Thursday, 25 July 2024
Professor Praminda Caleb-Solly who specialises in person-centred machine learning and assistive robotics has been appointed as University of Nottingham Academic Lead for the NHS National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC).
Praminda Caleb-Solly is Professor of Embodied Intelligence in the University of Nottingham’s School of Computer Science where she leads the Cyber-physical Health and Assistive Robotics Technologies (CHART) research group. This research focuses on investigating how socially and physically assistive robotics and sensor-based intelligent technology can assist people with disabilities and long-term conditions, as well as their carers, in providing support for activities of daily living.
University of Nottingham Academic Lead for the NRC is a significant role that both recognises Praminda’s leadership and research expertise. Praminda will represent the University of Nottingham in the NRC programme both from an education and training, and also a research perspective. Her breadth of experience in the field will be hugely beneficial to the programme.
The £105 million NRC programme aims to transform the delivery of rehabilitation in England through the programme of work including building a 70-bed, state-of-the-art and highly energy efficient new facility, run by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and part of the Government’s New Hospital Programme. Research, innovation and training will be led by academic partners the University of Nottingham and Loughborough University.
Combining patient care delivered by staff from Nottingham University Hospitals with research, innovation and training, the centre’s objective is to act as the National hub to transform how people recover and regain fitness and function following serious injury or illness, and to widen access to rehabilitation beds.
Professor Caleb-Solly will also lead the development of national and international relationships, providing leadership to guide the vision of the project. Professor Caleb-Solly commented: “The NRC offers a wholly exceptional opportunity to spearhead the next generation of evidence-based, person-centred rehabilitation solutions. I am honoured to have the opportunity of being part of the NRC as it emerges as a beacon for realising the best ways to address patient needs for personalised rehabilitation and clinical recovery.
“Realising the potential of innovative technologies requires multidisciplinary environments, bringing together patients, healthcare providers and healthcare industries in a systematic way to maximise clinical, economic, and environmental sustainability and viability as part of an evolving healthcare ecosystem."
I am very honoured to be able to carry forward Pip’s and the team’s passion and vision of what emerging technologies can achieve. I look forward to helping scope the NRC’s research, drawing on the wealth of knowledge and expertise in the NRC, in our universities, regionally and internationally, to address the many complex factors relating to the implementation, integration, and adoption of co-designed solutions.”
Professor Pip Logan
Professor Caleb-Solly takes over the Academic Director role from Professor Pip Logan who is moving onto a Professional role in Australia.
Professor Logan commented: “It’s fantastic news that I will be handing over my role as University of Nottingham Academic Lead for the National Rehabilitation Centre to Praminda. I have been involved in this project for over 10 years, when we wrote the first research strategy with the Defence Rehabilitation Centre. In 2021 we won the chance to be a partner with NUH and LU to build the NRC, next to the Defence Rehabilitation Centre. Since then we have grown a thriving research portfolio in rehabilitation, spanning across projects in engineering, pharmacy, applied health, robotics and mental health and have established four new masters programmes. We lead the NRC patient and public involvement network to make sure our academic work is having real impact on peoples’ lives and have recently secured £3M funding for a Centre in Rehab Technology. I wish Praminda all the best in her role, and know it will be an exciting time as the first patients, clinicians and academics become integrated into the NRC building.”
I’m very pleased to be able to welcome Professor Caleb-Solly to the NRC team and am sure that her wealth of experience and knowledge will be of great benefit to our patients, staff, and researchers both now and once the NRC is open.
I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Professor Logan for all her hard work whilst in the Academic Director role at the University of Nottingham, and we are pleased that she will continue to be involved with the NRC in an advisory capacity.
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More information is available from Praminda.caleb-solly@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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