10/04/2025
𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲
We proudly congratulate Prof. Christa Janse van Rensburg on her appointment as the new Director of the Sports Exercise Medicine and Lifestyle Institute (SEMLI) based at the hpc, under the Faculty of Health Sciences at UP.
"We—TuksSport, hpc, and —are excited about her new journey and look forward to working alongside one another," says Director & Acting CEO of hpc, Steven Ball.
A qualified rheumatologist is a founding member of the College of SEM in South Africa, Past President of the South African Sports Medicine Association (SASMA), and a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Her contributions extend globally, serving on committees for World Netball, FIFA, the International Tennis Federation, and the IOC World Conference (Monaco 2021 & 2024). She has also served as a Team Physician at the Olympic, Commonwealth, and All-African Games and as a Venue Medical Officer for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
With over 100 peer-reviewed publications, her DMed (PhD) research demonstrated the benefits of exercise for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Her research focuses on athlete travel, injuries, and illness across different sports.
"The athlete's biological clock will be influenced differently depending on the direction of travel. Flying west is usually easier, as it lengthens the day and implies that the body clock needs to be delayed. Flying east, however, shortens the day and therefore the body clock needs to be advanced, which is more problematic," says Prof. Janse van Rensburg.
