Ms Sophia-Lorraine Allie graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Cape Town. Over the last 13 years, she has had the opportunity of working as an occupational therapist in a variety of settings in both South Africa and Australia. It was while working as an occupational therapist that she developed a keen interest in mental health. This led her to pursue a Masters in Public Health from the University of South Africa.

In 2017, she joined the University of Cape Town as a lecturer in Occupational Therapy.

During her time at the University of Cape Town, she has held roles which support students with non-academic issues and psychosocial needs. These include being the Occupational Therapy Division Student Support Representative for years 1 to 4 and also being a member of the Faculty of Health Sciences Student Development and Support Committee. From these positions, Ms Allie developed another research interest, which is the mental health of students with a particular focus on suicidal ideation and suicide prevention. This is because suicide is a growing phenomenon on university campuses. Her present research focuses on postvention, which is the care and support provided to those bereaved by suicide. Ms Allie is currently a PhD candidate at Stellenbosch University and a lecturer in the Occupational Therapy Division at Stellenbosch University.