Rachel Young MSc, BSc (hons)

Senior Research Fellow

Summary

I am a neurological physiotherapist with extensive experience in Higher Education, industry and clinical practice. I am passionate about the generation of new knowledge and am currently completing a programme of doctoral study focussed on power assisted exercise for people with stroke.

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About

Between 2004 and 2016 I was a senior lecturer in physiotherapy at Sheffield Hallam University and since then have transitioned into my current role as a Senior Research Fellow. I am co-lead for the Neurological Rehabilitation Research and Innovation Programme at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre which is dedicated to the development of technologies which enable human movement. I have experience of working with industrial partners including Innerva, eXyo Design and Winback in the co-design and testing of new technologies for people with movement impairment. My research skills include qualitative methods, co-design, usability testing and feasibility evaluation.

I have a specific interest in the development of practice placements and am currently involved in the development of research placements to broaden the experience offered to for health and social care pre-registration students.

Specialist areas of interest

Exercise prescription
Neurological rehabilitation

Teaching

Department of Allied Health Professions

College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences

Service evaluation of a physical activity programme for long term musculoskeletal conditions: ongoing
Feasibility study to explore the use of accessible isokinetic equipment for people with long term neurological conditions (2013)

Research

Assisted Gamified Exercise For All (AGE4A): Innovate UK funded project to improve uptake of assisted exercise equipment for older adults.

eXyo Design Balance Active User Evaluation: SMART funded project to evaluate development of a biofeedback programme.

An evaluation of the biomechanical, muscular and physiological responses to power assisted exercise: Commercial project to generate new knowledge on real time responses to assisted exercise.

Publications

Journal articles

Young, R., Sage, K., Broom, D., Hext, A., & Smith, C. (2022). Effective use of storyboarding as a co-design method to enhance power assisted exercise equipment for people with stroke. Design for Health. http://doi.org/10.1080/24735132.2022.2101257

Young, R., Smith, C., Sage, K., & Broom, D. (2021). Application of the nominal group technique to inform a co-design project on power assisted exercise equipment for people with stroke. Physiotherapy, 113 (Supp 1), e80-e81. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2021.10.049

Fowler-Davis, S., Young, R., Maden-Wilkinson, T., Hameed, W., Dracas, E., Hurrell, E., ... Copeland, R. (2021). Assessing the acceptability of a co-produced long COVID intervention in an underserved community in the UK. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (24). http://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413191

Young, R., Sage, K., Broom, D., Broomfield, K., Church, G., & Smith, C. (2021). Using nominal group technique to advance power assisted exercise equipment for people with stroke. Research Involvement and Engagement, 7. http://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-021-00311-z

Young, R., Broom, D., O’Brien, R., Sage, K., & Smith, C. (2021). Users’ experience of community-based power assisted exercise: a transition from NHS to third sector services. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 16 (1). http://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2021.1949899

Young, R., Broom, D., Sage, K., Crossland, K., & Smith, C. (2021). Experiences of venue based exercise interventions for people with stroke in the UK: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative research. Physiotherapy, 110, 5-14. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2019.06.001

Young, R., Richards, E., Darji, N., Velpula, S., Smith, C., Broom, D., & Goddard, S. (2018). Power assisted exercise for people with complex neurological impairment : a feasibility study. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 25 (6), 262-271. http://doi.org/10.12968/ijtr.2018.25.6.262

Conference papers

Young, R., Thompson, A., McLean, S., & Grafton, K. (2016). Impact of a physical activity pathway for musculoskeletal conditions: a clinical–academic partnership service evaluation. Physiotherapy, 102 (Suppl1), e250. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2016.10.313

Reports

Thompson, A., Mclean, S., Young, R., Khatab, K., Kilner, K., Stagg, R., ... Cooke, J. (2015). THE BACK ACTIVE/STAY ACTIVE PHYSIOTHERAPY MODEL OF CARE: A SERVICE EVALUATION.

Presentations

Young, R., & Lowe, A. (2015). Integration of vocational qualifications into the curriculum at Sheffield Hallam University to enhance exercise prescription within physiotherapy. Presented at: Physiotherapy UK 2015, Liverpool, UK, 2015

Other activities

Educational representative for the CSP

Media

Presented at Physiotherapy 2015 as a speaker on the workforce development theme.

Rachel Young