Research Lead & Senior Cognitive Rehabilitation Assistant

BSocSci, MSc, soon to be PhD

I hold a BSocSci in Psychology from the University of Cape Town and an MSc in Psychology from the University of Hertfordshire. Currently, I am pursuing a PhD in Psychology at the University of Reading. I also completed the Medical Neuroscience Course from Duke University.

I joined BIS Services in 2019 as a Cognitive Rehabilitation Assistant and, over the years, have gained extensive experience supporting individuals with brain injuries. In March 2024, I transitioned into my role as Research Lead, leading the first research project undertaken by The BIS evaluating the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation assistants in community-based goal attainment for individuals with traumatic brain injury, which will contribute to best practices in neurorehabilitation. As part of my commitment to professional development and knowledge dissemination, I mentor and supervise research assistants, guiding them through study design, data collection, and analysis.

 I have a specialist interest in the relationship between executive functioning and emotion regulation in brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases. I have delivered brain injury education workshops to clients and led cognitive strategy implementation training for CRAs to enhance rehabilitation outcomes. My passion for advancing neurorehabilitation is reflected in my published research, including a study on wayfinding impairments in TBI using virtual reality applications. I am particularly interested in how health technology can improve outcomes and promote independence for individuals with cognitive impairments.

Outside of work, I am an avid equestrian and have been riding for as long as I can remember, and was in fact riding ponies before I could walk! 

Fun fact: I represented South Africa in my junior years and now compete in eventing with my young horse, Sullivan.