UJ's Fatima Ismail becomes first female Associate Professor in Chiropractic in SA

• Professor Fatima Ismail has reached a milestone that no woman in her field has achieved before in South Africa
• The University of Johannesburg academic recently completed a PhD focusing on a gap in how musculoskeletal care is delivered
• Her promotion has drawn an outpouring of celebration from colleagues and community members across the country

A University of Johannesburg academic has carved her name into the history books after becoming the first woman in South Africa to be promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in Chiropractic.

Professor Fatima Ismail, who heads the Department of Chiropractic at UJ, received the promotion to widespread acclaim after years of dedicated research and leadership in her field. The university's Faculty of Health Sciences announced the milestone on Facebook, where it quickly drew warm congratulations from across the country.

Prof Ismail recently earned her PhD in Chiropractic, with research centred on designing and assessing an education intervention that responds to local context, aiming to improve how healthcare professionals work together to deliver patient-centred musculoskeletal care. Her academic interests span health professions education, culturally responsive curricula, interprofessional collaboration, and musculoskeletal healthcare.

Beyond her research, she holds several leadership positions within chiropractic education, accreditation, and research organisations, and has presented and published her work both locally and on international platforms. Her broader mission is to advance chiropractic education and ensure that health professions training in South Africa and the Global South is contextually relevant and inclusive.

See the original congratulatory post from UJ Health and Medical Professions:

The announcement on the Facebook page prompted an enthusiastic response online.

@Salma Amod wrote,

"Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉Congratulations 🎉❤️... wonderful."

@Farouk Araie from Benoni described it as:

"An achievement of immense proportions."

@Zaaheda Limbada added,

"Congratulations Fatima on your great achievement. May the Almighty take you from strength to strength. Aameen."

@Shalin Bidassey-Manilal simply said,

"Congratulations, Prof 🎉🎊🎈," while Nafeeza Ally wrote, "CONGRATULATIONS 🎊 ON YOUR AMAZING ACHIEVEMENT."

@Latiefa George offered a heartfelt blessing:

"Maa shaa Allah.. Congratulations.. May Allah swa grant great success and prosperity ameen." Joe Abrahams encouraged her to "continue to be an inspiration to yourself and others."

Prof Ismail's achievement holds particular significance in a profession where women in senior academic positions have historically been few. Her promotion signals a shift in what leadership in chiropractic education looks like in South Africa.

More on South African women breaking barriers

• Briefly News recently reported how Puseletso Mofokeng rose from a laboratory cleaner to become an Associate Professor after discovering a passion for science.
• Professor Naeemah Abrahams took South Africa’s femicide crisis to international audiences, warning about the safety fears facing women.
• Wits Professor Elhadi Adam was honoured with a prestigious NASA Group Achievement Award for his work on a major biodiversity project.

Source: Briefly News

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