School of Medicine


Showing 1-50 of 132 Results

  • Urs Naber

    Urs Naber

    Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatrics - Critical Care

    BioDr. Naber is an attending in pediatric critical care medicine at Valley Children's Hospital. His research focuses on value based development of medical technology for every part of the patient care chain.

  • Helen Nadel

    Helen Nadel

    Clinical Professor, Radiology - Pediatric Radiology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsClinical research and scholarly interests include topics in Pediatric Nuclear Medicine to include AI evaluation for scintigraphic quantitation, PET MR evaluation of optimized techniques for use in pediatric patient management

  • Ronjon Nag

    Ronjon Nag

    Winter CSP Instructor

    BioRonjon Nag is an inventor, teacher and entrepreneur. He is an Adjunct Professor in Genetics at the Stanford School of Medicine, becoming a Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute Fellow in 2016. He teaches AI, Genes, Ethics, Longevity Science and Venture Capital. He is a founder and advisor/board member of multiple start-ups and President of the R42 Group, a venture capital firm which invests in, and creates, AI and Longevity companies. As an AI pioneer of smartphones and app stores, his companies have been sold to Apple, BlackBerry, and Motorola. More recently he has worked on the intersection of AI and Biology. He has been awarded the IET Mountbatten Medal by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the 2021 IEEE-SCV Outstanding Engineer Award, the $1m Verizon Powerful Answers Award, the 2023 COX AI Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2023 MIT Great Dome Award, and is the 2024 Inductee in the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame. Professor Nag has a Ph.D from Cambridge, an M.S from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.Sc. from Birmingham in the UK. He has numerous interests in the intersection of AI and Healthcare including being CEO of Agemica.ai working on creating a vaccine for aging.

    He has many firsts including:

    Firsts:

    • First laptop with speech recognition built-in (with Apricot, 1984)
    • First selling cursive handwriting recognition (with Lexicus, 1991)
    • First speech recognition phones (with Lexicus/Motorola, 1996)
    • First large-vocabulary Chinese speech recognition (with Lexicus/Motorola, 1996)
    • First Chinese predictive text system on a phone (Lexicus/Motorola, 1997)
    • First predictive text systems in 40 languages on Motorola phones, (Lexicus/Motorola, 1997)
    • First touch screen mobile phone with handwriting recognition (Lexicus/Motorola, 1999)
    • First combined mobile search engine and directory (with Cellmania, 2000)
    • First private label downloadable operator billable apps store (Cellmania, 2000)
    • First BlackBerry Operator Billing apps store (Cellmania,2010)
    • First Neural Network Artificial Intelligence System in the Cloud (Ersatz Labs, 2014)
    • First Throwable 360 Ball Camera (Bounce Imaging, 2015)
    • First Android powered smart light switch (Brightswitch 2017)
    • First blood pressure watch with temperature and pulse oximetry add-ons for Back to Work Covid Kit (GTCardio 2019)
    • First no code AI life sciences app store (Superbio.ai 2022)
    • First proposal for an aging vaccine (Agemica 2023)

  • Claude M. Nagamine, DVM, PhD

    Claude M. Nagamine, DVM, PhD

    Associate Professor of Comparative Medicine

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMouse models to study murine and human infectious diseases. These colloborative studies include dengue virus, zika virus, adeno-associated virus, coxsackie virus, enterovirus 71, enterohepatic helicobacters, campylobacters, and anaplasma.

  • Seema Nagpal, MD

    Seema Nagpal, MD

    Clinical Professor, Neurology & Neurological Sciences
    Clinical Professor (By courtesy), Neurosurgery

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI'm a board certified neuro-oncologist who treats both primary brain tumors as well as metastatic disease to the brain and nervous system. My research concentrates on clinical trials for patients with late-stage central nervous system cancer. I have a special interest in leptomeningeal disease, a devastating complication of lung and breast cancers. I collaborate with Stanford scientists to detect this disease earlier, and with our breast and lung oncologists to improve outcomes for patients.

  • Hetanshi Naik

    Hetanshi Naik

    Associate Professor (Teaching) of Genetics

    BioHetanshi Naik is an Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics and the Research Director of the MS Program in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling. She is a board certified genetic counselor and clinical researcher with clinical expertise in the inborn errors of heme biosynthesis, the Porphyrias, lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs), and pharmacogenomics, and research expertise in clinical trials, patient reported outcomes (PROs), qualitative methods, and study design.

    Her research interests include developing and evaluating PROs for genetic disorders and genomics, in particular assessing PROs as outcomes for clinical trials, pharmacogenomics implementation, and genetic counseling education and processes, as well as utilizing digital health technologies to improve clinical care, genetic counseling, patient reporting, trial efficacy, and outcomes.

  • Hiromitsu (Hiro) Nakauchi

    Hiromitsu (Hiro) Nakauchi

    Professor of Genetics (Stem Cell)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsTranslation of discoveries in basic research into practical medical applications

  • Shweta S. Namjoshi MD MPH

    Shweta S. Namjoshi MD MPH

    Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatrics - Gastroenterology

    Current Research and Scholarly Interests1. The mission of the International Intestinal Failure Registry (IIFR) is to provide the international intestinal rehabilitation and transplant community with accurate data on the outcomes and course of intestinal failure to support research, quality improvement, and policy development. https://tts.org/irta-registries/irta-ifr

    2. NCT05241444 is the first-in-human, Phase 1 clinical trial will test the feasibility of the manufacturing and the safety of the administration of CD4^LVFOXP3 in up to 36 evaluable human participants with IPEX and evaluate the impact of the CD4^LVFOXP3 infusion on the disease.

    3. Stanford's local Intestinal Failure Registry (SIFR) ensures ongoing assessment and improvement of intestinal failure outcomes and care provided at Stanford in collaboratiton with the Division of Pediatric Surgery. This registry focuses on clinical outcomes and social developmental outcomes for patients with short bowel syndrome, pediatric CODEs, and pseudoobstruction.

  • Sandy Napel

    Sandy Napel

    Professor of Radiology (Integrative Biomedical Imaging Informatics), Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research seeks to advance the clinical and basic sciences in radiology, while improving our understanding of biology and the manifestations of disease, by pioneering methods in the information sciences that integrate imaging, clinical and molecular data. A current focus is on content-based radiological image retrieval and integration of imaging features with clinical and molecular data for diagnostic, prognostic, and therapy planning decision support.

  • Saisindhu Narala, MD, MAS

    Saisindhu Narala, MD, MAS

    Clinical Assistant Professor, Dermatology
    Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology

    BioDr. Narala completed her dermatology residency at the University of Texas at Houston and MD Anderson Cancer Center. She then completed a fellowship in dermatopathology at Stanford. Her clinical interests include general medical dermatology, dermatology in skin of color, and pigmentary disorders. She also has an interest in medical education.

  • Ramsudha Narala

    Ramsudha Narala

    Clinical Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology

    BioDr. Ramsudha Narala is a board certified ophthalmologist who specializes in vitreoretinal surgery and ocular oncology. Dr. Narala grew up in Fresno, California and following high school, she attended the 8 year combined undergraduate-medical school program at Saint Louis University in Saint Louis, Missouri.

    After medical school, she completed her ophthalmology residency at Kresge Eye Institute in Detroit, MI, where she received the best resident teacher award and highest resident ophthalmic knowledge assessment program exam score award. She then joined the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California for a 2 year vitreoretinal surgery fellowship where she was elected chief vitreoretinal surgery fellow. Following completion of vitreoretinal surgery fellowship, she pursued an advanced training fellowship in ocular oncology at Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University.

    Dr. Narala has authored many peer-reviewed scientific publications and textbook chapters on vitreoretinal diseases and ocular oncology. She is also dedicated to education and teaching medical students, residents, and fellows.

    Dr. Narala's clinical practice is mainly based at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.

  • Amrita Narang

    Amrita Narang

    Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatrics - Gastroenterology

    BioMy clinical and research interests are in neonatal cholestatic liver diseases, including biliary atresia and fatty liver disease. I'm also highly experienced in liver transplant care, with a particular focus on teen and transition of care.

    In addition to my clinical and research work, I'm deeply committed to medical education and patient education. I believe that knowledge is power, and I strive to empower my patients and their families with the resources and information they need to make informed decisions about their care.

    As a physician, I'm dedicated to providing the highest level of care to my patients and their families. I believe that every child deserves the best possible chance at a healthy and fulfilling life, and I'm honored to play a role in helping them achieve that goal.

  • Diana Naranjo

    Diana Naranjo

    Clinical Professor, Pediatrics - Endocrinology and Diabetes
    Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development

    BioAs a licensed clinical psychologist working in diabetes and Cystic Fibrosis clinics for the past 10 years, Dr. Naranjo focuses on the psychosocial needs of patients and families with diabetes and CF. Through clinical research, she aims to understand barriers and facilitators to diabetes self-management, how families and individuals with diabetes respond to health technology, and how to best provide services that engage youth and their families. She is a member of the Stanford Diabetes Research Center.

  • Sanjiv Narayan

    Sanjiv Narayan

    Professor of Medicine (Cardiovascular Medicine)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Narayan directs the Computational Arrhythmia Research Laboratory, whose goal is to define the mechanisms underlying complex human heart rhythm disorders, to develop bioengineering-focused solutions to improve therapy that will be tested in clinical trials. The laboratory has been funded continuously since 2001 by the National Institutes of Health, AHA and ACC, and interlinks a disease-focused group of clinicians, computational physicists, bioengineers and trialists.

  • Aussama Nassar, MD, MSc,FACS, FRCSC

    Aussama Nassar, MD, MSc,FACS, FRCSC

    Clinical Associate Professor, Surgery - General Surgery

    BioDr. Nassar is board-certified in both General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care in the United States and Canada, underscoring his exceptional expertise in these fields. He holds a Master of Science in Health Science Education from McMaster University, Canada, further solidifying his strong academic foundation.

    Currently, Dr. Nassar serves as the inaugural Director of the Emergency General Surgery Service and the Director of the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Program at Stanford University. He is also the founder and director of the Surgery Resident Coaching Program. With over 12 years of clinical and academic experience at premier tertiary care referral centers across North America, Dr. Nassar brings unparalleled knowledge and leadership to his roles.

    Dr. Nassar's clinical interests include trauma, acute care surgery, critical care, and a particular focus on abdominal wall reconstruction. As a dedicated clinician-educator, he is a certified simulation educator and serves as a course director for ATLS and ASSET programs. His research is centered on advancing surgical education, with an emphasis on fostering the development of non-technical skills in surgical training.

    In addition to his educational initiatives, Dr. Nassar is actively engaged in developing innovative assessment tools for surgical trainees and addressing burnout among physicians and healthcare professionals. With a strong national and international presence, Dr. Nassar continues to shape the future of surgical education and healthcare delivery through his leadership, research, and advocacy.

  • Kalpana Isabel Nathan

    Kalpana Isabel Nathan

    Adjunct Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    BioKalpana Nathan, MD is an adjunct clinical professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine. After completion of residency and research fellowship at Stanford, she served 4 years at the San Francisco General Hospital/UCSF, gaining experience in the areas of substance use, HIV and public health. She worked at Palo Alto VA for more than a couple of decades. She served as chief medical director at Mental Health and Addiction services, El Camino Health for two and a half years, and is a certified physician executive. She has worked and taught in various settings, both inpatient and outpatient, as well as private and public sectors. She is board certified in General, Addiction and Forensic Psychiatry, as well as Lifestyle Medicine. Her interests include wellness and self-care for physicians, women's health, health creation and resiliency building for the community. She is a certified meditation teacher, has completed sprint and Olympic triathlons, and enjoys traveling around the world. She received the outstanding community clerkship preceptor award in 2010 and the Arthur L. Bloomfield Award in Recognition of Excellence in the Teaching of Clinical Medicine in 2015 at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

    Recent Publications:
    1. Tran BX, Nguyen TT, Boyer L, Fond G, Auquier P, Nguyen HSI,Ha Thi Nhi Tran HTN, Nguyen HM, Choi J, Le HT, Latkin CA, Nathan KI, Husain SF, et al: Differentiating people with schizophrenia from healthy controls in a developing country: An evaluation of portable functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) as an adjunct diagnostic tool. Frontiers of Psychiatry 2023 Jan 26; vol 14

    2. Tatum, J, Nathan, K: The USA. Lancet Psychiatry 2021, 8(5):365-366

    3. Nathan N & Nathan KI: Suicide, Stigma, and Utilizing Social Media Platforms to Gauge Public Perceptions. Front. Psychiatry 2020 January 13

    4. Tran BX, Nathan KI, Phan HT, Hall BJ, Vu GT et al: A Global Bibliometric Analysis of Services for Children Affected by HIV/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: Implications for Impact Mitigation Programs (GAPRESEARCH). AIDS Rev. 2019 Oct 3;21(3).

    5.Lee A, Nathan KI: Understanding Psychosis in a Veteran With a History of Combat and Multiple Sclerosis. Fed Pract. 2019 Jun;36(Suppl 4):S32-S35.

    6. Tran BX, Ha GH, Vu GT, Nguyen LH, Latkin CA, Nathan K, McIntyre RS, Ho CS, Tam WW, Ho RC: Indices of Change, Expectations, and Popularity of Biological Treatments for Major Depressive Disorder between 1988 and 2017: A Scientometric Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Jun 26;16(13)

  • Yasodha Natkunam, M.D., Ph.D

    Yasodha Natkunam, M.D., Ph.D

    Ronald F. Dorfman, MBBch, FRCPath Professor of Hematopathology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research interests focus on the identification and characterization of markers of diagnostic and prognostic importance in hematolymphoid neoplasia.

  • Vaidehi Natu

    Vaidehi Natu

    Physical Sci Res Scientist

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Vaidehi Natu is a developmental neuroscientist. Her research program aims to study how the human brain matures from infancy to adulthood, as it acquires new life skills and behaviors: What are the origins of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of brain development during infancy? How does the trajectory of neural mechanisms unfold during development, as school-aged children acquire complex skills such as reading or face recognition? What are some of the parallels in brain development across primate species? What changes occur in the brain in developmental disorders such as autism, multiple sclerosis, and dyslexia?

    She uses a multi-modal approach by combining various neuroimaging techniques including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), quantitative MRI (qMRI), and diffusion MRI (dMRI) as well as behavioral observations, histology, comparative methods across humans and macaques, and intracranial electroencephalography. Combining complementary techniques provides a unified understanding of how the brain’s anatomy, function, and behavior co-develop to achieve complex human skills.

  • Manchula Navaratnam

    Manchula Navaratnam

    Clinical Professor, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine

    BioDr. Manchula Navaratnam is a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at Stanford University, specializing in Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia. With over 16 years of expertise in the perioperative care of pediatric patients with complex cardiac conditions, Dr. Navaratnam serves as the anesthesiology lead for pediatric cardiac transplantation, ventricular assist devices, single ventricle physiology and perioperative hemostasis management.
    Dr. Navaratnam’s research includes pivotal work on left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral (LVOT VTI) as a measure of ventricular function, now widely utilized at Stanford Children’s Hospital. Dr Navaratnam has led multidisciplinary clinical studies to improve care for single ventricle physiology patients, developed standardized pathways for perioperative hemostasis management, and recently contributed to an FDA-funded multicenter trial investigating pulse oximetry accuracy in congenital heart disease patients with darker skin tones.
    As a dedicated mentor and educator, Dr. Navaratnam founded and directs the Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia Learning (PCAL) workshop for fellows nationwide and leads Stanford’s undergraduate course, “Mending a Broken Heart.” Dr Navaratnam's mentorship has supported numerous trainees and collaborators, resulting in award-winning presentations and impactful research contributions. Dr. Navaratnam is an associate editor for Pediatric Anesthesia, an active peer reviewer for leading journals, a coach and board member for the Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia Society, and an active contributor to national committees and task forces advancing faculty development and the field of pediatric cardiac anesthesia.
    Dr. Navaratnam's mission is providing exceptional and compassionate patient care while training the next generation of leaders in the field.

  • Ashwin K Nayak

    Ashwin K Nayak

    Clinical Assistant Professor, Medicine

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsConversational AI, Large Language Models, Digital Therapeutics

  • Jayakar V. Nayak, MD, PhD

    Jayakar V. Nayak, MD, PhD

    Associate Professor of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery (OHNS) and, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsUpper Airway Stem Cell Biology, Fate, and Repair/Regeneration of the Airway Epithelium to treat Upper and Lower Airway Disorders

  • Rosamond Naylor

    Rosamond Naylor

    William Wrigley Professor, Professor of Environmental Social Sciences, Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute, at the Freeman Spogli Institute and Professor, by courtesy, of Economics and of Earth System Science

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch Activities:
    My research focuses on the environmental and equity dimensions of intensive food production systems, and the food security dimensions of low-input systems. I have been involved in a number of field-level research projects around the world and have published widely on issues related to climate impacts on agriculture, distributed irrigation systems for diversified cropping, nutrient use and loss in agriculture, biotechnology, aquaculture and livestock production, biofuels development, food price volatility, and food policy analysis.

    Teaching Activities:
    I teach courses on the world food economy, food and security, aquaculture science and policy, human society and environmental change, and food-water-health linkages. These courses are offered to graduate and undergraduate students through the departments of Earth System Science, Economics, History, and International Relations.

    Professional Activities:
    William Wrigley Professor of Earth Science (2015 - Present); Professor in Earth System Science (2009-present); Director, Stanford Center on Food Security and the Environment (2005-2018); Associate Professor of Economics by courtesy (2000-present); William Wrigley Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Woods Institute for the Environment (2007-2015); Trustee, The Nature Conservancy CA program (2012-present); Member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Beijer Institute for Ecological Economics in Stockholm (2011-present), for the Aspen Global Change Institute (2011-present), and for the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program (2012-present); Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow in Environmental Science and Public Policy (1999); Pew Fellow in Conservation and the Environment (1994). Associate Editor for the Journal on Food Security (2012-present). Editorial board member for Aquaculture-Environment Interactions (2009-present) and Global Food Security (2012-present).

  • Rahim Nazerali, MD, MHS, FACS

    Rahim Nazerali, MD, MHS, FACS

    Clinical Associate Professor, Surgery - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

    BioDr. Nazerali specializes in complex reconstruction, microsurgery, and aesthetic and cosmetic surgery. He excels at breast reconstruction using free autologous tissue and performs advanced techniques such as the minimally invasive superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA) flap, as well as the deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap procedure. In addition to autologous reconstruction, Dr. Nazerali utilizes the latest techniques in implant-based breast reconstruction. His techniques and results have made him a leading instructor and lecturer at national and international institutions, societies and conferences.

    In addition to breast reconstruction, Dr. Nazerali performs both aesthetic as well as whole body reconstructive procedures. He has a busy aesthetic practice focusing on breast augmentation, face and body rejuvenation as well as body contouring. In his reconstructive practice, he specializes in abdominal wall reconstruction as well as post-trauma tissue transfers. For every patient in his care, his goal is to optimize restoration of both form and function.

    To help advance the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery, Dr. Nazerali conducts research into outcomes of breast reconstruction, augmentation, and reduction. Dr. Nazerali has published widely: well over 100 journal articles and conference proceedings. Topics include breast reconstruction after radiation; advances in surgical technique; and, the use of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality systems in plastic surgery practice and education. His work has appeared in Annals of Plastic Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Surgery, the European Journal of Plastic Surgery, the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, and elsewhere.

    Dr. Nazerali focuses not only on improving his patient’s lives but also our ability to deliver care as an institution. He is on the Medical Executive Council at Stanford Healthcare, serves as a committee member in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons as well as the California Society of Plastic Surgeons. In his spare time, he volunteers his time to provide reconstructive surgical services to adults and children in need worldwide.


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  • Joel Neal, MD, PhD

    Joel Neal, MD, PhD

    Professor of Medicine (Oncology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI am a thoracic oncologist who cares for patients with non-small cell lung cancer, malignant mesothelioma, and other thoracic malignancies. I design and conduct clinical trials of novel therapies in collaboration with other researchers and pharmaceutical companies. These generally focus on two areas, 1) targeted therapies against particular mutations in cancers (for example EGFR, ALK, ROS1, HER2, KRAS, MET, and others) and 2) the emerging field of immunotherapy in cancer, using anti PD-1/PD-L1 therapies in combination with other agents, and also developing cellular therapies. I also collaborate with other researchers on campus to apply emerging technologies to cancer therapy, for example, circulating tumor DNA detection. Additionally, in my role as the Cancer Center IT Medical Director, I coordinate projects relating to our use of the electronic health record to improve provider efficiency and facilitate patient care.

  • Lindsey Negrete

    Lindsey Negrete

    Clinical Assistant Professor, Radiology

    BioStanford University, BS 2010
    Brown University, MD 2015
    Scripps Transitional Year, Intern
    University of California San Diego, Residency

  • Robert Negrin

    Robert Negrin

    Professor of Medicine (Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur labaratory focuses on the study of immune recognition by T and NK cells with special emphasis on graft vs host disease and graft vs tumor reactions. We utilize both murine and human systems in an effort to enhance graft vs tumor reactions while controlling graft vs host disease. We have developed bioluminescence models in collaboration with the Contag laboratory to study the trafficking of immune effector cells with a special emphasis on NK, T and regulatory T cells.

  • Liesl Nel-Themaat, PhD, HCLD, MBA

    Liesl Nel-Themaat, PhD, HCLD, MBA

    Clinical Associate Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology - Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility

    BioDr. Nel-Themaat has been in the field of assisted reproduction for more than 20 years, with the past 11 years in clinical IVF. She possesses a unique combination of a strong academic background, broad technical experience and extensive leadership, and management training. Through a multi-dimensional approach, she has helped to improve patient care and outcomes in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).
    Dr. Nel-Themaat was most recently employed as the Regional IVF Lab Director for Shady Grove Fertility in Colorado and served as the IVF Lab Director at University of Colorado Advanced Reproductive Medicine. She received her PhD from LSU, Baton Rouge and recently completed an Executive Masters of Business Administration program at the University of Denver.

    Her goal is to advance the field “by building strong, high performing lab teams, by carefully evaluating and adapting appropriately to industry trends, by training and educating the current and next generations, and by participating in collaborative research that enhances our understanding of reproduction.”
    In her free time, Dr. Nel-Themaat loves to spend time with her husband and two children, preferably in nature. With them, she enjoys skiing, hiking, biking, swimming and anything nature has to offer. She likes to cook out and introduce our American friends to South African cuisine, especially a “braai,” which is their version of a BBQ. During school holidays, she likes to visit family in South Africa, go on safari and enjoy the beautiful beaches. Dr. Nel-Themaat enjoys jamming on the piano, guitar, drums and microphone with her family. She also considers herself very competitive and loves playing and watching sports or playing board games.