معرفی
Laura Hemmings is an Assistant Professor in Physiotherapy at the University of Birmingham's School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences. She specializes in mental health and is passionate about integrating physical and mental healthcare within physiotherapy practice.
- Education: BSc from Coventry University (2010), MRes from the University of Birmingham (2019), currently completing PhD.
Her research focuses on the integration of physical and mental health in care pathways, access to care for individuals with mental illness, and the interplay between comorbid physical and mental health conditions—particularly pain. She also investigates the role of exercise and physical activity in preventing and treating mental illness. Her recent publications reflect a strong emphasis on mental health in physiotherapy, student well-being during the pandemic, suicide prevention, and chronic conditions like fibromyalgia.
Notable recent publications highlight trends in mental health advocacy, systematic reviews on fibromyalgia interventions, and qualitative studies on patient and provider experiences. Her work often involves collaborative research with experts like Andrew Soundy and others in rehabilitation sciences.
- Healthcare professionals' perceptions of physiotherapy in mental health
- Preventing suicide through physiotherapy workforce mobilization
- E-learning for communication skills in physiotherapy education
- Supporting student mental health during the pandemic
Laura is actively involved in education leadership as the Education Lead for the Chartered Physiotherapists in Mental Health (CPMH) and serves as the UK representative on the International Organisation of Physiotherapy in Mental Health (IOPTMH) education committee. She teaches on physiotherapy programs and leads modules such as Integrated Studies and Complex Integrated Care in the BSc Physiotherapy programme.
She continues to build on her clinical experience in adult mental health, neuropsychiatry, and secure services, having advanced through the NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic pathway to drive local clinical change through research.
