Claire is a PhD student whose current research – the AutoTriage project – lies at the exciting intersection of the automotive, medicine and engineering industries. She is investigating the feasibility of predicting traumatic brain injury severity in road traffic collisions using onboard vehicle sensors, with the overarching aim of improving emergency services response and trauma outcome.

As well as being hosted by Design Engineering during her PhD, Claire is a member of Imperial College London's multidisciplinary Centre for Doctoral Training programme in Neurotechnology, from which she graduated with a distinction in her research master’s in 2018. Claire's background is in astrophysics, which she studied during her undergraduate master's at the University of Southampton. She graduated in 2017 with a first-class honours in physics, completing her final year research at Harvard University's Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

Currently, Claire is developing a bicycle helmet rating system and assessing common helmets used in the UK by people who cycle, funded by the Road Safety Trust.

Dr Kent is a Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Rehabilitation Medicine (special interest in neurological rehabilitation) at the Academic Department of Musculoskeletal and Rehabilitation Medicine. She was the lead for neuro-rehabilitation at Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust and also provides clinical input into the Southwest Yorkshire Mental Health Trust through input into the Kendray Barnsley Rehabilitation Unit and works with the Learning Disability Psychiatry and Therapy Team.

Ruth looks after patients across their clinical journey, both with acquired injuries and with longer-term degenerative conditions, including genetic and congenital. She works in inpatient rehabilitation of head injuries and other acute neurological conditions as well as stroke care, and provides outpatient neurological rehabilitation care and symptom management.

She has an interest in medical ethics and has been on the local research ethics committee, advising the Trust and local PCTs on the aspects of safeguarding, ethics and service development.

Olivia Dennison, Case Manager, is a qualified physiotherapist with an MSc in Psychology. She has over ten years of experience providing services to clients with complex needs as a result of life-changing catastrophic injuries and trauma.

Olivia’s diverse clinical experience equips her with a unique skill set and an extensive depth of knowledge and understanding of each client she works with.

Olivia offers a meticulous, confident, and pragmatic approach to each case. She exercises an effective combination of organisation, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and excellent client skills that are highly valued by clients and professionals alike.

Olivia is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and is also a member of the British Association of Brain Injury and Complex Case Management and The British Psychological Society.

Leon sustained a hypoxic brain injury from glandular fever in 2010 at the age of 28, after receiving limited oxygen to his brain for 40 minutes. Before rehabilitation Leon was trapped in a vicious cycle, struggling to come to terms with his new life.

He now works alongside Kate Heward as a crucial part of Rehabilitate Therapy’s client community team, supporting those impacted by brain injury in dealing with difficult issues including loss of confidence, loneliness, adjustment, and poor self-esteem.

In 2023 Leon was awarded the UKABIF Award for Inspiration.

The Owner and Clinical Director of Rehabilitate Therapy, Kate is a doctor of occupational science and occupational therapy. She is a neuro-rehabilitation specialist with 26 years of experience (hospital/community). Kate won the College of Occupational Therapy Merit Award winner in 2016. Kate is a specialist visiting lecturer at universities in Leeds, Sheffield, and Bradford.

Kate specialises in vocational rehabilitation, transitional rehabilitation, complex assessment, fatigue management, sleep intervention and neurological splinting.

Thom specialises in providing holistic financial planning advice to individual clients and has additional qualifications in discretionary investment management and long-term care needs.

He also specialises in providing advice to clients with complex needs, many of whom have survived catastrophic injury and who, as a result of litigation, have secured funds which need to be invested, managed and utilised wisely to provide for their long-term wellbeing.

He previously worked as a risk and compliance consultant on behalf of the ‘Big 4’ audit firms and major retail banks. He designed and implemented compliant procedures – including for the assessment and handling of complex vulnerability concerns – for major rectification projects. He also sat on a range of forums, providing guidance and advice on complex and contentious issues.