Dr Gillian Baer (PhD, MSc, MCSP) is a Senior Lecturer in the Dietetics, Nutrition & Biological Sciences, Physiotherapy, Podiatry & Radiography Division. She is also a member of the Centre for Health, Exercise and Rehabilitation Research.
- Overview
- Research Interests
- Research Publications
- Funded Projects
- Teaching & Learning
I qualified as a physiotherapist from the Middlesex Hospital, London and worked clinically for a number of years before joining Queen Margaret University. My teaching interests and research stems from my clinical background in neurological rehabilitation with extensive expertise gained working in the UK (National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Charing Cross Hospital; The Middlesex Hospital and Southampton General Hospital) and in Ottawa, Canada. My interest in strategies to re-educate movement and function for people with stroke motivated me to undertake an MSc in Rehabilitation Studies within which I investigated the movements of sitting-to-standing in people with stroke for my MSc dissertation. In 2011 I completed my PhD with a project, grant funded by the Chief Scientist Office, which comprised a randomised controlled trial of a home exercise programme for community- dwelling people with late-stage Stroke.
My focus is on developing and undertaking clinically meaningful research for people with long-term neurological conditions and I have a successful track record of undertaking, primarily, stroke research. I have previously held grants which have supported work to:
- Develop and investigate the psychometric properties of four simple mobility milestones in stroke
- Investigate home-based physiotherapy for people with late stage stroke
- Investigate Treadmill Training for people with sub-acute stroke.
I am currently (2016) involved in grant funded work to explore:
- The perspectives of stroke survivors re: community based exercise
- Scoping the Needs of Families and Carers of people with Multiple Sclerosis – the SNOFLAC-MS study
I am a member of the newly formed CHEARR (Centre for Health, Exercise and Rehabilitation Research) research centre at QMU. Within the centre, I coordinate a research group with an aim to engage in research relevant to people living with long-term neurological conditions in a practical and pragmatic manner.
My teaching primarily relates both to Advancing Clinical Practice generally and neurological management and rehabilitation specifically. I have a Subject Lead role for the Professional Doctorate in Health and Social Sciences and a lead role for post-graduate education and Continuing Professional Development.
I have a number of divisional and university wide roles including divisional and institutional Athena SWAN representation; divisional Research Ethics Committee; QMU Recognition of Prior Learning Panel (chair); QMU Learning and Teaching panel (chair); QMU Student Experience Committee. I am a representative on the Scottish Board for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, have previously held posts with various national groups such as the Physiotherapy Research Society and the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists Interested in Neurology and currently and previously have been external examiner to a number of BSc Honours, MSc pre-registration and MSc post-registration programmes.
Affiliations/Memberships to Other Organisations:
- HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) registered
- Fellow of Higher Education Academy
- Member Society for Rehabilitation Research
- Member ACPIN (Association Chartered Physiotherapists Interested in Neurology)
Professional Social Media:
- Twitter @physio_gill
Research/Knowledge Exchange Centre Membership:
- A member of the Centre for Health, Exercise and Rehabilitation Research
My focus is on developing and undertaking clinically meaningful research for people with long-term neurological conditions and I have a successful track record of undertaking, primarily, stroke research. I have previously held grants which have supported work to:
- Develop and investigate the psychometric properties of four simple mobility milestones in stroke
- Investigate home-based physiotherapy for people with late stage stroke
- Investigate Treadmill Training for people with sub-acute stroke.
I am currently (2016) involved in grant funded work to explore:
- The perspectives of stroke survivors re: community based exercise
- Scoping the Needs of Families and Carers of people with Multiple Sclerosis – the SNOFLAC-MS study
Active Research Interests:
- Stroke rehabilitation
- Rehabilitation approaches for people with long-term neurological conditions
- Practice paradigms for neurological rehabilitation
- Treadmill Training
- Monitoring Physical Activity in neurological populations
- Application of Motor Learning principles in practice
- Community Based Neurological Rehabilitation
- Functional Electrical Stimulation
Research Methods:
- Evaluating complex interventions
- Randomised controlled trials of physiotherapy interventions (community based and multi-site)
- Systematic Reviewing (Cochrane)
- Measuring Physical Activity
- Rapid Realist Review
Research Grants & Contracts Funding:
“Scoping the Needs of Families and Carers of people with Multiple Sclerosis – the SNOFLAC-MS study” 2016. (Bulley, Baer, McCormack, Donald, Lugton, Gillespie). Funding Source: MS Society
“Community based exercise: perspectives of stroke survivors” 2015. (Jagadamma, Baer, Smith and Stephenson). Funding Source: Edinburgh & Lothian Health Foundation
“Treadmill Training in sub-acute stroke” 2006. (Baer, Salisbury, Smith and Dennis)
Funding source: Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland
“An investigation into home-based physiotherapy for late-stage stroke” 2002 (Baer, Weller and Durward).
Funding source: Chief Scientist Office.
“The reliability of four simple mobility milestones in stroke” 1999. (Baer, Smith and Rowe). Funding source: Chief Scientist Office.
I have a Subject Lead role for the Professional Doctorate in Health and Social Sciences and a lead role for Physiotherapy post-graduate education and Continuing Professional Development. My teaching primarily relates both to Advancing Clinical Practice generally and neurological rehabilitation specifically.