TCD Physiotherapist Elected Vice-President of World Physiotherapy Organisation

Posted on: 03 August 2011

Dr Emma Stokes, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy at Trinity College’s School of Medicine, has become the first Irish Vice-President of the World Confederation of Physical Therapists, a global professional organisation representing 350,000 physiotherapists worldwide.  The organisation is the sole international body for physiotherapy and aims to promote the profession and its contribution to global health.

Speaking about the announcement Dr Stokes commented: “It is a great honour to have been elected to serve as Vice-President with such a strong mandate.  This is a truly exciting opportunity which will bring great benefits to our physiotherapy students at Trinity College, to our undergraduate programme and to the profession of physiotherapy in Ireland.  With close access to a global network, we can draw on leaders in research, education and practice to contribute to and inform our activities as well as developing a network of contacts for our students, who like many graduates, are faced with significant challenges in a difficult economic environment.”

“The members of the discipline of physiotherapy at Trinity College have made significant contributions to the profession both in Ireland and abroad.  My election as Vice-President builds on the great work of previous Irish representatives, including two members of staff from TCD, the late Dr Paul Wagstaff and Marese Cooney, both of whom were Vice-Chairs of the European Region for the World Confederation of Physical Therapists.  The ultimate goal of our work is to make physiotherapy better for the people who use physiotherapy services.”

Dr Stokes was appointed as a lecturer in Trinity College’s discipline of Physiotherapy, based in the Trinity Centre for Health Sciences at St James’s Hospital, in 1996 where she is currently a senior lecturer.  Her research interests include stroke rehabilitation, outcome measurement and professional issues.  Amongst her other roles Dr Stokes acts as a professional adviser to the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists, with a focus on preparing for the transition to the new regulatory authority in Ireland.