Dr Amanda Claassen-Smithers

Dr Amanda Claassen-Smithers is a Researcher Development Specialist in the Researcher Development Academy within the UCT Research Office, where she supports the advancement of scholarship in Africa through skills development training for researchers across all career stages.

Amanda is also a Registered Dietitian, with a BSc (Hons) in Dietetics from North-West University, along with Postgraduate Diplomas in Hospital Dietetics (University of Pretoria) and Health Economics (UCT). She also trained as a Sport Scientist, with a BSc(Med)(Hons) and a PhD in Exercise Science from UCT.  Her career spans academia, the public sector, and the private sector. She continues to contribute to teaching and research as an Affiliated Senior Lecturer in the Division of Physiological Sciences – Exercise Science & Sports Medicine and the HPALS Research Centre at UCT.  Her areas of interest and specialisation include sports nutrition, doping in sport, and the female athlete.