Alice Inman
Co-Chair
MSc, BSc, MCSP, HCPC, FHEA
I am an experienced physiotherapist with a slightly eclectic portfolio career that has
spanned the specialities of paediatrics, orthopaedics and musculoskeletal medicine with many health care providers. I am now within the higher education sector as Programme Lead for a MSc Global Health at the University of Plymouth. I have experience of rehabilitation needs in LMIC’s working with CBR in Nepal, CRP in Bangladesh, ABDC in the West Bank and being lead physiotherapist for Future Health Africa. The latter has
involved multiple trips over the past decade to Kenya. Working as an ESP as part of an orthopaedic team to treat neglected trauma in partnership with Kenyan Government Hospitals I am interested in how to improve the quality of rehabilitation in resource poor
settings.
I have an MSc in Environment and Human Health, a fascinating course looking at the
wider determinants of health. I have a passionate belief that the world needs to be a
more equal place and that physiotherapy has a hugely valuable role as a sustainable
means of supporting so many with health needs across the globe.
Kate Mattick
Treasurer, Social Media
BSc, MCSP, HCPC
I have been a physio for over 10 years, working across various acute and community settings in the UK and overseas in both humanitarian and development capacities. I have an ever evolving interest in the system wide barriers that impact a persons access to services and participation in life. My broad interests span ageing, access to rehabilitation, community development, research and assistive technology. I have an MSc in Disability, Design and Innovation and a PGCert in Global Health. In the last few years I have been able to build my non-clinical portfolio of work in the international development sector working for the Global Disability Innovation (GDI) Hub across a research, community development and communications role.
In 2024 I am excited to embark on a PhD via the CREATE programme which will explore healthy ageing models of care in two contexts in Zimbabwe.
In my spare time – I tend to be outdoors.
Johanna Gibbs
Membership Secretary
MSc, BSc, MCSP, HCPC
My name is Johanna Potter and I am a MSK Physiotherapist who qualified in 2002 from Southampton University. I started my professional life in Leeds General Infirmary carrying out junior rotations, but quickly got itchy feet and went to work in Vietnam in an Orthopaedic Hospital. I returned to the UK but wanted to carry on exploring the world, so joined the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Physio. This was the start of the Iraq and Afghan commitments so life was definitely busy and interesting. I left after 14 years in 2019 having specialised in MSK and gained a MSc in Sports and Exercise Medicine. I married David, a Royal Navy Emergency Department Doctor in 2012, and we managed to wangle a year’s sabbatical (or honeymoon!) in 2013 when we drove to Sierra Leone and worked there for 6 months. During this time, I resurrected the old physio department in the hospital we were working in and this project has led on to the first Sierra Leonean accredited BSc Physiotherapy programme which is in its second year.
My passion for travel and experiencing other cultures has led me to all corners of the world and I have worked in Bangladesh and Romania before I qualified. Since leaving the Army, I have had a third child and live just north of Plymouth. I plan to now focus more on Global Health as a speciality whilst keeping my MSK in date with a private clinic.
I am the Membership Secretary for ADAPT and am very proud to be working alongside such a motivated group of individuals. I look forward to hearing from you and please don’t hesitate to contact me for any reason.
Fiona Lindsay
Co-Chair
BSc, MCSP, SRP, HCPC, FRGS.
I have worked in the NHS, Tibetan refugee and Burmese migrant settlements, Indian clinics, Georgian social orphanages, on hundreds of wilderness endurance events and expeditions. I was the founder of Matterhorn Medical Ltd, (medical provider for wilderness endurance events and expeditions, brought by Promethus AlphaMed) and Athletes’ Angels Ltd (providing physio cover in remote locations). I grew up in Germany, Hong Kong, Canada and the UK, my background includes raising thousands of pounds and awareness for charities through my own expeditions, e.g. the Everest Marathon, ultra-marathons, Polar expeditions and solo bike expeditions through countries such as Pakistan and Cambodia. I have traveled extensively, lived in Asia and am now a mother, based in Scotland Scotland. I work part time on www.developing physio.com and part time on a PhD at the Global Health Academy, University of Edinburgh, exploring what CBR health workers need, to deliver physical rehabilitation in low resources settings. I was a speaker in the World Congress in Geneva in the ‘working in LMIC’ symposium. I’ve enjoyed being a champion in Schools for the Winning Scotland Foundation and love the wilderness. I have a passion to support those in need and believe that everyone can reach above and beyond their potential.
Abi Clark
iCSP Officer
BSc, HCPC and MCSP
My name is Abi and I qualified from the University of Nottingham in 2021 after achieving a BSc in Physiotherapy. I am currently working in a rotational role in one of the largest NHS trusts in London gaining valuable experience.
I have always had an interest in working abroad and in particular in LMIC’s. Whilst in school I volunteered in both Ghana and Nepal mainly working with children in schools and in healthcare, both of which inspired my passion for this area of work.
After completing half of my degree during COVID I was desperate to have a break post university so instead of heading straight into work I spent 4 months volunteering in Sierra Leone working with children with disabilities. This experience allowed me to gain knowledge into working in LMIC’s and the challenges this sometimes presents. I am really excited at the thought of completing more work like this in the future and combining my love for physiotherapy and my passion for helping those in need and exploring different cultures.
Outside of physio you can usually find my running around on a muddy rugby pitch, attempting to train for a marathon or planning my next trip abroad!
Celine De-Silva
Diversity Officer
BSc, MSCP, HCPC
I have been a member of the ADAPT network since 2020 and appointed the diversity officer in January 2023. I have worked in Zambia, Lusaka for the 6 months supporting a quality improvement (QI) project under the improving global health fellowship with health education England (HEE). I graduated from the University of East London with a first class in B.Sc. Physiotherapy in 2019 and am passionate about providing community care globally. I completed 3 years of rotational positions with Central London Community Healthcare (CLCH), here I engaged with the race equality network (REN) and facilitated BME student experience groups. While working within the Learning Disability (LD) service I completed a QI project to improve access to group exercise sessions for clients with mild to moderate LD. I became a tortoise mum to my pet Taco in 2020 and love to stay active through yoga and netball. I am committed to improving equality, diversity and inclusivity and looks forward to growing in my role within ADAPT.
Luke Stevens
Vice Chair
MSc, BSc, MCSP, HCPC
I am an experienced Physiotherapist currently specialising in Respiratory and Critical Care with a background in Neurology and Major Trauma. I have a colourful clinical portfolio which has seen me work across a range of specialties such as hands burns and plastics and infectious diseases where I was part of the hazardous response physio team for preparedness planning following the Ebola epidemic.
My interest in global health started while studying my MSc where I spent 3 months working in Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, Sri Lanka for my elective and volunteered for an NGO providing outreach services to the rural communities where access to healthcare was difficult.
I am a Faculty Advisory Board member for the Faculty of Remote Rural and Humanitarian Healthcare where I am involved in the development of the Faculty. Creating a home for humanitarian healthcare professionals, and working on development and education to help standardise and improve practice in this unique field.
I have spent some time working with Medical Aid Palestine (MAP UK), where I have been deployed multiple times and tasked to deliver specialist neurological training to local physiotherapists in the Gaza Strip.
I have presented my MSc Thesis ‘The roles and experiences of physiotherapist in the preparedness phase of disaster management’ at the WCPT Congress in Geneva. Had an abstract accepted too ACPIN to present my Neuro deployment in Gaza and been involved in writing and reviewing WHO Neuro rehab guidelines for Tajikistan.
I have also got a strong interest in pre-hospital care and emergency medicine, subsequently I am an advanced medic with Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team, a Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician and Technical Rope Rescue Operator. I’m studying the Diploma in Mountain Medicine at UCLan and am a World Extreme Medicine (WEM) faculty member, teaching on various wilderness, expedition and humanitarian medicine courses.
Mica Russell
Committee Secretary
MSc, BSc, MCSP, HCPC
I’m originally from Kent, and completed my studies in Portsmouth and then Brighton. After achieving MSc Physiotherapy in 2019, I moved to the North West and currently work in an NHS Trust, home of a regional Major Trauma Centre.
I have rotational NHS experience in Intermediate Care, Acute Medicine, General Surgery, Trauma Orthopaedics, MSK, COVID CPAP unit, Intensive Care, Elderly Medicine, Non-Invasive Ventilation and Weaning, A&E and Frailty.
My volunteering experience is varied; I’ve coached cricket to children with physical and learning disabilities, I’ve been a Companion Caller at Dementia UK and I also regularly volunteer at my local Parkrun on Saturday mornings.
I also have overseas volunteering experience, working with United Through Sport, delivering lessons to children in townships in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. I love travelling and exploring, and have travelled to many LMICs, including Cambodia, Fiji, Thailand and Vietnam. In the near future, I hope to combine my passion for volunteering with my clinical skillset and gain experience working abroad in LMICs.
Jessie Robinson
Public Relations Officer, Social Media
BSc, MCSP, HCPC
I’m Jessie and I qualified from the University of Nottingham nearly two years ago. I am currently working as a rotational Band 5 physiotherapist in London in an acute teaching hospital and Major Trauma Centre. I have rotational experience in Major Trauma, Respiratory and Intensive Care as well as T&O. I have international experience working in a Refugee Camp in Northern Greece as well as working in a street clinic in Thessaloniki for those who were not living in a Camp. I have also worked in Lusaka, Zambia in one of the Government-run hospitals in Intensive Care and Paediatrics as well as in a rural Zambian community clinic. I hope to continue working abroad gaining international experience, particularly in Humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
Amy Souster
Research Officer
MSc, BSc, MCSP, HCPC
I’m Amy, a physiotherapist working in rural Devon with an interest in international cooperation and work. I qualified from Manchester Uni in 2005 and moved to Devon to work and have been here ever since. I work in community rehabilitation which means I have a broad experience in almost all conditions. I have an MSc in neurological rehabilitation and am in my final year of a second MSc in amputee rehabilitation.
I’m hugely interested in travel, cultures, languages and different ways of life and am passionate about my job and what a physio can do in all aspects of life and health. I’ve volunteered abroad as a physio in Kenya, Colombia, Guyana and spent a year career break with Funprobo, an amputee charity in Bolivia. I am currently still supporting Funprobo by recruiting and screening volunteers for them. I am also involved with a charity called Prosthetika which offers capacity building and teaching projects around the world.
I’m passionate about global health issues and volunteering and knowledge sharing done correctly to fully support global communities.
Outside of Physio I live in the Dartmoor national park with a dog and a pony and spend my free time out on the moor riding, running, hiking or wild swimming. Heaven.
Jess Simms
Education Liaison / CPD Officer
BSc, MCSP, HCPC
I am a qualified physiotherapist who has worked in the NHS and privately concentrating my energy into my passion for neurology and stroke rehabilitation. I went into Physiotherapy as I had strong interests in working globally in different health systems, wanted a job where I could be involved in different cultures and have a skill to offer worldwide. In my early qualified years, I was lucky enough to do voluntary projects in a disabled orphanage in Greece and a disabled school in Peru, where I learnt some important lessons around global health. I then lived in New Zealand and UK developing my clinical physiotherapy skills and learning from my previous projects: keeping my eyes open for sustainable and structured development projects. In 2021, I went to Sierra Leone for 6 months as part of a research project developing stroke services in Sierra Leone with Kings College global health partnership. I continue to work as a stroke senior physiotherapist in the NHS whilst trying to be involved in as many other opportunities in global health. I am passionate about promoting and providing opportunities for education and learning in work and as part of ADAPT.