Contact
Biography
Annabelle Long studied Sports Science and Sports Rehabilitation (BSc) at St Mary's University College in Twickenham and Physiotherapy (BSc) at Southampton University. She completed an MA in Research Methods at The University of Nottingham, and recently graduated with a PhD in Ageing and Rehabilitation.
She worked on several large research studies both as a research physiotherapist and a research assistant, before starting her PhD.
She undertook a mixed methods PhD looking at the characteristics and core components needed to implement exercise classes for people living with dementia in community settings.
She is now working as a research fellow for the Nottingham Clinical Trial Unit on a project looking at the barriers and facilitators to performing research in adult care homes. She is also continuing her own research into exercise classes for people living with dementia, writing up papers from her PhD and applying for funding to continue this work.
She is a member of the CLAHRC Faculty and a member of the East Midlands Research into Ageing Network. She is also a member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), AGILE - the professional network of the CSP for therapists working with older people, the Physiotherapy Research Society and the British Geriatrics Society.
Expertise Summary
PhD graduate with research experience in quantitative and qualitative methods including systematic reviews, surveys, ethnographic observations, interviews and focus groups and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Able to work independently and as a research collaborator and supportive team member.
Research Summary
Continuing research that was started during my PhD into the characteristics and core components needed to implement exercise classes for people living with dementia in the community.
Additionally working as a qualitative research fellow on a study looking at the barriers and facilitators to undertaking research in adult care homes.
Past Research
Research Physiotherapist (July 2015 to September 2016) on an NIHR funded feasibility study with older people in the community.
Roles: administered standardised outcome measures, developed a database for intervention delivery and adverse events, delivered intervention.
Dissemination: Three poster presentations presented (local, national and international). Successfully gained funding to attend national and international conference. Co-author on the main publication for this study.
Research Assistant (October 2016 to July 2018) on the Proactive Healthcare in Care Homes (PEACH) project funded by the Dunhill Medical Trust.
Roles: recruited and consented care home residents, collected resident outcome measures, data input and maintenance of study database, design of data collection forms, led development of improved CSRI form for collection of health economics data, design of study database, data entry and data cleaning. Additionally was editor of the PEACH newsletter.
Dissemination: co-author on three publications for this study.
Research Assistant (August 2018 to May 2021) on the Promoting Activity, Independence and Stability in Early Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment (PrAISED) study funded by the NIHR.
Roles:- recruited and consented participants, collected baseline and follow-up outcome measures, day input, collating recruitment numbers.
Dissemination: co-author on two publications for this study.
Future Research
I am currently applying for fellowships and further funding to enable me to design a training package that will allow exercise instructors to accept people living with dementia in all the classes that they run.