Out of sight, out of mind: the invisibility of female African athletes in SEM research. Ep #480

Today Brooke Patterson (@Knee_Howells) speaks with Dr Nonhlanhla Mkumbuzi (@DrNoeMkumbuzi). Dr Mkumbuzi is a physiotherapist, and completed her PhD in 2020 on the association of genetic risk factors with nociception and pain in chronic painful achilles and patellar tendinopathies. She is a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Cape Town. Dr Mkumbuzi shares some eye-opening experiences as head physiotherapist for Zimbabwe National Rugby Teams. We discuss her recent editorial (https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2021/05/10/bjsports-2021-104202) and the broad consideration of race, culture, gender, and economics in sport and exercise medicine. She shares some personal experience and advice for marginalised athletes, clinicians, and academics. Brooke discusses the opportunity to get involved in the BJSM global mentoring program (https://bjsm.bmj.com/pages/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/03/BJSM-Global-SEM-Mentoring-Program.pdf). Mentors can submit a short statement of interest with your areas of expertise to bjsmglobalmentoring@bmj.com. Mentees can submit a short description of the proposed study, and the specific areas you could use assistance.