Dawn Ernstzen is an Associate Professor and Postgraduate Program leader at the Division of Physiotherapy at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. She previously chaired the Physiotherapy Undergraduate program committee, clinical portfolio, and student support portfolio. Dawn worked as a physiotherapist in South Africa and in the United Kingdom. She teaches on undergraduate and postgraduate level. Her teaching and research topics include chronic pain management, health professions education, neuro-musculoskeletal rehabilitation, and patient empowerment. Dawn and her collaborators developed a contextualised clinical practice guideline for the primary healthcare of chronic musculoskeletal pain in South Africa. She is involved in the delivery of the regional Patient Education and Empowerment Program for people with persistent pain.​​​