Member: Prof Simone Titus
Institution: UWC
Simone Titus is an Associate Professor and Teaching and Learning specialist in the Interprofessional Education Unit in the Faculty of Community and Health Science at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. She graduated with a PhD in Education from the University of Cape Town where she developed an interest in the use of emerging technologies as a tool to mediate learning. Her special research interests are focused on game-based learning and using emerging technologies to foster cross cultural interaction, learning, and engagement in higher education. She is currently the recipient of the Black Academic Advancement Programme where her specific research focus is on the use of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality on Health Sciences Education. She is the current Chairperson of the Western Cape Region Branch of the Southern African Association of Heath Educationists (SAAHE). Simone may be contacted on: sititus@uwc.ac.za
Member: Lizel Hudson
Institution: Cape Peninsula University
Lizel Hudson is the Work-Integrated Learning and Language Coordinator in the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Her research interests include health professions education and in particular knowledge building in simulated learning environments and understanding threshold concepts in professional education. Lizel is currently participating in the Teaching Advancements at University Fellowships Programme where her project focuses on smart student engagement and a holistic experience towards student success. Professional affiliations include National Council member of the Southern African Association of Health Educationalists (SAAHE) and Evaluator for the Health Professional Council of South Africa (HPCSA). As an emerging scholar establishing her footprint in health sciences and higher education, her research outputs include journal articles, national and international conference presentations; as well as postgraduate supervision and theses examinations. She loves being outdoors and spending time with her family.
Member: Dr Lee-Ann Jacobs-Nzuabi Khaubi
Institution: Stellenbosch University
Dr Lee-Ann Jacobs-Nzuzi Khuabi is a senior lecturer in the Division of Occupational Therapy. She holds a Bachelors degree in Occupational Therapy (UCT), Masters in Public Health – Health Economics (UCT) and a PHD in Occupational Therapy (SU). Her current research foci in the domain of teaching and learning include: developing innovative ways in teaching to improve upon the competencies of graduates to optimise the relevancy and responsiveness of service delivery; curriculum development using a collaborative approach and the exploration of transformative learning as a pedagogy to inform the curriculum activities of undergraduate health science programmes. She has completed the SU SoEL short course and is a registered student in the SU MPhil HPE programme. She also a member of SAAHE WC Chapter and fulfils the role as secretary and events co-co-ordinator.
Additional research foci include the use of service user perspectives to improve upon the rehabilitation and participatory outcomes of clients with acquired and progressive neurological conditions. This includes the mapping of access to care and the identification of the enablers and barriers to service provision.
Member: Dr Lisa Graham
Institution: Cape Peninsula University
Dr Lisa Graham is a Senior Lecturer and the Extended Curriculum Programme Coordinator in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Dr Graham holds a PhD in immunology from the University of Cape Town and her research interests include innate immunity, infectious diseases and cardiometabolic health. Dr Graham’s research has been published a number of international journals and has been presented at national and international conferences. She is currently a member of the SAMRC Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit at CPUT where she actively supervises postgraduate students. Dr Graham is a passionate lecturer and in 2019 was awarded the Department of Biomedical Sciences’ Excellence in Teaching Award. In addition, Dr Graham is the director of iMed Africa, an NGO which focusses on holistic health education in the rural Overberg communities. She strives for social and emotional upliftment of all.
Member: Dr Amaal Abrahams
Institution: University of Cape Town
Dr Amaal Abrahams is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Human Biology at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She has trained predominantly in the areas of cell biology and biochemistry. She obtained an undergraduate degree in molecular biology and a PhD from the Department of Medical Biochemistry at UCT. Following her PhD, Dr Abrahams took up a postdoctoral position at the University of Rennes in France and in 2009 she returned to South Africa as a postdoctoral fellow where she joined the Department of Human Biology at UCT. In 2012 based on her research expertise, she received the highly competitive Hasso Plattner Foundation research fellowship which is awarded to outstanding emerging young basic or clinical scientists. While Dr Abrahams continues to have a great interest in basic research, the balance has slowly shifted towards medical education. The opportunity to teach and mentor students at both an undergraduate and postgraduate level has led her to complete a postgraduate diploma in Health Professional Education. In the last few years, her research has focused on the development of formative assessments, academic student support programmes and innovative formative learning tools to enhance students’ understanding of anatomy and physiology. Dr Abrahams has received numerous outstanding awards and prestigious scholarships. In 2018 she was awarded the Faculty of Health Sciences’ Excellence in Teaching Award which recognises outstanding teaching that encourages and supports students’ academic development. Her research has been published in numerous high impact international journals and has been presented at national and international conferences.
Member: Kanita Brits
Institution: Stellenbosch University
Ms Kanita Brits, graduated from North-West University (BSc Consumer Science) and UNISA (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) and completed her PGDip in Educational Technology at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She is a blended learning advisor in the CHPE. Her key focus areas include working with subject matter experts to conceptualise, plan and design interactive instructional materials for traditional-led courses as well as web-based learning with the aim to integrate a blended approach and better facilitate teaching and learning within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. She completed her MPhil in Health Professions Education (Stellenbosch University).
Member: Dr Danelle Hess
Institution: UWC
Danelle Hess (BSc Physiotherapy, MSc Physiotherapy, PhD Physiotherapy [UWC]) is a lecturer in the Department of Physiotherapy. After five years of clinical work (both public and private), she joined the department. She teaches at the undergraduate level and is involved in postgraduate research supervision. She completed the South African Regional FAIMER Institute (SAFRI) Fellowship in 2015 and is a member of the Western Cape Chapter of the Southern African Association of Health Educationalists (SAAHE). Her research interests include clinical reasoning, evidence-based practice and physiotherapy education. Her PhD thesis looked at the development of clinical reasoning in the undergraduate physiotherapy student.
Member: A/Professor Elize Archer
Institution: Stellenbosch University
A/Prof Elize Archer is from the University of Stellenbosch, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. She works in the Centre for Health Professions Education and is also the Head of the Simulation and Clinical Skills Unit. Her PhD focused on patient-centrendness and since then most of her research has been focusing on the communication between health care practitioners and their patients. Her other interests are the teaching, learning and assessment of clinical skills as well as how feedback and clinical supervision are done in the various undergraduate programmes.
Member: Dr Ronel Maart
Institution: UWC
Ronel Maart is a well-rounded clinician and academic with extensive experience in the private and public health sector. Her research interest areas: health professions education, curriculum design, programme accreditation and competency -based education. She completed the SAFRI (Southern African Faimer Region Institute) fellowship and a member of the SAFRI- faculty. For the SAAHE 2021 conference, she was part of the local organising and scientific committee. She is member of SAAHE, serves of their national executive of the Research SIG committee and Western Cape Chapter. Her scholarly contributions include local, international conference presentations and publications in national and international journals.