Miss Eileen Du Plooy

Eileen Du Plooy is a researcher in occupational therapy and rehabilitation sciences whose work spans occupational science, injury rehabilitation, and educational innovation in higher education. Her scholarship reflects a strong focus on human occupation, adaptation, and functional recovery across clinical and academic contexts, with contributions grounded in Southern African health and social systems.

Her recent research explores personalized adaptive learning in higher education, highlighting its influence on student engagement and academic performance. In occupational science, she has examined how therapists adapted during the COVID-19 crisis, advancing conceptual understandings of occupational adaptation, disengagement, and occupational exhaustion. This work demonstrates methodological breadth, including scoping reviews and Q-methodology.

Clinical studies on traumatic brain injury, return-to-work outcomes after road traffic injuries, and functional recovery following hand surgery underscore her expertise in rehabilitation outcomes and vocational reintegration. Across these publications, Du Plooy emphasizes functional participation, contextual risk factors, and evidence-informed strategies to improve recovery trajectories and support sustainable return to meaningful occupation.