercise prescription for emerging health trends.
She is currently pursuing a PhD which aims to develop a framework for the inclusion of a behavioural medicine perspective in the undergraduate physiotherapy curriculum.
Qualifications: BSc (PT) (UWC), MSc (PT) (UWC)
Biography
Ms Shamila Gamiet is a full-time contract lecturer and the clinical coordinator in the Department of Physiotherapy. She joined the department in 2013 after 20 years of clinical experience having worked in the public and private sector, as well as in the USA.Ms Gamiet started part-time clinical supervision of undergraduate students in 2003, and has been involved in undergraduate teaching since 2013. She is also involved in undergraduate and postgraduate (one Master's student) research supervision.
Her research interests include clinical reasoning and clinical education and physiotherapy education with regards to physical activity and exercise prescription for emerging health trends.
She is currently pursuing a PhD which aims to develop a framework for the inclusion of a behavioural medicine perspective in the undergraduate physiotherapy curriculum.
Position: Lecturer
Qualifications: BSc (PT), MSc (PT) (UWC), PhD (UWC)
Dr Hess teaches at the undergraduate level and is involved in postgraduate research supervision. She has successfully completed the South African Regional FAIMER Institute (SAFRI) Fellowship in 2015 and is a current recipient of a Thuthuka NRF grant. Her research interests include clinical reasoning, evidence-based practice and physiotherapy education.
She graduated with a PhD in April 2022 - her thesis looks at the development of clinical reasoning in the undergraduate physiotherapy student.
Qualifications: BSc (PT), MSc (PT) (UWC), PhD (UWC)
Biography
Dr Danelle Hess (BSc Physiotherapy, MSc Physiotherapy [UWC], PhD [UWC]), is a lecturer in the Department of Physiotherapy. She joined the department after five years of clinical work (both public and private).Dr Hess teaches at the undergraduate level and is involved in postgraduate research supervision. She has successfully completed the South African Regional FAIMER Institute (SAFRI) Fellowship in 2015 and is a current recipient of a Thuthuka NRF grant. Her research interests include clinical reasoning, evidence-based practice and physiotherapy education.
She graduated with a PhD in April 2022 - her thesis looks at the development of clinical reasoning in the undergraduate physiotherapy student.
Position: Senior Lecturer
Qualifications: BSc (PT) (UCT), MSc (PT) (SU), PhD (SU)
She completed her PhD in 2018 entitled: Implementation and evaluation of a validated evidence-based physiotherapy protocol in a surgical ICU: A controlled before and after study.
She has been awarded prestigious bursaries from the National Research Foundation (Thuthuka) Fund, Harry Crossley Fund, Medical Research Council and the UWC UCDG Fund for her research and the South African Regional FAIMER Institute (SAFRI) Scholarship. She completed four majors in the Master's in Clinical Epidemiology Degree Programme at Stellenbosch University.
Dr Karachi’s primary research focus is in the area of intensive care and cardiopulmonary physiotherapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, ICU and cardiopulmonary and respiratory health care education, quality of life, quality care, evidence-based practice and implementation science. Her commitment to human capacity development is reflected in the number of Master’s (ten) supervised, her current involvement in supervising PhD students in her area of expertise and her academic activities in terms of teaching, learning and research.
Dr Karachi has a broad research methods skill base as her PhD included quantitative survey designs, systematic review, nominal group technique and an experimental trial as well as scoping review and qualitative research design used to complete additional Master’s projects linked to her PhD. She has published, as well as attended, participated and presented her research at local, national and international conferences in South Africa, Dubai, India, Australia and South Korea. Dr Karachi has developed collaborations in Belgium and Australia in her area of research.
She is currently supervising students as part of a neuroscience collaboration at UWC and has also collaborated with colleagues in nursing, occupational therapy, dietetics, natural medicine and IPEU in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences on collaborative post-graduate supervision and undergraduate teaching and learning activities. She is involved in research projects within the physiotherapy department and with colleagues from Stellenbosch University. Dr Karachi’s passion is physiotherapy research and promotion of the profession in intensive care.
Qualifications: BSc (PT) (UCT), MSc (PT) (SU), PhD (SU)
Biography
Dr Farhana Karachi is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Physiotherapy Department in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences at the University of the Western Cape. She has held the position of lecturer since 2006 until 2019, prior to this she was a senior physiotherapy clinician at Tygerberg Hospital, Physiotherapy Department.She completed her PhD in 2018 entitled: Implementation and evaluation of a validated evidence-based physiotherapy protocol in a surgical ICU: A controlled before and after study.
She has been awarded prestigious bursaries from the National Research Foundation (Thuthuka) Fund, Harry Crossley Fund, Medical Research Council and the UWC UCDG Fund for her research and the South African Regional FAIMER Institute (SAFRI) Scholarship. She completed four majors in the Master's in Clinical Epidemiology Degree Programme at Stellenbosch University.
Dr Karachi’s primary research focus is in the area of intensive care and cardiopulmonary physiotherapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, ICU and cardiopulmonary and respiratory health care education, quality of life, quality care, evidence-based practice and implementation science. Her commitment to human capacity development is reflected in the number of Master’s (ten) supervised, her current involvement in supervising PhD students in her area of expertise and her academic activities in terms of teaching, learning and research.
Dr Karachi has a broad research methods skill base as her PhD included quantitative survey designs, systematic review, nominal group technique and an experimental trial as well as scoping review and qualitative research design used to complete additional Master’s projects linked to her PhD. She has published, as well as attended, participated and presented her research at local, national and international conferences in South Africa, Dubai, India, Australia and South Korea. Dr Karachi has developed collaborations in Belgium and Australia in her area of research.
She is currently supervising students as part of a neuroscience collaboration at UWC and has also collaborated with colleagues in nursing, occupational therapy, dietetics, natural medicine and IPEU in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences on collaborative post-graduate supervision and undergraduate teaching and learning activities. She is involved in research projects within the physiotherapy department and with colleagues from Stellenbosch University. Dr Karachi’s passion is physiotherapy research and promotion of the profession in intensive care.
Position: Contract lecturer
Qualifications: BSc (PT) (UWC), MSc (PT - Cum Laude) (UWC)
She is working on her PhD proposal exploring the incidence of the traumatic spinal cord in paediatric patients.
Qualifications: BSc (PT) (UWC), MSc (PT - Cum Laude) (UWC)
Biography
Ms Vuyolwethu Madasa is an associate lecturer within the physiotherapy department, lecturing first to fourth year modules. Currently involved in clinical supervision of second and third year students.She is working on her PhD proposal exploring the incidence of the traumatic spinal cord in paediatric patients.
Position: Associate Professor
Qualifications: BSc (PT) (UWC), PhD (UWC), MSc (MEd) (UCT)
Currently, she is the undergraduate and postgraduate lecturer.
Her experience and interest focuses on the process of care of patients at the rehabilitation centres in the Western Cape. She developed a rehabilitation model that would be presented to the Department of Health as a model for the implementation of rehabilitation services. In addition, she has a strong focus on disability issues and identification of gaps within the delivery of services at different levels of healthcare.
Qualifications: BSc (PT) (UWC), PhD (UWC), MSc (MEd) (UCT)
Biography
Dr Nondwe Mlenzana is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiotherapy.Currently, she is the undergraduate and postgraduate lecturer.
Her experience and interest focuses on the process of care of patients at the rehabilitation centres in the Western Cape. She developed a rehabilitation model that would be presented to the Department of Health as a model for the implementation of rehabilitation services. In addition, she has a strong focus on disability issues and identification of gaps within the delivery of services at different levels of healthcare.
Position: Full Professor
Qualifications: BSc (PT), MSc (PT), PhD (UWC)
Her research focus is on the epidemiology, outcomes and experiences of living with a traumatic spinal cord injury. This research focus is not only limited to South Africa, but includes several other African countries such as Namibia, Zambia, Kenya and Rwanda. This research has led to the successful completion of a number of postgraduate students at both the Doctoral and Master's level in collaboration with so-supervisors in South Africa, Rwanda and Sweden.
In addition, to this focus, she is also interested in the scope of undergraduate physiotherapy education in terms of physical activity and exercise promotion and prescription for contemporary and emerging health trends. This interest has led to successfully obtaining research grants and collaboration with partners in Sweden.
Qualifications: BSc (PT), MSc (PT), PhD (UWC)
Biography
Prof Julie Phillips is a Professor in the Department of Physiotherapy and an NRF rated researcher.Her research focus is on the epidemiology, outcomes and experiences of living with a traumatic spinal cord injury. This research focus is not only limited to South Africa, but includes several other African countries such as Namibia, Zambia, Kenya and Rwanda. This research has led to the successful completion of a number of postgraduate students at both the Doctoral and Master's level in collaboration with so-supervisors in South Africa, Rwanda and Sweden.
In addition, to this focus, she is also interested in the scope of undergraduate physiotherapy education in terms of physical activity and exercise promotion and prescription for contemporary and emerging health trends. This interest has led to successfully obtaining research grants and collaboration with partners in Sweden.
Position: Lecturer
Qualifications: BSc (PT) (UWC), MSc (PT) (UWC)
Qualifications: BSc (PT) (UWC), MSc (PT) (UWC)
Biography
Ms Tammy-Lee Pretorius graduated with her MSc in Physiotherapy from UWC in 2019 (click HERE for her thesis) and she is now a permanent staff member of the Physiotherapy Department, under the n-Gap position.Position: Senior Lecturer
Qualifications: BSc (PT) (SU), MSc (PT) (UWC), PhD (UWC)
Dr Steyl’s primary research focus is in the area of health promotion in the prevention and management of risk factors for chronic diseases of lifestyle (CDL) amongst adolescents (risky behaviour) and the elderly (diabetes mellitus). Her research focus area is in line with a key focus area of the Western Cape Department of Health, as stated in the Health Care 2030 document, namely to improve healthy lifestyles. Furthermore, her commitment to the Primary Health Care (PHC) philosophy and community-based services is evident from her PhD: Designing and determining the effectiveness of a health promotion programme for clients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from an urban South African community.
Dr Steyl has published and presented her research at national and international conferences.
Qualifications: BSc (PT) (SU), MSc (PT) (UWC), PhD (UWC)
Biography
Dr Tania Steyl is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physiotherapy at UWC. She joined UWC in 2004 after being in private practice for 12 years. She is teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.Dr Steyl’s primary research focus is in the area of health promotion in the prevention and management of risk factors for chronic diseases of lifestyle (CDL) amongst adolescents (risky behaviour) and the elderly (diabetes mellitus). Her research focus area is in line with a key focus area of the Western Cape Department of Health, as stated in the Health Care 2030 document, namely to improve healthy lifestyles. Furthermore, her commitment to the Primary Health Care (PHC) philosophy and community-based services is evident from her PhD: Designing and determining the effectiveness of a health promotion programme for clients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from an urban South African community.
Dr Steyl has published and presented her research at national and international conferences.
Position: Lecturer
Qualifications: BSc (PT), MSc (PT) (UWC)
He completed his undergraduate degree in physiotherapy 2013, and then worked as a physiotherapist at Tygerberg Hospital for 2014. Tak Wing continued with his postgraduate studies and completed his Master’s Degree while working at the physiotherapy department in 2017.
He is now a PhD candidate at the physiotherapy department researching in the field of virtual reality.
Qualifications: BSc (PT), MSc (PT) (UWC)
Biography
Mr Tak Wing Yu Was born in China and immigrated to South Africa when he was seven years old. He is an Associate Lecturer in the physiotherapy department at the University of the Western Cape.He completed his undergraduate degree in physiotherapy 2013, and then worked as a physiotherapist at Tygerberg Hospital for 2014. Tak Wing continued with his postgraduate studies and completed his Master’s Degree while working at the physiotherapy department in 2017.
He is now a PhD candidate at the physiotherapy department researching in the field of virtual reality.
Administrative staff
Position: Undergraduate Administrator
She is the Undergraduate Administrator in the Department of Physiotherapy at UWC.
Biography
Ms Esmeralda Presens obtained a BAdmin and BCom Honours in Information Systems from the University of the Western Cape (UWC).She is the Undergraduate Administrator in the Department of Physiotherapy at UWC.
Position: Postgraduate Administrator
She is the Postgraduate Administrator in the Department of Physiotherapy at UWC.
Biography
Ms Marla Warner obtained a Higher Certificate in Economic Development from the University of the Western Cape (UWC).She is the Postgraduate Administrator in the Department of Physiotherapy at UWC.
