Profiles
Professor Jennifer Freeman
Professor of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation
School of Health Professions (Faculty of Health & Human Sciences)
Role
My roles include:-
1. Teaching and curriculum develoment.
I am activley involved in curriculum development and teaching for the BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy Honours Degree and the Masters Programme in Neurological Rehabilitation.
I supervise both Masters and PhD students.
2. Deputy Director of CHeSCI, Institute of Health and Community
In addition I co-lead the Rehabilitation Research Group,within CHeSCI, which involves co-ordinating monthly research site meetings and rehabilitation research group meetings, increasing staff awareness of research opportunities, promoting research activity within the Faculty and acting as a resource for staff on site.
I am a member of the School's undergraduate ethics committee.
3 Research
My research is within the field of neurological rehabilitation, with a particular interest in evaluating the effectiveness of whole care packages and targeted interventions in people with neurological conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injury and Stroke; and in exploring process aspects of rehabilitation care (such as goal setting).
Examples of recently completed / ongoing clinical trials include:
- Evaluating the effects of stretching in people with MS
- A multi-centred RCT evaluating exercise in people with MS
- A multi-centred RCT investigating the clinical and cost effectiveness of a standing frame programme in people severely disabled by MS.
- A multi-centred feasibility RCT to investigate use of Web-based technology for exercises in people with MS.
- A series of studies evaluating falls risk and the development of falls management interventions for people with MS
- A series of studies which are developing and evaluating the use of a dynamic elastomeric fabric orthoses to accelerate return to sport after lumbo-pelvic injury;
- A series of studies which are evaluating the clinical and cost effectiveness of a dynamic elastomeric fabric orthosis in the management of lumbo-pelvic pain in peri and post-partum women
Qualifications
2001 Certificate in Teaching and Learning, University of Plymouth
1997 Doctorate of Philosophy Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London
1983 Bachelor of Applied Science (in Physiotherapy), with distinction, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia
Professional membership
Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists 1988 - present (Fellow since 2013)
Council of Health Professions 1987 - present
Association of Physiotherapists Interested in Neurology 1988 - present
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy 2000 - present
Roles on external bodies
1999 Member of Task Group supporting the External Reference Group of the NSF for Older People with Stroke. NHS Executive.
2000 – 2001 External Assessor for Masters in Science, University College London, School of Human Health and Performance.
1999- 2001 Member of Steering Group of the Outcomes Measures Database,Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
2001 Member of the Policy Development Group of the MS Society.
2001-2002 Lead for developing and updating the Standards of Healthcare for people with MS, MS Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2003 – 2008 Physiotherapy Advisor to the MS Society of Great Britain
2003–2004 Chair of the Clinical Standards Group of the Neurorehabilitation Review Group for the Peninsula Neuroscience Network
2004 Member of National Working Group for the development of a physiotherapy guidance document for the NICE MS Guidelines
2004- 2006 Chair of the MS Care Pathways Group for South West Devon and East Cornwall
2006 - 2015 Member of the Research Grants Review Committee for the MS Society
2007 - to date Member for the Research Group for Therapists in MS (MS Trust)
2008 WorkshopLeader. World Health Organisation Consensus Conference on Multiple Sclerosis:establishing a minimum dataset for the International Classification ofDisability and Functioning. Valens, Switzerland.
2010 HonoraryMember of the Swedish MS Society in recognition of research undertaken in thearea of MS rehabilitation.
2011- ongoing Memberof the International Advisory Board at the Centre for Physiotherapy Research,University of Otago. (2011 – ongoing)
2010 - 2012Memberof the Working Group to develop Common Data Elements for MS (National Instituteof Neurological Disorders and Stroke [NINDS] and the National Institutes ofHealth [NIH]).
2012 - ongoing DeputyDirector Centre for Health and SocialCare Innovation (CHeSCI),Plymouth University
2012. MemberAdvisory Group for the European Rehabilitation in MS network for Best Practiceand Research.
2012 MemberAdvisory Group for MS Trust Information Needs Project.
2012 - ongoing Mentorfor the NIHR Fellowship Scheme,
2014- ongoing Deputy Director of the Affiliated Centre of theJoanna Briggs Centre for Systematic Reviews, Plymouth
2014 –ongoing Executive Board Member European“Rehabilitation in MS network for Best Practice and Research: RIMS”.
2015-ongoing.Advisory Group Member for CRAAMS (HTA Project) ,University of Nottingham
Teaching interests
1. Teaching at degree and Masters level.
- Physiotherapy, with a special interest in adult neurology
- Evidence based practice / research methodology
- Outcome measurement
2. Supervision of Masters and PhD students, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Research interests
Clinical trials in rehabilitation, with a special interest in:
- The evaluation of whole packages of care and targeted interventions in people with long term neurological conditions
- The evaluation of processes of rehabilitation care such as goal setting
- The evaluation of outcome measures
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
PhD awarded to Dr Jane Grose for thesis entitlied: "Living with MS: the confidant relationship explored". Awarded December 2007.
Grants & contracts
GRANTS AWARDED
Grant 12
Title: The effects of foot and ankle impairments on mobility and balance in community dwelling adults post stroke.
Grant holders: Cramp M, Morrison S, Marsden J, Freeman JA, Paton J.
Funding Body : Scholl Podiatric Research and Development Fund
Amount awarded: £164, 265
Date: September 2012 – April 2015
Grant 11
Title: Pilates based core stability training in ambulant individuals with multiple sclerosis: a multi-centre randomised controlled trial.
Grant holders: Freeman JA, Hough A, Gear M.
Funding Body: MS Trust
Amount awarded: £ 77, 657.00.
Date awarded: October 2010 – July 2013
Grant 10
Title: An investigation of the risk factors associated with falls in people withg Multiple Sclerosis
Fundholders: Gunn H, Freeman JA, Marsden J, Haas B, Zajicek J, Creanor S. Funding Body: Physiotherapy Research Fund, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
Amount awarded: £19, 700.
Date: Jan 2011 - 2012
Grant 9
Title: Pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy: evaluating the effectiveness of a novel intervention, the dynamic elastomeric fabric orthoses.European Social Fund, Combined Universities of Cornwall (ESF-CUC) PhD Studentship.
Grant holders: Freeman JA, Marsden J, Freeman R.
Funding Body: ESF Research Programme, Great Western Research and the Government Office South West
Amount Awarded: £80 000.
Date: August 2011 - 2014
Grant 8
Title: Investigating the effects of the Musmate Ankle-Hip Orthosis in people with Multiple Sclerosis
Grant holders: Marsden J, Shum G, Freeman JA. ,
Amount Awarded: £3,499
Date awarded: May 2010
Grant 7
Title: Evaluating the South West Community Peer Support Officer Service for Newly Injured People with Spinal Cord Injury (2009 – 1010)
Grant Holders: Freeman JA and Haas.
Funding Body: The Vice Chancellors Community Research Awards, University of Plymouth.
Amount awarded: £8,200
Date Awarded: July 2009
Grant 6
Title: Establishing clinical guidance for stretching in people with MS. (2009 - 2011)
Grant holders: Marsden J,
Freeman JA, Hobart JC, Jones R, Zajicek J.
Funding Body: Evolving MS Services Grant, MS Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Amount awarded: £100,805
Date awarded: Dec 2008
Grant 5
Title: Current Service Delivery for people with Familial Spastic paraparesis in the South West. (2008 - 2009).
Grant holders:Marsden J
and Freeman JA. Funding Body: The Vice Chancellors Community Research Awards, University of Plymouth.
Amount awarded: £10,000
Date Awarded 2008
Grant 4
Title: “The use of orthotic lycra garments to reduce lumbo-pelvic pain and accelerate functional recovery in sportspeople and in women following childbirth".
Grant holders: Marsden J, Freeman JA, Mathews M.
Funding Body: Knowledge Transfer Partnership, Department of Health.
Amount Awarded: £81, 621 (2008 - 1010)
Date Awarded Dec 2008
Grant 3
Title: A longitudinal profile of mobility in people with Multiple Sclerosis
Grantholders: JA Freeman, Hobart JC, Allison R, Ingram W, Zajicek J.
Funding Body: Torbay Medical Research Fund.
Amount awarded: £38 521.48.
Date Awarded: October 2005
Grant 2
Title: Increasing the effectiveness of the rehabilitation process through collaborative goal setting
Grantholders: DE Playford (Institute of Neurology, London), JA Freeman
Grant based at the Institute of Neurology
Grant funding body: The Clinical Research and Development Committee - Special Trustees of Middlesex University College Hospital, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, and the Royal Free and University College Medical School, London.
Amount awarded : £69901.00
Date awarded: March 2002
Grant 1.
Title: Evaluating the usefulness of the SF-36 as a measure of health related quality of life in people with Multiple Sclerosis
Grantholders: JA Freeman, AJ Thompson. Grant based at the Institute of Neurology, London
Grant funding body: Department of Health.
Amount Awarded: £29, 047.00.
Date Awarded: 1996
Research groups
- Plymouth Inequalities Group
Key publications are highlighted
Journals