Professor Katrina Bannigan
Professor (Occupational Therapy)
School of Health and Life Sciences
Katrina is an occupational therapist who works at the heart of the ‘education-research-practice’ nexus to increase research capacity and capability alongside the rigorous development of occupation-based therapy complex interventions. She has worked in clinical, research and academic positions in Falkirk, Nuneaton, York, Hull, Middlesbrough, and Plymouth before joining the University as Head of Occupational Therapy and Human Nutrition and Dietetics in February 2019.
Katrina’s research and teaching predominantly focusses on research methods, particularly evidence synthesis. She is a core member of The University of Plymouth Centre for Innovations in Health and Social Care: A Joanna Briggs Institute Centre of Excellence and is an accredited JBI systematic review trainer. She is currently co-authoring a textbook on evidence synthesis commissioned by Sage Publications. Her award of Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2013 recognised her leadership in teaching research in health and social care. She maintains her good standing by reviewing for HEA recognition panels for fellow and senior fellow, providing academic mentoring and co-leading GCU’s Senior Fellow Community.
Katrina is keen to supervise PhD students with an interest in developing and evaluating complex interventions in occupational therapy.
Katrina is a currently Vice Chair of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists Research & Development Board. She founded and facilitates the online Occupational Therapy Writing Group (@otwg_gcu) to increase writing productivity in occupational therapy.