Associate Professor Gillian Ferguson

My clinical experience lies predominantly with children with motor coordination difficulties. My research interests are concerned with children, development and physical fitness and more recently curriculum development within health sciences education. I think it is important to learn about ways to improve learning and facilitate student success within Health Sciences. I am especially concerned with the impact of ‘non-academic’ or personal problems on students’ learning and exploring how curriculum transformation within physiotherapy can equip educators to better serve and train students who are best positioned to influence change. My PhD explored the motor function of children with neuro-developmental disabilities, more specifically, developmental coordination disorder in low-income schools. I found that although physical fitness is an effective intervention supporting the need for physiotherapists in schools, the under-lying social aspects affecting this population group need further research. My research interests have since expanded into other areas of developmental disability to include children with autism and children with generalized joint hyper mobility syndrome, extending to physical activity and fitness in adolescents linked to sport. I supervise undergraduate and postgraduate research across a broad range of topics including strokes, adolescent health and sport. ORCID ID: