Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Maike van Niekerk

BScN


DPhil in Psychiatry Student

Improving the psychiatric interventions for vulnerable patient populations

Maike is completing her DPhil in Psychiatry at the University of Oxford as a member of the Oxford Psychological Medicine research team.

She is originally from Canada, where she completed an oncology-focused Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Dalhousie University. Throughout Maike’s undergraduate degree, she has been a strong advocate for improving the overall psychological well-being of cancer patients. She is the founder of Katrin’s Karepackage, an award-winning charitable program that offsets the travel costs of cancer patients living in rural communities travelling for cancer-related appointments. For her scholastic attainments and humanitarian efforts, she was named a 2017 Rhodes Scholar.

Maike’s past research has focused on investigating the relationship between historical traumas, psychological distress, and cancer diagnosis among Indigenous peoples in Canada. Under the supervision of Professor Michael Sharpe, Maike’s current research aims to explore the psychiatric care of older general hospital inpatients and to enhance the psychiatric interventions for this patient population.