Physiotherapy PhD

As a Physiotherapy PhD student at Brighton, you will 

• benefit from a supervisory team comprising two or sometimes three members of academic staff. Depending on your research specialism you may also have an additional supervisor from another School, another research institution, or an external partner from government or industry. 
• be provided with desk space and access to a desktop PC.  
• benefit from access to a range of electronic resources via the university’s Online Library, as well as to the physical book and journal collections housed within the Aldrich Library and other campus libraries. 

The University of Brighton offers interdisciplinary study across a range of allied health and health care practitioners. Research students play an important role in developing, changing and improving clinical practice.

PhD students are provided with a forum for discussion of research activities, for sharing expertise in methods and research approaches and to offer support to all those undertaking or wishing to undertake research in this area. We support all members associated with the area in their research activities, help colleagues with conference presentation preparation, with research planning and publication activities as well as grant applications.

We have links with clinicians and other academics at the University of Brighton and also invite doctoral students to attend the discussion areas. The profile of the area includes midwives, nurses, physiotherapists, podiatrists, occupational therapists, sports scientists and osteopaths. We also collaborate with staff from other parts of the university, for example, Brighton and Sussex Medical School and with departments in other universities together with clinicians and managers locally.

As a Physiotherapy PhD student, you will take an active role in a range of intellectual and social activities within the school. Students are encouraged to meet for informal discussions and supportive activities and on an annual basis for research conference/celebrations. We value all personal input from researchers and those interested in becoming researchers, and those who are interested to find out more about research and share ideas and knowledge. 

Your work may be aligned with one or more of the university's Research Excellence Groups (REGs) for example the Public Health and Health Conditions Research Excellence Group. Students with research in sexuality and gender focus may also be aligned with the Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender.

The Brighton Doctoral College offer a training programme for postgraduate researchers, covering research methods and transferable (including employability) skills. Attendance at appropriate modules within this programme is encouraged, as is contribution to the schools’ various seminar series. Academic and technical staff also provide more subject-specific training. 

We welcome applications across a number of physiotherapy related research themes:

• Musculoskeletal therapy and rehabilitation
• Exercise prescription and health
• Posture and mobility
• Efficacy of therapeutic interventions/approaches

Dr Lieselotte Corten

My supervisory and research interests are paediatric physiotherapy, with a special interest in physical activity and motor development in children, physiotherapy in mainstream schools, holistic management of children with long-term and complex needs (including cardiorespiratory and neurological problems). I am currently supervising 1 PhD student, 4 MSc students and 2 BSc projects, while successfully supported 16 MSc students in completing their dissertation in the past.

Dr Angela Glynn

I would be very interested to work with students exploring aspects of professional values and behaviours, in particular compassion and fitness to practice. I would like to work with students researching how academic and placement based experience influences the development of the student as a health professional, considering aspects such as communities of practice and professional identity.

Doctoral completions

Experienced Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapists' understandings

Effects and Mechanisms of Rhythmic-Cued Motor Imagery

Dr Clair Hebron

Dr Nicholas Smeeton

Nick supervises PhD students in the area of motor control, experimental psychology and cognitive and motor neuroscience. He is happy to be contacted to discuss potential projects on clinical exercise science, rehabilitation and sports and expert performance. There would be particular benefit to potential PhD students if their proposed programme of research fitted Dr Smeeton’s research interests.

Dr Kitty Suddick

I am interested in supervising qualitative research in a range of topics. I have a particular interest in phenomenology, hermeneutics, creative methods, and patient experience in long term neurological conditions. I am also currently involved in developing a programme of research into the NEUROfit programme.  

I supervise research in the rehabilitation field, caring practices, acute stroke care, and other timepoints along the care and rehabilitation pathway. I am interested in the healthcare provider and user experience, how they can contribute to meaningful understanding, and how research findings can translate and inform practice. 

I supervise undergraduate and MSc students. I have been a member of a supervisory team for a doctoral study completion exploring wellbeing in cancer survivorship. I am currently a supervisor team member for a study into co-production of care, and PhD team in Finland exploring the lived experience of chronic headache and migraine. 

For further supervisory staff including cross-disciplinary options, please visit research staff on our research website.