- InterCity Place, Plymouth Railway Station, North Road East,, Plymouth, PL4 6AB
- +44 1752 588810
- miranda.cunningham@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Mrs Miranda Cunningham
Associate Head of School (Marketing and Recruitment)
School of Health Professions (Faculty of Health)
Biography
Biography
I am a lecturer in Occupational Therapy and Associate Head of School for Marketing and Admissions. My career spans clinical practice, academia, leadership, and cutting-edge research. I am committed to pioneering advancements in occupational therapy practice and I am pathway lead for the PgCert First Contact Practitioner in Primary Care (Occupational Therapy). I have a deep-rooted passion for occupational science and endeavor to understand the intricate ways in which occupation contributes to the health and wellbeing of communities. I am a doctoral student, nearing completion of my Ph.D., with a research focus on social transformation through occupation, exploring the transformative power of occupation in shaping societies.
As an advocate for experiential learning, I embody a teaching philosophy that values not just theoretical knowledge but also the practical application of skills. This commitment to fostering student development is evident in my dedication to engaging and supporting learners on their educational journey.
As an advocate for experiential learning, I embody a teaching philosophy that values not just theoretical knowledge but also the practical application of skills. This commitment to fostering student development is evident in my dedication to engaging and supporting learners on their educational journey.
I was an elected member and Chair of the Board of Occupational Science Europe from 2017 to 2021.
https://os-europe.org/. With the OSE team I was responsible for the highly successful 6th Occupational Science Europe Conference: Everyday Life, Living and Doing in a Changing Society
Qualifications
MSc Advanced Professional Practice in Occupational Therapy
PgCert Marketing - Chartered Institute of Marketing
PgCert Academic Practice
PgDip Business Management
BSc Hons Occupational Therapy
BA Hons Business Studies
PgCert Marketing - Chartered Institute of Marketing
PgCert Academic Practice
PgDip Business Management
BSc Hons Occupational Therapy
BA Hons Business Studies
Professional membership
HCPC registered
British Association of Occupational Therapists
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
British Association of Occupational Therapists
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Roles on external bodies
Member of the International Society of Occupational Scientists
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
I have a broad range of teaching interests and experience across pre and post graduate levels. My current focus is on occupation for health and wellbeing of communities, occupational science and occupational therapy, population and public health, occupational therapy in primary care and arts and health.
Research
Research
Research interests
My research interests are linked to my previous clinical experience and teaching interests.
Arts-based occupations and social change
Creativity and arts for health and wellbeing
Occupational science
Homelessness and marginalised populations
Visual and creative methods, including photovoice
Community development through occupation
Supporting students with disabilities on placement
Creativity and arts for health and wellbeing
Occupational science
Homelessness and marginalised populations
Visual and creative methods, including photovoice
Community development through occupation
Supporting students with disabilities on placement
Research projects and Grants
Member of the steering group for the Food as a Lifestyle Motivator (FLM) pilot research project. Funded by ISSR. Staff investigator for FLM phase two: Dec 2015 – Dec 2016. Funded by British Academy/Leverhulme
Grants & contracts
'Get Involved' funded research project 2022
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
(2024) 'Evidencing occupational therapy in primary care' Occupational Therapy News 27-28 Publisher Site Open access
(2020) 'Enacting social transformation through occupation: A narrative literature review' Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy 1-20 , DOI Open access
(2019) 'Participatory food events as collaborative public engagement opportunities' Methodological Innovations , DOI Open access
(2018) 'Homelessness: Critical reflections and observations from an occupational perspective' Journal of Occupational Science , DOI Open access
(2018) 'Employing Participatory Methods to Engage an Under-Researched Group: opportunities and challenges' Methodological Innovations 11, (1) , DOI Open access
(2017) 'Engaging homeless individuals in discussion about their food experiences to optimise wellbeing: A pilot study' Health Education Journal , DOI Open access
(2017) 'Exploring the lived experience of homelessness from an occupational perspective' Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy 1-14 , DOI Open access
Chapters
(2020) 'The value of exploring the dark side of occupation in pre-registration occupational therapy education, using homelessness as a case study' in Twinley R Illuminating The Dark Side of Occupation International Perspectives from Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science Routledge
(2016) 'Broadening understandings of occupational identity: illustrations from a research study of homeless adults' in Sakellariou D; Pollard N Occupational therapies without borders: integrating justice with practice. Elsevier Open access
Conference Papers
(2016) 'USING CREATIVE METHODS TO ENGAGE ‘MARGINALIZED’ GROUPS IN FOOD/NUTRITION ACTIVITIES: A PLYMOUTH PILOT STUDY' International Congress of Dietetics Granada, Spain 9-/-0/20169-/-0/2016Open access
(2016) 'DEVELOPING PROBLEM BASED LEARNING IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY' 2016 - COTEC-ENOTHE Congress 6-/-0/20166-/-0/2016Open access
(2016) 'EXPANDING CONCEPTUALISATIONS OF OCCUPATIONAL IDENTITY: DRAWING FROM THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF HOMELESSNESS' 2016 - COTEC-ENOTHE Congress Galway 6-/-0/20166-/-0/2016Open access
(2016) 'EXPLORING RESIDING IN A HOMELESS HOSTEL IN THE UK
THE USE OF ‘FOOD AS A LIFE-STYLE MOTIVATOR’ AMONGST HOMELESS PEOPLE: A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT' 2016 - COTEC-ENOTHE Congress 6-/-0/20166-/-0/2016Open access
(2015) 'An occupational perspective on the lived experience of homelessness' The College of Occupational Therapists Annual 39th Conference Brighton 6-/-0/20157-/-0/2015Open access
(2015) 'Exploring the lived experience of homelessness from an occupational perspective' 30-30
Presentations and posters
'A new way of seeing; how can occupational therapists harness arts-based occupations for social transformation? The case of participatory photography' Open access
'Exploring social transformation through arts-based projects: A realist approach' Open access
Personal
Personal
Reports & invited lectures
International Social Transformation Through Occupation Network Bi-annual Network Meeting May 2021
Conferences organised
Occupational Science Europe 2021
Additional information
I have been an Occupational Therapist since 2001, prior to that I worked in higher education for the Enterprise in Higher Education project at Sheffield Hallam University.