Adjunct Prof Matty van Niekerk

Matty is the head of the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Witwatersrand, where she lectures on ethics, professionalism and the various legislation affecting it, labour law for occupational therapists at undergraduate level. At postgraduate level, she lectures on clinical reasoning in the field of psychiatric occupational therapy. She is responsible for coordinating postgraduate occupational therapy coursework as well as the MSc in Occupational Therapy applied to Psychiatry and is involved in postgraduate supervision of MSc OT students.

Matty has a keen interest in ethics and professional conduct, which forms a large part of her teaching in the department of occupational therapy. She holds an MScMed in Bioethics and Health Law. She chaired the Professional Standards Committee of the School of Therapeutic Sciences until 2021 and represented the OT department at the Faculty of Health Sciences’ Professional and Ethical Standards Committee until mid-2024. She obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education and Leadership from the Foundation for Professional Development (cum laude) in 2024.

As a researcher with an interest in qualitative research, she is co-chair of the Wits Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical). Matty's research interests lie in health professions education, ethics, professional conduct, occupational therapy practice management, the impact of legislation of general application to health care professionals as well as the regulation of health professions.