Extra-ordinary Lecturers  

SEMLI (Sport, Exercise Medicine and Lifestyle Institute)

Prof Martin Schwellnus (director)

Martin P. Schwellnus is a full professor of Sport and Exercise Medicine at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria in South Africa. He is also a specialist sports and exercise medicine physician who regularly consults with athletes of all levels. He holds an MBBCh from University of the Witwatersrand (cum laude), a M.Sc. (Med) from University of Cape Town, and an M.D. (equivalent to a PhD) degree from the University of Cape Town, and is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine as well as the International Sports Medicine Federation. Among the many other responsibilities he holds, Prof Schwellnus is the Director of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Research Center in South Africa, and the Director of a FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.  He is also a longstanding member of the IOC Medical Commission (Medical and Science group), and a member of the editorial board of a number of international journals including the British Journal of Sports Medicine. He has a specific interest in medical care of endurance athletes, and has been involved in clinical care and research at half-marathons, marathons, ultra-marathons, endurance cycling races and triathlons. He has published over 300 scientific journal articles.

https://www.up.ac.za/sport-exercise-medicine-and-lifestyle-institute

 

 Our extra-ordinary lecturers are the ones who fill the very important gaps. They extend our capacity with regards to our student's research and examination.

Extra-ordinary Professors

Prof Efraim Kramer

Prof Efraim Kramer is a Specialist Emergency Physician and Football Emergency Medicine educator and trainer, is an Extraordinary Professor within the Section: Sports Medicine at the University of Pretoria. Currently, he is the Tournament Medical Officer for the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018. He serves as a Special Advisor to the FIFA Medical Committee on Tournament Medical Services and likewise as a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) medical committee. He is an emergency physician consultant in the Emergency Department at the Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital in Vosloorus, south of Johannesburg. His special interest of research and education is Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Football and as such he presents the FIFA Football Emergency Medicine Workshop internationally in order to upskill football physicians and physiotherapists in the recognition and management of life threatening medical illness and injuries on the field of play.

Prof Babette Pluim

Babette Pluim is the doctor of the Royal Dutch Lawn Tennis Federation (KNLTB) and chairman of the Society of Tennis Medicine and Science (STMS). She is team doctor of the Dutch Davis Cup team and tournament doctor of ATP and WTA tournaments in ´s Hertogenbosch (Ordina Open) and Rotterdam (ABN-AMRO World Tennis Tournament). Pluim is member of the medical commission of the ITF, the medical commission wheelchair tennis of the ITF and the Health, Medical and Research Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). She is editor in chief of ´Medicine and Science in Tennis´ and of ´Geneeskunde and Sport´. In 1998 she promoted on research on the sport heart. Over the years Pluim has written several books, in collaboration with respected names in the field, on tennis, medicine and health.

Extra-ordinary Lecturers

Dr Louis Holtzhausen

Dr Louis Holtzhausen is a Sports Medicine Physician at Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital and Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill-Cornell Medical College in Qatar. He is the former head of the Division Sport and Exercise Medicine at the University of the Free State in South Africa. He holds a M Phil (Sports Medicine) from the University of Cape Town, a Fellowship of the Academy of Family Physicians of South Africa, a PhD in Health Professions Education and a Fellowship of the American College of Sports Medicine. His current special interests include sport related concussion management, undergraduate and graduate sports medicine education. Dr Holtzhausen has been team physician for many elite and professional sports teams for 25 years including athletics, rugby, cricket, hockey and the South African Olympic team. He is a past president, honorary and life member of the South African Sports Medicine Association. He introduced Exercise is Medicine® in South Africa and Africa.

 

Dr Martin Mpe

Dr Martin Mpe works as a private cardiologist at Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria. He is also a session cardiologist and acting HOD of the Heart Unit at 1 Military Hospital in Thaba-Tshwane where he assists in interventional cardiology and cardiac pacing, including cardiac resynchronization therapy and ICD implants. Dr Mpe has the qualifications of MBCHB, MMED (Internal Medicine), FCP - Fellowship of the College of Physicians and completed Cardiology training at the University of Pretoria (UP) in 2001. He is the President of the Heart Failure Society of South Africa, a member of the SA Hypertension Society, member and past Chairperson of the Education Committee of the SA Heart Association as well as a member and past Chairperson of the Aero Medical Committee of the SA Civil Aviation Authority. Dr Mpe is also an editorial board member of the Cardiovascular Journal of Africa as well as an examiner in the Cardiology exit examinations for the Colleges of Medicine in South Africa. 

 

Dr Rob Collins

Dr Rob Collins qualified as a doctor at the University of Witwatersrand in 1993 and began his career as a GP. He was in GP practice for 10 years before he studied Sports Medicine at the University of Pretoria. He completed his M.Sc. (Sports Medicine) in 2006 and went on to be a lecturer and examiner in the department, as well as an external examiner in Sports Medicine at Wits University. Rob has been the Golden Lions Super Rugby and Currie Cup senior team physician since 2010 season, and is part of the medical team for the MTN Qhubeka cycling team. He has been an Exco member of the South African Sports Medicine Association (SASMA) since 2010, and has been disciplinary tribunal member of the South African Institute for Drug Free Sport (SAIDS) since 2011. He is in private practice at The Centre for Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics (CSMO) in Rosebank.

 

Dr Lervesan Pillay

Dr Lee Pilay is a Specialist Sports Physician and is an Extra-ordinary Lecturer in the Section Sports Medicine of the University of Pretoria. Currently, he is the Team Physician for the Bizhub Highveld Lions, Medical Chairperson for the Gauteng Cricket Board, Consultant for Orlando Pirates FC, Free State Stars FC and Platinum Stars FC. He is also a member of the Therapeutic Use of Exemption Committee for SAIDS. Dr Pillay also serves as a consultant for Endurocad, MyPersonalTrainer and Emergency Medical Consulting. He is a preferred service provider for SASCOC and a member of the medical sub-committee for the PSL. He has been instrumental in the implementation of new rules and regulations governing medical cover on match days in the PSL and NFD. He does several radio, print and television interviews with regards to the field of Sports and Exercise Medicine. He has previously been the Head of Medical for Bidvestwits FC, the CMO for Daegu World Champs 2011, the CMO for Benin Africa Champs 2012 and the CMO for Angola AUSC Games 2016. He practices privately and Mediworx-s in Johannesburg South, Constantia Kloof Sports and Exercise Medicine Center in the Westrand and Wanderers Sports Medicine Center at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium. His passion is development sport and Long term athletic development, Regenerative medicine techniques, Exercise prescription as an adjunct in medical condition management and involved in many CPD/educational initiatives in helping to educate GP's and physiotherapists in the management of athletic related injuries and illness.

 

Dr Org Strauss

Dr Org Strauss obtained a MBChB and Research M Phil from the Free State University in 2003 and 2010 respectively. He attended a number of courses from 2006 – 2009 including International team physician courses in Pam Springs USA and Sandton, SA. He is a permanent Locum at Little Company of Mary casualties. His professional experience also included being team doctor for both the Free State University rugby club as well as the Cheetahs Rugby Union in various capacities from 2003 – 2008. He has been the team physician for the Blue Bulls Currie Cup and more specific the Vodacom Bulls Super Rugby side since 2009.

 

Dr Zanet Oschman

Dr Zanet Oschman holds the MB ChB, MSc Sports Medicine, and RDMS degrees, and runs a very successful ultrasonography practice at the Jacaranda Hospital, and has been involved with student training for a number of years. Through her ultrasonographic services she forms an integral part of our Sports Medicine Clinic.

 

 Dr Mark Velleman

Dr Mark Velleman obtained the MBChB degree from the University of Pretoria in 1987. He also holds a M.Med Rad D from the University of Pretoria and a FC Rad(SA) from the College of Medicine of South Africa. He served in various committees and was keynote speaker at a number of international congresses. He currently holds the position of Head of MR at a private Radiologist practice where he is a partner. He also serves as part-time consultant at the Department Radiology and Orthopaedics at UP. He is responsible for MSK imaging and MR info imaging of various amateur and professional sports teams. He is also a part time lecturer at the University of Pretoria, Departments of Radiology, Orthopaedics and at section Sports Medicine, and also involved in post graduate training. He is a founding and currently active member of SAMSIG, and has been involved in organising various musculoskeletal conferences and meetings. He has lectured at various radiological, orthopaedic and sports medicine meetings and has also published locally and internationally.

 

Dr Monja Human

Monja Human has been the Head of the Department of Sport Psychology at the High Performance Centre (hpc) since 2004. She works with both high performance and elite athletes on provincial, national and international level that participate in various sporting codes. She has been a guest lecturer in Department of Psychology for the Sport Psychology elective on the MA (Counselling Psychology) programme since 2004.

She completed her BA (1996); BA Honours (Psychology)(1997); MA (Counselling Psychology)(2001) degrees at the University of Pretoria. She also obtained her M Psych (Sport & Exercise Psychology)(2003) at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. Currently, she is enrolled for the PhD (Psychology) degree at the University of Pretoria. The title is of her doctoral thesis is "A Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) approach for performance development of cricket coaches in South Africa”.

 

Dr Philda de Jager

Dr Philda de Jager is a private Sports Medicine Practitioner in Pretoria She holds a MB ChB, DIP PNS, DASA Diving Medicine, BLS ACLS, BSc Med Hons Sport Med, Hyperbaric and Aviation Medicine qualifications. She has been practising general, sports and rehabilitation medicine for the past years. She qualified in sports medicine at UCT, and travelled as South African team physician to the Atlanta as well as the Sydney Olympic Games. She was a team member of the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games and Moscow Youth Games. She was also a member of the NOCSA Medical Commission and of the Ministerial Task Force on South African Sport, and headed the Sports Commission’s Medical Commission. Philda lectures part-time to MSc Sports Medicine students at the University of Pretoria, is an external examiner for the University of the North, and is active in aviation and diving medicine. She is a Past President of the South African Sports Medicine Association.

 

Jacqui McCord-Uys

Jacqui has worked as a physiotherapist in sport for the better part of her career being privileged to represent her country at the Olympic Games (Beijing), Common Wealth Games (Snr & Jnr), All Africa Games and on a number of occasions she has worked for teams in South Africa Rugby (SA Women's, 7's & Schools) & Soccer (SuperSport United). Jacqui has focused her career on sports physiotherapy and has a special interest in the groin area and taping. She is currently the head of the Medical team at SuperSport United FC.