Dr Ali Aries (Chair of the Physiotherapy Research Society)
Illustrations by B Mure
I am a Senior Lecturer within the School of Allied Health Professions, Keele University, and a Clinical Academic physiotherapist in the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. I have many years of experience, specialising in the field of neurology, and am on a Clinical Academic pathway building my research career. I was proud to be awarded a prestigious NIHR Clinical Academic Doctoral Fellowship (2015-18), during which I set up and successfully completed a pilot and feasibility study exploring somatosensory stimulation to the lower limb post-stroke. I then achieved my PhD in 2020; the main findings were published in 2021. My work was nationally recognised in 2021 (one of five shortlisted) for a prestigious Chief Allied Health Professions Officer UK “research impact award”. I have a growing international profile for research, education and expertise in stroke rehabilitation and I hope I am a role model for allied health professionals (AHPs). Indeed, following my international collaborative trip, as part of my NIHR Fellowship, I now collaborate with researchers as far away as Australia. I recently applied for an Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (ACAF) and am awaiting the outcome. I am keen to build AHP research capacity and, if successful with this next fellowship, I will be able to help train at least eight therapists in developing research knowledge and skills within the West Midlands.
For the last two and a half years I have been Chair of the Physiotherapy Research Society (PRS), leading an international committee (of 15 people) promoting research within the physiotherapy profession. I believe this has played a key role in helping me to develop into the Clinical Academic I am today. As a PRS team we have achieved so much in the last three years including transferring to an electronic membership system and online abstract submission for our annual conferences, abstract writing workshops and systematic review training, the latter of which was funded by a Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) Professional Network grant achieved through a competitive process. We now also have student and patient and public involvement representatives on the PRS committee. This year on April 21st we will be hosting my third PRS conference as Chair.
In 2021 I organised, chaired, and presented at the PRS conference hosted at Keele University titled “Clinically driven research to benefit patients”. As this was in the middle of the pandemic, we ran this as our first ever online conference – no mean feat…but extremely successful. Evaluation confirmed “excellent organisation” of an “inspiring” conference delivered in a “friendly atmosphere”. Our illustrator B. Mure was a big hit with the people attending the conference, as people watched them capture the focus of the presentations and discussions in pictures. We learnt more about how clinicians have a lack of time and resources for being involved in research, and how physios were unsure of how to progress their careers.
We heard some great advice about taking up every opportunity and working with ‘the best’ and that it was possible to move from knowing nothing to achieving success, but to expect some ups and downs along the way!
In 2022 the PRS were proud to host their 40th Annual Scientific Meeting at University of Kent, Canterbury, titled “Creating a Culture of Change”. As a society we recognise that it is challenging working as a busy clinician trying to drive the research agenda forward. Again, the main points of the day were represented beautifully by our fantastic illustrator B. Mure. There was acknowledgement in relation to how difficult it was to meet all the demands of the role. It was, of course, even more challenging during the pandemic, with the whole world changing in 2020.
The importance of collaboration was emphasized and also how we must all diversify and have greater cultural sensitivity.
There was great advice given that people should drive their own destinations, which is exactly what I have done as an Allied Health Professional. I changed jobs a few years ago to allow me time to develop my NIHR Doctoral Fellowship, and I have branched out nationally and internationally to raise my profile. I now work closely with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in my position as Chair of the PRS. To progress my career, I even secured my Clinical Academic post by proposing a business case for the role!
The PRS are keen to support a shift in culture within the NHS, nurturing early researchers and supporting development of clinical academics.
The title for the conference in 2023 is “Implementation and Impact” and we have four great keynote speakers: Professor Krysia Dziedzic, Professor Cormac Ryan, Professor Louise Connell and Dr Gillian Yeowell. It will take place at Manchester Metropolitan University on Friday the 21st April 2023. Do join us for what should prove to be another fantastic day. Please see the flyer for details: https://bit.ly/PRS_2023_conference
My advice would be that if you want a clinical academic career, drive it forward yourself and make it happen. Research is key to improving patient care. Being a part of driving research forward is exciting; however, I think you do need to be able to multi-task and have tenacity and resilience to enable you to succeed. Nevertheless, I believe if I can do it, anyone can!
Dr Ali Aries (Chair of the Physiotherapy Research Society)
Illustrations by B Mure
