Professor Sue Mawson

Biography

I originally trained as a Physiotherapist at the Middlesex Hospital, affiliated to the University of London, becoming a Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. After my initial training I went to South Africa to work at the Red Cross Memorial Children's Hospital and subsequently as a Physiotherapist working for the Western Cape Cerebral Palsy Society. It was whilst here that I learnt to develop novel seating and sleeping equipment for the children living in the Cape flats townships, out of card board boxes – see my inaugural lecture, 'What do intelligent shoes and brain synapses have to do with NHS reforms'.

On returning to the UK I gained a BSc(Hons) in Physiotherapy in 1991 from Sheffield Hallam University where I developed and lead the Masters in Neurological Rehabilitation. In 1997 I completed my PhD study identifying the characteristics of motor recovery following a stroke.

I was appointed Professor of Health Services Research in the School for Health and Related Research at the University of Sheffield, working within the Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology group and the newly established a Centre for Assistive Technology and Digital Healthcare CATCH. My role is to develop stronger links between researchers at ScHARR, the NHS, industry and the voluntary sector with a specific focus on research into both novel interventions and technologies for people with disabilities, older people and people with long-term conditions and public health.