• B.Sc. Physiotherapy, Arnhemse Academie voor Fysiotherapie, Arnhem, The Netherlands
• M.Sc. Human Movement Sciences (including qualification for teaching in Higher Education): Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Ph.D. Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

With a particular interest in motor control and learning, I started teaching kinesiology and injury prevention to professional dance students at the Theaterschool in Amsterdam, where I was introduced to novel skill acquisition techniques. I then went on to complete my MSc in Human Movement Sciences in the Perception-Action laboratories at Edinburgh University, where I was involved in studies on eye-hand coordination in children with cerebral palsy.

Starting a PhD at the Centre for Rehabilitation and Engineering Studies at Newcastle University, I took part in two EU funded projects; one on upper limb impairments in people with acquired brain injury, and another on spasticity.

Based at QMU since 2001, I teach undergraduate and postgraduate modules, including Applied Neurosciences and Analysis of Human Movement. Together with an external team, I am involved in the Exercise after Stroke Specialist Instructor Training Course, designed to enable exercise instructors to work with people after stroke. Current collaborative projects focus on improving function after acquired brain injury and concentrate on the effectiveness of a number of health technologies, including exercise, bilateral task training, botulinum toxin together with functional arm training, mental practice and robotics.

 Potential areas for PhD supervision:

• Perceptuo-motor control impairments in people with acquired brain injury (including stroke, head injury, Parkinson’s Disease)
• Design and evaluation of health technologies aimed at improving perceptuo-motor control -in particular arm function -in people with acquired brain injury.
• Design and evaluation of interventions aimed at improving self management (including exercise) in people with acquired brain injury.