Rate My Professor Dawn Simpson

Dr Dawn Simpson is a Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy in the School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Sciences from the University of Tasmania and a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) from the University of Teesside, United Kingdom. Her professional career encompasses extensive clinical experience, including Team Leader Physiotherapist in Rehabilitation and Aged Care at Tasmanian Health Service South from 2008 to 2020, Senior Physiotherapist at South East Sydney Illawarra Area Health Service from 2005 to 2008, and Physiotherapist with the National Health Service in the United Kingdom from 1998 to 2005.

Dr Simpson's research program focuses on translational research in post-stroke fatigue, factors influencing sedentary behaviour and physical activity for stroke survivors, and health service models to support improved rehabilitation and recovery outcomes. She is an early-career researcher affiliated with the Hunter Medical Research Institute’s Heart and Stroke Research Program and serves as an Emerging Leader with the International Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery Alliance. She contributes to the Australian Stroke Living Clinical Guidelines Physiotherapy Taskforce and participated in the international 3rd Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable Fatigue Task Force from 2021 to 2023. In 2023, she received a Stroke Foundation Seed Grant to co-design and test a psychoeducational tool for post-stroke fatigue management. Notable publications include 'A roadmap for research in post-stroke fatigue: Consensus-based core recommendations from the third Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable' (2024), 'Exploring post-stroke fatigue from the perspective of stroke survivors: what strategies help? A qualitative study' (2023), 'How should we measure physical activity after stroke? An international consensus study' (2023), 'The effect of education interventions in reducing fatigue for people living with neurological conditions: A systematic review and meta-analysis' (2024), and 'Mechanisms of Post-Stroke Fatigue: A Follow-Up From the Third Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable' (2023). Her work advances understanding of movement behaviours and interventions to optimize stroke recovery outcomes.