Dr Nathalie Buhagiar qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1989, obtained a masters degree in 1996 and was responsible for setting up the main Paediatric OT service in Malta. In 2001, she was awarded a scholarship by the University of Southern California to attend OT610, a specialised intensive training course in Sensory Integration and was the first OT to practice and promote Sensory Integration Therapy in Malta. In 2008 Nathalie was awarded the Allied Health Professions Award for excellence in healthcare.
In 2009, after working in the health sector for 20 years, Nathalie took up a post in Education embedding her OT skills in her job as an Inclusion Coordinator.
In April 2013 she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The title of her project was “Occupational Therapy, special needs and inclusion: serving children in home, school and community”.
Nathalie became a full time resident academic member of staff within the Faculty of Health Sciences, UM in September 2015 and obtained a doctoral degree in Occupational Science from University College Cork, Ireland in July 2022. Her research focused on introducing an evidence school - based model of service delivery in Maltese schools. Through her work Nathalie supported the service sector to embark on a pilot project to introduce school-based services in Maltese state schools. Nathalie continues to refine, develop and teach the Paediatric component of the BSc (hons) in Occupational Therapy and teaches on other programmes including the MSc in Interdisciplinary Childhood Studies and MSc in Orthotics and Prosthetics as well as the Masters in Psychology Programme. She currently supervises and examines dissertations at undergraduate Masters and Doctoral level. Nathalie is involved in the delivery of a professional development session through HR entitled “Think Sensory” delivered to academic and administrative staff and students roughly four times a year. She also continues to support educators in the school system though professional development. Nathalie has been a senate appointed member on the ADSU at UM for over 10 years She is also a member on the Research and Innovation council of INSPIRE.
Childhood Occupations in Schools
School based Occupational Therapy
Evaluating functional hand skills in children with Cerebral Palsy through a smart user Centred Product Service System
HSC5007 - Children's Health: Supporting Optimal Development
OCT1000 - Communicating through the Creative Arts: Skills for Self-Development in Occupational Therapy Practice
OCT2000 - Application of the Creative Arts in Occupational Therapy Practice
OCT2022 - Introductory Concepts to Physical and Paediatric Practice
OCT3026 - Advanced Application of Theory in Paediatric Practice
OCT4026 - Framing Practice through an Occupation-based Perspective
2008 Allied Health Care Professionals Award: nominated for and received the 1st edition of the award in recognition for the sterling work carried out in the field of occupational therapy.
2013 Awarded a Fulbright Scholarship ay University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill USA
Member of the Heath Professions Council UK
Project member : A Smart User- Centred Product Service Delivery System for evaluating and developing functional hand skills in children with Cerebral Palsy (SMARTCLAP)"
Appointed member by senate on Access Disability Support Committee and working Group (ADSC), UM
