Dr Laura Hemmings

Dr Laura Hemmings

School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences
Assistant Professor in Physiotherapy

Contact details

Email
l.hemmings@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@LauraHemmingsPT
View my research portal
Address
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Laura Hemmings is a Assistant Professor in Physiotherapy, within the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences. She specialises in the area of mental health and is passionate about the integration of physical and mental health within physiotherapy and healthcare.

Qualifications

MRes University of Birmingham 2019
BSc Coventry University 2010

Biography

Laura Hemmings qualified as a physiotherapist in 2010. After a short period working in pediatrics’, Laura found her passion and moved to specialise as a physiotherapist in mental health. Laura has experience working in all areas of mental health including adult mental health, neuropsychiatry and secure services. During her time working clinically, Laura became research active and progressed along the NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic pathway where she explored access to physiotherapy services for patients with mental health illness and used the findings to drive clinical change locally. She continues to develop this work since joining the University of Birmingham in 2019 and is currently completing her PhD around integration of physical and mental health within physiotherapy.

Laura currently teaches on the Physiotherapy programmes within the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences and is Education Lead for the Chartered Physiotherapists in Mental Health (CPMH).

Teaching

Module lead for Integrated studies and Complex Integrated Care on the Physiotherapy BSc programme.

Research

Specific research interests include:

  • Integration of physical and mental health within care pathways and access to care for those with mental health illness.
  • The impact and interplay between physical and mental health comorbidities with a focus on pain and mental health.
  • Promotion and benefits of exercise and physical activity for prevention and treatment of mental health illness.

Other activities

Education Lead for Chartered Physiotherapists in Mental Health (CPMH).
UK representative for International Organisation of Physiotherapy in Mental Health (IOPTMH) education committee.

Publications

Recent publications

Article

McGrath, R, Shephard, S, Hemmings, L, Parnell, T & Verdon, S 2023, 'Preventing Suicide: It is time to mobilize the physical therapy workforce', Physical Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzad116

Soundy, A, Hemmings, L, Gardiner, L, Rosewilliam, S, Heneghan, NR, Cronin, K & Reid, K 2021, 'E-learning communication skills training for physiotherapy students: a two phased sequential mixed methods study', Patient Education and Counseling, vol. 104, no. 8, pp. 2045-2053. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2021.01.022

Soundy, A, Hemmings, L & Gardiner, L 2021, 'Screening and supporting the mental health of student physiotherapists during the COVID-19 pandemic', International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.12968/ijtr.2020.0103

Laura, H & Soundy, A 2020, 'Experiences of physiotherapy in mental health: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of barriers and facilitators to care', Physiotherapy, vol. 109, pp. 94-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2020.01.001

Soundy, A, Stubbs, B, Probst, M, Hemmings, L & Vancompfort, D 2014, 'Barriers to and facilitators of physical activity among persons with schizophrenia: a survey of physical therapists', Psychiatric services.

Abstract

Byrd, E, Carlin, A, Fitzpatrick, B & Hemmings, L 2024, '157 ’Finding Our Tribe’: Parental Experiences Navigating Sport and Physical Activity Opportunities for Neurodivergent Children and Young People', European Journal of Public Health, vol. 34, no. Supplement_2, ckae114.142. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckae114.142

Review article

Vancompfort, D, Brunner, E, McGrath, R, Hemmings, L & Van Damme, T 2023, 'Correlates of sedentary behavior in people with fibromyalgia: a systematic review', International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, vol. 26, no. 5, pp. 841-849. https://doi.org/10.1111/1756-185X.14678

Vancompfort, D, Van Damme, T, Brunner, E, McGrath, R, Hemmings, L, Schuch, F & Guimaraes, M 2023, 'Dropout from exercise interventions in adults with fibromyalgia: A systematic review and meta-analysis', Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2023.06.002

Hemmings, L, Heneghan, NR, Byrd, E, Stubbs, B & Soundy, A 2022, 'Healthcare professionals' perceptions and experiences of physiotherapy for people with mental illness: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-ethnography', BMJ open, vol. 12, no. 8, e061227. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061227

Vancompfort, D, Brunner, E, McGrath, R, Hemmings, L & Van Damme, T 2022, 'Physical activity correlates in people with fibromyalgia: a systematic review', Disability and Rehabilation. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2022.2146911

View all publications in research portal