About

I am a Chartered Physiotherapist with particular interests in Sports Injury Rehabilitation and Prehabilitation. Prior to joining the University full-time in 2011, I worked in both NHS and private settings with a variety of patient populations. These roles have included providing Physiotherapy services to Elite track and field athletes, English Golf Union, British Orienteering Foundation, Barnsley Football Club, Sheffield Steelers Ice Hockey team as well as working in Sheffield Hallam University’s Sports Injury Clinic supporting their scholarship and professional athletes. These roles have focused on preventative and performance enhancement physiotherapy as well as more traditional injury rehabilitation.

As well as providing consultancy on athlete prehabilitation and performance enhancement, I am also interested and involved in research projects around these topics with a particular focus on athletic movement control and functional stability.

During my time at Derby University, I have been involved in the design, development and validation of a number of degree programmes (both undergraduate & post-graduate). The most recent of these was a lead author for the BSc (H) Sport Therapy and Rehabilitation which I subsequently became programme leader of from its launch in 2016 through to 2020.

Further to my interests in teaching and development of undergraduate students, I am very interested in professional development and previously worked on a collaborative research project with Sheffield PCT and Sheffield Hallam University launching a Preceptorship programme. The project focused on developing a graduate preceptorship programme with an aim to support new graduate physiotherapists in their first year of employment. This service development role involved literature reviews, organisation and coordination of various research focus groups, development of a theoretical model with full rationale and implementation of the programme including initial evaluations.

Teaching responsibilities

Module Leader:

• Level 4: Introduction to Musculoskeletal Anatomy
• Level 4: Introduction to Therapeutic Principles

Research interests

• Physiotherapy preceptorships (Graduate development programmes)
• Prehabilitation
• Movement screening
• Functional stability
• The use of compression garments in exercise

Membership of professional bodies

• Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Health and Care Professions Council
• Fellowship of Higher Education Academy

Qualifications

Undergraduate qualifications

• BSc Physiotherapy, Sheffield Hallam University, 2006, First Class Honours

Postgraduate qualifications

• MSc Sport Coaching, Derby University, 2017
  (Conversion of PGDip Sport Injury Management and Therapy, Sheffield Hallam University)

Experience in industry

• University of Derby (Buxton) - Physiotherapy Consultancy Services Sept 2010 - Sept 2017
• English Golf Union - West Midlands Regional Physiotherapist Sept 2011 - Oct 2012
• Sheffield Special Olympics - Volunteer Coach and Physiotherapist Sept 2008 - Feb 2012
• British Orienteering Foundation - Great Britain Squad Physiotherapist Apr 2010 - Aug 2011
• Sheffield Primary Care Trust - Physiotherapy Preceptorship Development Apr 2009 - Aug 2011
• Sheffield Hallam University/Tass - TASS Funded Physiotherapy Intern Sep 2009 - Aug 2010
• Barnsley Football Club - Part-time Academy Physiotherapist Aug 2009 - Sept 2010
• Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT - Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist Jan 2009 - Sept 2009
• Sheffield PCT - Physiotherapist with the Community Learning Disabilities Team Feb 2007 - Apr 2009  

Additional interests and activities

• Member of Learning Teaching Assessment & Quality Team
• External Examiner Leeds Beckett University (2020 - Current)
• External Examiner University of Lincoln (2020 - Current)

Recent publications

• Adam Baker (2017) MSc Thesis: The Effects of Free-Weight and Variable Resistance Front Squats Lifts on Vertical Jump Movement Asymmetries. University of Derby
• Rylands, L. Roberts, S, J. Cheetham, M. Baker, A. (2013). Journal of Exercise Physiology. American Society of Exercise Physiologists. 16:3.
• Baker A, Crawford R, (2009) A report on the implementation of a pilot preceptorship programme for band 5 physiotherapists working in Sheffield PCT. Sheffield Hallam University and Sheffield PCT
• Baker A, Crawford R, (2010) The Sheffield PCT Preceptorship Programme for Band 5 Physiotherapists: The user guide for preceptors and preceptees. Sheffield Hallam University and Sheffield PCT