Karessa is an emerging health policy and systems research (HPSR) practitioner. She holds an undergraduate and master’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of the Witwatersrand.

She spent the formative years of her career as a clinician in the public health sector. She has subsequently occupied positions in local and international NGOs working in human resources for health, health care worker advocacy and social accountability.

Karessa joined SOPH in 2023. Her primary responsibility is to support the South African Learning Alliance for District Health Systems (SALAD). SALAD is a learning network that brings together health policy researchers and policy makers to support the District Health System (DHS) as part of wider health system strengthening.

Karessa is currently a pre-doctoral student at SOPH and will begin her doctoral studies in 2026. Her research interests are community-based monitoring and social accountability.