Alexander Smith

Alexander Smith is a Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at Swansea University's School of Health and Social Care within the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science. He is based in the Therapies department and maintains an office in the Vivian Building on Singleton Campus. Fluent in Welsh, Dr. Smith is recognized as a bilingual academic with significant contributions to stroke rehabilitation research.

Dr. Smith's research focuses on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in stroke rehabilitation, neurological conditions, and neurorehabilitation. His work examines how stroke survivors complete PROMs and how these measures can be effectively integrated into clinical practice. He has made substantial contributions to the field through his involvement in developing the 2023 National Clinical Guidelines for Stroke and through leadership roles with the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

His publication record demonstrates a clear trajectory of research focused on stroke outcomes, with recent work examining longitudinal PROMs collection, multicenter studies of stroke morbidity, and the acceptability of different assessment methods for stroke survivors. His 2025 book chapter extends this work into dementia and cognitive decline research.

• Expert Member - Research Ethics Committee, NHS Health Research Authority/Health & Care Research Wales (2020-Present)
• Research & Development Lead, RCOT Specialist Section – Neurological Practice (2019-2024)
• Research Champion, Royal College of Occupational Therapists (2020-Present)
• Founder and Steering Group Member, ORiENT (2018-Present)

Dr. Smith has secured significant research funding, including a £95,128 grant for his project 'What factors affect a stroke survivors' ability to complete patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs)?' running from 2018-2025. He also serves as an Honorary Research Fellow at Wye Valley NHS Trust (2023-Present) and has contributed to professional leadership through the Royal College of Occupational Therapists projects.