Rate My Professor Donna Keen

Donna Keen serves as the Research Co-ordinator in the Centre for Health, Activity, and Rehabilitation Research (CHARR) at the School of Physiotherapy, within the Faculty of Health Professional Programmes and Health Sciences Division at the University of Otago. In this capacity, she provides strategic support for research initiatives across the School of Physiotherapy, assisting academic staff and students in their projects, and cultivating essential connections with community members and external collaborators to enhance research impact and collaboration opportunities.

Keen's academic journey includes a Master's degree from the Department of Tourism at the University of Otago, completed in 2003 with her thesis titled 'Second Homes in New Zealand.' This work investigates the transformation of second homes—known locally as 'cribs' or 'baches'—from informal structures on public land to permanent developments on private property, influenced by planning regulations and shifts in mobility patterns. It highlights challenges for local governments in managing these properties and their broader implications for leisure, tourism, economic development, and rural areas. Transitioning to health sciences, Keen has contributed as a co-author to numerous peer-reviewed publications in physiotherapy and rehabilitation research. Key works include 'Implementation of the Diabetes Community Exercise and Education Programme (DCEP) plus usual care versus usual care in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomised two-arm parallel open-label trial' (BMJ Open, 2022, with Tim Stokes et al.); 'It Is "All About Relationships" in Lifestyle Programmes for People With Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study' (Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 2022, with Leigh Hale et al.); 'Long Term Exercise Engagement of Adults Living With Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study' (2022, with Leigh Hale et al.); and 'Understanding New Zealand physiotherapy scholars’ philosophies and practices of supported self-management: a qualitative study' (Disability and Rehabilitation, 2026, with B. Orpwood et al.). Her involvement underscores a focus on exercise interventions, self-management support, and relational aspects in managing chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes within physiotherapy contexts. Keen also supports research events, including symposia on pain in older adults and advancements in clinical trials.