The Allied Health Professionals Research Network aims to develop clinical research, from audits to large-scale studies and is available to any allied health professional interested in research and has taken the place of the National Physiotherapy Research Network.
The Southern Central Allied Health Professionals Research Network Hub consists of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, radiographers, orthoptists and podiatrists who are actively involved in research and are promoting research in the clinical setting.
European Network on Robotics for NeuroRehabilitation
Dr Ann-Marie Hughes and Prof Jane Burridge are members of the European COST Action Network on Robotics for NeuroRehabilitation. Prof Burridge leads the Working Group on Clinical applications. The Working Group, led by RHT researchers, are developing European evidence-based guidelines for evaluation of technology-based upper limb neurorehabilitation.
The ageing of the European population will inevitably accelerate the demand for effective rehabilitative therapies to ameliorate the motor deficits caused by major age-associated neurological syndromes such as stroke.
Robots for neurorehabilitation offer a significant advantage in addressing this need. They can extend substantially the capacities of therapists who work with patients suffering from motor impairments. Typical robotic devices can convey instructions to patients on how to perform specific movements, can assist and guide the execution of motor actions, and can objectively assess movement capabilities. The growing variety of robotic devices used in primary research and clinical practice offers a rich framework for expanding their use in an expanding number of different patient groups.
The main objectives of this Action are firstly to develop new, efficient and patient-tailored robot-assisted therapies by coordinating basic and applied research perspectives. Secondly, the Action will provide a clear structured overview about existing and emerging robot-assisted therapies to clinicians and therapists, so they can increase the availability of effective, standardised clinical practice across Europe. The Action will be carried out by an interdisciplinary team of leading researchers from robot engineering, clinical motor neurorehabilitation, computational neuroscience and motor neuroimaging.
Collaboration with Luxfer
Prof Anne Bruton, who leads the Respiratory Cluster, has worked closely for many years with Luxfer Gas Cylinders Ltd. This fruitful collaboration has funded two PhD studentships, a successful bid to NIHR Health Technology Devices programme (£728,236), a successful bid to the NIHR i4i programme (£951,725) and the production of the Intelligent Oxygen System cylinder We are now working with Smartflow technologies towards regulatory approval.
Worldwide Universities Network health literacy group
Jo Adams is one of the founding members of the Worldwide Universities Network health literacy group. She is leading a current research grant alongside WUN collaborators in Public Health at Sydney University and collaborating with Auckland University for a further educational research project examining the health literacy skills of health care professionals. She has been part of an international WUN team that was awarded funding to run two international health literacy conferences in Southampton and Sydney in 2012 and 2013.
European Aerospace - Maria Stokes
Clinical Local Research Network and the Wessex Stroke Research Network
Professor Ann Ashburn is the Local Clinical Lead for Stroke Research for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Clinical Local Research Network, and the Stroke Research Network. The current local network comprises Portsmouth, Southampton, Winchester and Basingstoke plus the Isle of Wight. From April 2014 this area will extend to include Bournemouth and Poole, Salisbury and Dorchester and will be part of the Wessex Clinical Local Research Network.
