Frances Horgan

Professor Frances Horgan is a distinguished academic and clinician at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), where she serves as Professor of Physiotherapy in the School of Physiotherapy. Appointed to her current position in 2022, she has progressed through the academic ranks at RCSI since commencing as a lecturer in 1999, becoming Senior Lecturer in 2005 and Associate Professor in 2016. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a senior physiotherapist in neurology and care of the elderly at Meath Hospital and Adelaide and Meath Hospital incorporating National Children's Hospital Tallaght Dublin.

Her educational background includes a BSc in Physiotherapy, MSc Research, Postgraduate Diploma in Statistics, and PhD in Stroke Recovery Research from University of Dublin Trinity College. She also holds an MSc in Leadership and Management Development for Researchers, Diploma in Health Economics, and Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education from RCSI. Professor Horgan is a multilingual scholar fluent in French and German, with conversational Italian.

Professor Horgan's research program focuses on critical areas of healthcare including care of the elderly, falls prevention, stroke rehabilitation, and health services research. Her work examines the transition from hospital to home for stroke patients, rehabilitation needs of people with brain tumors, and implementation of community-based exercise programs for older adults. She employs various methodological approaches including realist reviews, co-design methodologies, and mixed-methods studies to address complex healthcare challenges.

Her extensive publication record demonstrates consistent scholarly output across high-impact journals in physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and health services research. Her recent work shows a strong focus on patient-centered care pathways, implementation science, and interdisciplinary approaches to rehabilitation across multiple conditions including stroke, cancer, and neurological disorders.

• National Teaching Hero Award 2020-21
• RCSI President's Teaching Award (2018)

As Course Director of the MSc in Neurology and Gerontology, Professor Horgan oversees a comprehensive program that prepares students for advanced practice in neurological and geriatric rehabilitation. She has supervised numerous thesis projects examining frailty, falls, stroke rehabilitation, and transitions of care. Her leadership extends to national initiatives including her role as founder member (since 1997), Secretary (1999-2009), and Chairperson (2009-2016) of the Irish Heart Foundation Council on Stroke, and as Vice Dean for Inter-professional Education at RCSI (2014-2018). Her current research includes the FaME Ireland evaluation study, BRAIN-RESTORE project, and StrokeCog-R pilot trial, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to advancing rehabilitation science and practice.