About
Shilpy is a Senior Teaching Fellow in Occupational Therapy in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Southampton. She teaches occupational therapy and supervises student research. Her own research examines how new technologies are introduced into health and social care and what helps staff use them in everyday practice.
Shilpy completed her PhD in Health Sciences at Southampton with funding from the Economic and Social Research Council through the South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership Studentship. Her research examined how Hampshire County Council introduced a wearable back support device, the Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL), in its adult social care services and what shaped its use before the programme ended. She reviewed published research and combined findings from a survey and interviews with people involved in the programme. The study found that, although participants saw potential value in the device, it did not become part of everyday care.
Shilpy trained as an occupational therapist in India and worked in neurological rehabilitation and early intervention before completing a Master’s degree in Health Informatics. Her Master’s research informed the development of DAS Simple, an icon-based disability assessment app developed with academic colleagues and software developers, with support from Grand Challenges Canada. She continued her research on digital tools for disability assessment at the Public Health Foundation of India.
Her current research interests include wearable and assistive technologies, workforce health and wellbeing, and how care organisations make decisions about introducing and supporting new technologies. She welcomes research collaborations in these areas, particularly in adult social care.