Sara Hayes

Sara Hayes is an Associate Professor of Physiotherapy at the University of Limerick's School of Allied Health and a Principal Investigator on HRB-funded grants (DIFA 2022-2025, ILP 2025-2028). She contributes to the Ageing Research Centre, Health Research Institute, and professional bodies like the Irish Heart Foundation Stroke Council. Her teaching spans BSc and MSc Physiotherapy programmes (2015-present), with a focus on neurological physiotherapy and community participation modules.

• PG Certificate in Teaching, Learning and Assessment (University of Limerick)
• PhD in Physiotherapy (Trinity College Dublin, 2013)
• Bachelor's in Physiotherapy (Trinity College Dublin, 2008)
• Post-graduate Diploma in Statistics (Trinity College Dublin)

Her research integrates pragmatic trials and novel experimental methods to address urgent stroke clinical questions, with collaborations spanning physiotherapy, bio statistics, psychology, and nursing. Key themes include stroke rehabilitation, patient participation, and multi-disciplinary interventions. She has received multiple scientific awards, including the Irish Pain Society's Clinical Research Prize (2013) and Irish Heart Foundation oral presentation award (2012).

Her recent articles (2020-2025) focus on stroke care, cognitive impairment, and patient engagement, reflecting her expertise in evidence synthesis and clinical innovation. She leads the development of stakeholder-informed models for community-based care and advocates for Universal Design for Learning in healthcare education.