Sonti Pilusa

A Lecturer in the Physiotherapy Department at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa since 2014 January. Sonti’s area of lecturing is public health and community physiotherapy. She holds an PhD in Physiotherapy, an MSc in Public Health and a Bachelor’s Degree in Physiotherapy. Her PhD research focused on preventive care in authors with spinal cord injury. The study explored contextual factors influencing prevention care for secondary health conditions among authors with spinal cord injury. Her study found that preventing secondary health conditions was challenging for authors with spinal cord injury and is influenced by multiple interconnected biopsychosocial factors. The study findings informed the development of a patient-centered prevention care model. This model emphasizes putting the patient at the center of care and facilitating access to health care and rehabilitation throughout the lifespan of individuals with spinal cord injury. Sonti’s research interest areas include health promotion and issues that affect authors with disabilities e.g. health outcomes for authors with disabilities and barriers experienced by authors with disabilities that contribute to restriction in community participation. Her other growing interest is strengthening service delivery for chronic disease care, implementation science, and M&E. She is passionate about disability studies focusing on health promotion and preventative care for authors with disabilities. Her career goal is to conduct impactful research and support rehabilitation care.