Professor KATHRYN RADFORD
| Biography | Kate Radford qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1990, working both clinically and academically in neurological rehabilitation. Her PhD and subsequent driving related research includes studies to develop and validate cognitive tests to predict 'fitness-to-drive' in people with long term neurological conditions including traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and dementia and to explore the barriers and enablers to their clinical implementation. Tests include the Stroke Drivers Screening Assessment, Dementia Drivers Screening Assessment, Nottingham Assessment for Drivers with Dementia and Multiple Sclerosis Drivers Screening Assessment. Kate's other interest is in vocational rehabilitation (VR). Currently funded projects include trials to determine the feasibility of measuring the effects and cost effectiveness of early intervention to prevent job loss in people with TBI and stroke, and research to evaluate health technologies that facilitate participation in people with an acquired brain injury. All studies use mixed methods designs to explore factors affecting trial outcomes and implementation fidelity. Kate is Community Lead for the Centre for Rehabilitation and Ageing Research and leads the Vocational Rehabilitation research group. She is Director of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Rehabilitation and Healthcare Research and lead for the NIHR ICA/ Health Education East Midlands Pre-and Post-Doctoral Bridging Awards supporting aspiring non-medical clinical academics to develop research careers. |
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| Research Interests | Kate studied for a PhD at Nottingham with Professor Nadina Lincoln, developing and validating tests to determine driving fitness in people with brain damage resulting from stroke, TBI, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and dementia. Since then she has developed her interests in driving and in vocational rehabilitation. Kate has worked on numerous applied health research projects, acquiring diverse research skills in the delivery and coordination of randomized controlled trials, using systems methodology to understand and evaluate complex rehabilitation services, consensus development, systematic reviewing and service mapping. As rehabilitation interventions are complex and intervention success subject to contextual confounders, her studies adopt mixed methods designs to explore factors affecting trial outcomes, implementation fidelity and barriers and enablers to sustainability. Research Summary |
| PhD Supervision Availability | No |