Emma Stokes

Education and work experience: Emma Stokes qualified as a physiotherapist in 1990 [BSc Physiotherapy, Trinity College Dublin]. While working as a clinical physiotherapist at St. James’s Hospital, Dublin (1990-1996), she completed a post-graduate Diploma in Statistics in 1993 and MSc (Research) in 1995 both at Trinity College Dublin. She took up an academic position at Trinity College in 1996, completed a PhD in 2005 and a Master’s degree (MSc Mgmt, Business Administration) in the School of Business in 2008. She is an associate professor at the Department of Physiotherapy, Trinity College Dublin [1996 to date]. She was elected as a Fellow of the College in 2012. She will commence a Diploma in Leadership Coaching in September 2014.

International representation

1998-2006: Representative of Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists at international meetings including WCPT & European Region of WCPT.

2007-2011: WCPT Executive Committee, regional member, European Region (ER-WCPT)

2011-2015: Vice President, WCPT

Leadership Emma Stokes has played a number of leadership roles over the course of her career. Since the early 1990’s, she has been an active member of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP). As well as acting as a professional adviser, she has chaired the Society’s Standing Committees for International Affairs and for Finance. In 2012, she was appointed as the Director (non-executive) of Professional Development and has led the establishment of the ISCP’s first professional development unit, in preparation for the required organisational transformation of the ISCP when the

physiotherapy regulatory board opens. Drawing on key stakeholder and member engagement as well as her international experience, she led the project that has culminated in the establishment of a team of 3 staff and more than 40 volunteers whose chief function is to position the ISCP as a key provider of continuing professional development in the coming years. In 2010 she completed a 5-year term as a College Dean at Trinity College Dublin [15,000 students] with responsibility for student discipline. She was the first woman to be appointed to this senior academic management position.

Board membership her experience of eight board directorships covers the health, education, regulation and charity sectors. She recently completed a term as the chair of the board of a charity for people with Parkinson’s Disease – www.moveforparkinsons.com.

Regulation She is currently the Minister for Health’s nominee to represent the physiotherapy profession on Ireland’s regulatory authority – the Health & Social Care Professions Council. She has been an invited speaker at the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy Regulators (USA) leadership workshop and annual conference and the International Network of Physical Therapy Regulators. She is a member of the recently established (2014) Physiotherapists Registration Board that will regulate physiotherapy in Ireland.

Research, scholarship and teaching: Dr. Stokes has had two main research interests. The first has been in the area of rehabilitation with a focus on novel ways to mediate exercise intervention and participation post stroke and in people with neurological disabilities. Her current research focus is on national and international professional issues in physiotherapy. She has published widely in these areas in international peer- reviewed journals. She co-leads the teaching modules on professional issues for the entry-level physiotherapy students at Trinity College Dublin and at the TCD Singapore programme. She spent time on sabbatical at the University of Toronto (2010). She was privileged to deliver the 2013 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Founders’ Lecture in October 2013 - http://www.csp.org.uk/news/2013/10/11/physio13-founders-lecture-calls- physios-think-creatively In 2014, she was in receipt of a government scholarship from

Taiwan as a visiting scholar and was invited to the University of Rhode Island as a Distinguished International Visiting Scholar - http://web.uri.edu/physical- therapy/2014/02/14/international-scholar-dr-emma-stokes-to-visit-uri/ She was appointed as an adjunct associate professor at the University of South Australia in August 2014.

International professional adviser: She has acted as an adviser to physiotherapy organisations advising on organisational development and capacity as well as professional issues. She was recently a member in a task force of the American Physical Therapy Association on scope of practice.

More details can be found on http://emmakstokes.wordpress.com