My main clinical and research interest is developing evidence based rehabilitation for FND and related disorders.

Community stroke
Life after stroke
Health inequalities
NIHR Internship; NIHR funded MRes; NIHR PCAF Bridge
Qualitative and mixed methods research

Collecting evidence on the effectiveness of our interventions in the community; understanding the importance of dosage and partnerships; investigating the value of digital platforms to support our work, co-design of interventions, PROMs

Stroke: Community stroke services; life after stroke; aphasia; social participation; health inequalities
Research capacity and capability building for AHPs

1) System collaboration to improve activity levels, access to voluntary sector and engagement in community for people with long term neurological conditions
2) Use of digital technology to support increasing activity intensity in the community for people with long term neurological conditions
3) Spasticity management and use of digital technology to measure outcomes in the community
4) New models of working for provision of community rehabilitation for people with LTC

I am a Speech and Language Therapist with an interest in managing adults with complex long term conditions, such as swallowing, communication and airway relating to tracheostomy and ventilation needs. I believe the SLTs have a valuable role as part of a multi-disciplinary team and am interested in how we optimise our interventions in the community.

Acquired brain injury, hidden disability, cognitive communication disorders, long term impacts following ABI, communication impact in health and social care.

Amputee specific rehabilitation and how specialist services might best support community therapy teams.

Accessible activity and exercise in the community through group work and reablement.

I am interested in all aspects of community rehabilitation research but in particular ...
What should community rehabilitation services look like?
How can health, social care and voluntary services work together to support patients and carers?
Should community rehabilitation services be generic (see people with lots of different conditions) specialist (ficus on specific patient groups)?

My community rehabilitation research interests focus on improving outcomes for individuals with long-term and complex rehabilitation needs, particularly in the areas of pain management and amputee rehabilitation. I aim to develop innovative, patient-centred approaches that integrate evidence-based practices and cutting-edge technologies.

A key interest is phantom limb pain self-management, where I explore interventions such as sensory discrimination training to enhance individuals’ ability to manage persistent pain independently. My PhD research provided substantial experience in designing and conducting randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and mixed-methods studies to evaluate these interventions.

I am also keenly interested in incorporating extended reality (XR) technologies, such as virtual reality, into rehabilitation programmes for pain management and functional restoration. For instance, I am developing a validation study protocol for OCOsense smart glasses to measure chronic pain during activities of daily living. This study uses advanced methodologies, including EMG and optomyography, to assess facial expressions, emotional responses, and postural positions, compared to clinician observations as a gold standard.

My methodological expertise spans quantitative approaches, such as RCTs and validation studies, qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, and mixed-methods designs. My research is grounded in translating evidence into practical, accessible solutions for diverse and underrepresented populations, ensuring that community rehabilitation interventions are meaningful and impactful.

Mixed methods research into physical activity and exercise intervention for adults with neurological conditions leading to physical disability.

Research assistant on randomised controlled trials (RCT) in stroke, inflammatory neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease. Also teaching support for physiotherapy BSc and MSc students (King's College London)

PhD in the assessment of physical activity of adults with progressive muscle disease (King's College London)

Post doctoral roles including an RCT of exercise in rheumatoid arthritis and health and social care knowledge mobilisation research. (St George's University of London)

Currently, manager of the Community Rehabilitation Research Network (CRRN) supporting research career development for health and care practitioners across the community.

I am a Clinical Academic Speech and Language Therapist - my academic role is based in the Centre for Allied Health, City St George's, as Director of Research, to help build research activity amongst our team in Radiography, Paramedic Science, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. I am an NIHR awardee, supervisor, mentor and panel member, supporting NMAHP applicants on their clinical academic journey.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6835-7589

My research area is focused on the rehabilitation of people with spinal cord injury. I have been involved in set up and implementation of the London SCI Network as Education Lead to improve SCI care across London.

Background:
Consultant Speech and Language Therapist (critical care/complex dysphagia)

In 2020 I was the Clinical Lead SLT at NHS Nightingale London during the COVID-19 pandemic before continuing COVID clinical work at UCLH

My NIHR clinical doctoral research fellowship (CDRF) researched the inter-disciplinary care of acute cervical spinal cord injury patients, creating best practice recommendations and a dysphagia risk screening tool.

As an NIHR mentor and training advocate for Speech and Language Therapy I advise and support applicants to the NIHR integrated clinical academic pathway schemes.

I am a research champion and clinical advisor to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and led the recent update of national guidance for SLTs working in critical care.

In 2018 I won the Advancing Healthcare Award as HEE/NIHR Research Champion

Fiona has led multiple studies to evaluate self-management approaches within healthcare teams including stroke, acute brain injury and major trauma. In 2013 Fiona set up a social enterprise ‘Bridges Self-management*’, which has developed and evaluated an approach to personalised self-management support co-designed with people living with complex long-term conditions and used by more than 800 acute and community healthcare teams across the UK.

In 2014, Fiona led the first NIHR funded study to evaluate the use of Experience–Based Co-Design to explore ways to increase therapeutic activity in stroke units. Fiona is currently the Co-lead for a large NIHR funded Listen project (Long Covid Personalised Self-managemenT support- co-design and EvaluatioN) and has led on the co-design of the intervention working in partnership with people living with Long Covid- this trial completes in October 2023. Fiona is also a co-applicant on projects funded by HTA and NIHR Global Health to co-design and evaluate personalised self-management support for people living with joint pain, arthritis and stroke.

Fiona is Deputy lead for the Implementation Science theme which is part of the Applied Research Collaboration – South London, and is on the selection committee for the HEE/NIHR ICA Programme, Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (ACAF) she is also a member of the European Life After Stroke committee.

Fiona has expertise in mixed methods and participatory research, co-production, and improvement/implementation science. Her focus is on co-design and working in partnership with patients, families, and clinical teams to develop and implement self-management training, interventions and resources. She currently supervises four PhD students based in the UK and Sweden

In 2014 Fiona became a fellow of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists and in 2017 Fiona was awarded an MBE for services to rehabilitation.

*Bridges Self-Management is a social enterprise run in partnership with St Georges University of London and Kingston University www.bridgesselfmanagement.org.uk