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Deepa Abichandani

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Miss Deepa Abichandani

 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8054-6630
    20142024

    Research activity per year

    Personal profile

    Overview

    I am an experienced academic physiotherapist and emerging strategic leader with expertise spanning musculoskeletal rehabilitation, workforce innovation, simulation-based education, and international healthcare collaboration. My experience across higher education, NHS partnerships, and research environments in the UK and internationally has enabled me to develop a strong commitment to advancing evidence-informed physiotherapy practice, workforce capability, and student employability.

    My academic and research portfolio focuses on long-term musculoskeletal conditions, exercise-based rehabilitation, technology-enhanced learning, and innovative models of practice-based education, including simulation-integrated and role-emerging placements. I have contributed to the development and implementation of pioneering workforce and placement initiatives aimed at enhancing practice readiness and supporting sustainable healthcare delivery.

    I have an established track record of research dissemination through peer-reviewed publications, national and international conference presentations, and collaborative academic engagement. Alongside my teaching and research activities, I actively contribute to the wider academic and professional community through research ethics panels, systematic review panels, journal peer review, doctoral supervision, mentorship, and external examining roles. My work is underpinned by a strong commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, internationalisation, and strategic academic leadership to improve healthcare education, workforce development, and patient outcomes across diverse healthcare settings.

    Research Interests

    Core Research Themes:

    • Long-term musculoskeletal conditions
    • Exercise interventions
    • Persistent spinal pain
    • Knee osteoarthritis
    • Women’s health rehabilitation
    • Self-management approaches
    • Technology-enhanced rehabilitation
    • Workforce innovation

    Professional, Governance and Quality Contributions at LSBU:

    • Member of College of Health and Life Sciences Research Ethics panel
    • Member of Systematic Review Panel
    • Internal Moderator for Masters in Research thesis examination

    Supervision/ Mentorship:

    • Currently supervising a PhD candidate who is an NHS-based physiotherapist sponsored by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and registered at Imperial College London.
    • Have supervised more than 100 undergraduate and postgraduate students projects/ dissertations.
    • Academic mentor to NHS workforce through NIHR's Integrated Clinical Academic (ICA) program to develop future research leaders 

    External positions:

    • Reviewer for NIHR Allied Health research community 
    • Invited External examiner in Thesis Reviewer panel for post-graduate research at Gulf University, UAE
    • Invited reviewer for high indexed journals like PlosOne and Systematic Reviews

    Publications:

    Published 24 peer-reviewed papers in international journals, generating over 200 citations.

    Unpublished projects focus on evaluating innovative workforce development strategies, particularly simulation-integrated learning and role-emerging placements within healthcare education.  

    Awards & Recognition:

    •           Recipient of multiple academic scholarships and national musculoskeletal research awards.
    •            Recognised for contributions to healthcare education innovation and workforce capability within national and international conferences and forums.
    •       Invited as speaker for Platform and Poster presentations by UK Physiotherapy Professional body and World Physiotherapy
    •       Consistently recieved positive feedback for mentorship, educational leadership and collaborative working.

     

    Additional Responsibility

    Academic Leadership:

    • International Academic Lead for College of Health and Life Sciences (current)
    • Employability Lead for School of Allied Health 
    • Placement Team Lead in Physiotherapy

     

    Subjects Taught


    BSc Human Structure and Function Appraising Evidence for Research-Informed Practice Patient-centred Physiotherapy through the Life Cycle Clinical Application of Physiotherapy 1 Advancing Physiotherapy Practice Clinical Application of Physiotherapy 2 MSc Human Science - Foundation Fundamentals of Clinical Practice - Part 1 Rehabilitation (Year I) Clinical Application of Physiotherapy 1 Fundamentals of Clinical Practice - Part 2 Dissertation for Allied Health Sciences Clinical Application of Physiotherapy 2

    Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

    In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

    1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
      SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
    2. SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
      SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

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