Newcastle University

Roles and Responsibilities

• Deputy Director, Stroke Research Network
• Associate Director for Patient and Carer Involvement, Stroke Research Network
• Honorary Consultant Stroke Physician, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
• Honorary Consultant (Neurology), Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Qualifications

• MB ChB 1983 (University of Leeds)
• MRCP/FRCP 1986/1998

Previous Positions

• Reader in Stroke Medicine, Newcastle University 8/01 - 7/08
• Senior Lecturer in Stroke Medicine, Newcastle University 4/93 - 07/01
• Senior Registrar, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, 8/92 - 3/93
• Wellcome Training Fellow in Clinical Epidemiology, Newcastle University, 4/89 - 7/92
• Tutor / Hon Registrar, University of Leeds, 2/87 - 3/89

Memberships

• Royal College of Physicians, London
• British Association of Stroke Physicians
• British Geriatric Society
• Society for Rehabilitation Research

Honours and Awards

• NIHR Inaugural Senior Investigator
• Fellow of Royal College of Physicians
• Fellow of Stroke Society of Australasia

Research Interests

Stroke patients and their carers should receive high quality evidence based services which are responsive to their changing and long term needs. My research interests include evaluation of stroke services and rehabilitation; and epidemiological studies of stroke and stroke risk.

Other Expertise

I lead the patient, carer and public involvement programme of the Stroke Research Network.

Current and Recent Research Roles

• NIHR inaugural senior investigator
• NIHR Health Technology Assessment - Clinical Evaluation and Trials Board
• Stroke Matters Editorial Board
• Stroke Association Scientific Committee
• British Association of Stroke Physicians Scientific Committee
• Editor of stroke module - E-Learning for Health
• Department of Health Task Group Member - Stroke Specific Education Framework 

Postgraduate Supervision

I have supervised 8 MD/PhD students (5 as lead supervisor). All have obtained a higher degree. Until March 2011 I was regional advisor to MD/PhD students who were based within Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust. 24 (92%) of these posts were awarded a higher degree.

Current and Recent Research Grants

A trial to evaluate an extended rehabilitation service for stroke patients.  Principal Investigators: Rodgers H Drummond A Ford G Forster A Howel D Laverty A, McKevitt C McMeekin P Price C Shaw L Cant R.  Funding: NIHR HTA £1,646,334. Date: 1.10.12 – 30.9.17.

Limbs Alive – Monitoring of upper limb rehabilitation and recovery after stroke. Principal Investigators: Eyre J Ford G Rodgers H Price C Rochester L Watson P McGough S Li F Neill S Troughton  Gaukroger N. Funding: Department of Health /Wellcome Trust Health Innovation Challenge Fund £1,618,833. Date: 1.1.12-31.12.14.

Development and feasibility evaluation of a repetitive functional task practice (RFTP) programme for upper limb recovery early after stroke. Principal investigators: Rodgers H Price C Shaw L van Wijck F Watkins C Forster A, Langhorne P. Funding:  Stroke Association £157,925. Date:        1.4.11 – 31.3.14.

A Very Early Rehabilitation Trial – UK (AVERT).  Principal investigators: Langhorne P Wu O Ashburn A Rodgers H Bernhardt J. Funding: Stroke Association £189,029. Date: 1.2.10 - 31.1.13.

Development and evaluation of hyperacute services for patients with acute stroke. Principal investigators: G Ford H Rodgers R Thomson C Donaldson C Price M Murtagh M White C Cessford J Gray J. NIHR Programme Grant £1,773,616. Date: 1.8.07 - 31.7.12.

What is the clinical effect and cost effectiveness of treating upper limb spasticity due to stroke with botulinum toxin? Principal investigators: H Rodgers C Price M Barnes F van Wijck G Ford C Gray G Johnson N Steen P Shackley T Cassidy A Field. Funding: NIHR HTA £862,373, Date: 1.2.05-28.02.09.

Projects

• A trial to evaluate an extended rehabilitation service for stroke patients (EXTRAS)
  Project Leader(s): Professor Helen Rodgers
• Development and feasibility evaluation of a repetitive functional task practice (RFTP) programme for upper limb recovery early after stroke.
  Project Leader(s): Professor Helen Rodgers

• Rudd M, Rodgers H, Curless R, Sudlow M, Huntley S, Badanahatti M, Garside M, Price C. Remote specialist assessment for intraveneous thrombolysis of acute ischaemic stroke by telephone. Emergency Medicine Journal 2012, 29, 704-708.
• Rodgers H. Stroke. In: Barnes and Good, D, ed. Neurorehabilitation: Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Informa Healthcare, 2012. In Press.
• Harper A, Rodgers H. Stroke rehabilitation. In: Gosney, M., Harper, A., Conroy, S, ed. Oxford Desk Reference Geriatric Medicine. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2012. In Press.
• Shaw LC, Price CIM, van Wijck FMJ, Shackley P, Steen N, Barnes MP, Ford GA, Graham LA, Rodgers H. Botulinum Toxin for the Upper Limb After Stroke (BoTULS): TrialEffect on Impairment, Activity Limitation, and Pain. Stroke 2011, 42(5), 1371-1379.
• Fisher R, Gaynor K, Kerr M, Langhorne P, Anderson C, Bautz-Holter E, Indredavik B, Mayo N, Power M, Rodgers H, Ronning O, Widen-Holmqvist L, Wolfe C, Walker M. A Consensus on Stroke Early Supported Discharge. Stroke 2011, 42, 1392-1397.
• Rodgers H, Price C. Early identification and presentation to hospital. In: Kalra, L., Wolfe, C., Rudd, A, ed. A Practical Guide to Comprehensive Stroke Care: Meeting Population Needs. London: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd, 2011, pp.99-130.
• Shaw L, Rodgers H. Botulinum toxin to treat spasticity after stroke. Stroke Matters 2010, (6), 12-13.
• Shaw L, Rodgers H, Price C, van Wijck F, Shackley P, Steen N, Barnes M, Ford G, Graham L, BoTULS Investigators. BoTULS: a multicentre randomised controlled trial to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of treating upper limb spasticity due to stroke with botulinum toxin type A. Health Technology Assessment 2010, 14(26), 1-+.
• Lecouturier J, Murtagh MJ, Thomson RG, Ford GA, White M, Eccles M, Rodgers H. Response to symptoms of stroke in the UK: a systematic review. BMC Health Services Research 2010, 10(1), 157.
• Lecouturier J, Rodgers H, Murtagh MJ, White M, Ford GA, Thomson RG. Systematic review of mass media interventions designed to improve public recognition of stroke symptoms, emergency response and early treatment. BMC Public Health 2010, 10(1), 784.
• Lecouturier J, Stobbart L, Murtagh MJ, Ford GA, Rapley T, Louw S, Rodgers H. The challenges of seeking consent from adults to participate in acute research studies. Clinical Ethics 2010, 5(2), 73-76.
• Shaw L, Rodgers H. Botulinum toxin type A for upper limb spasticity after stroke. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics 2009, 9(12), 1713-1725.
• Laverty A, Lethbridge Z, Rodgers H. Ensuring patient and carer centred care. In: Lennon, S., Strokes, M, ed. Pocketbook of Neurological Rehabilitation. Oxford: Churchill Livingstone, 2009, pp.19-30.
• Lecouturier J, Rapley T, Stobbart L, Ford G, Louw S, Rodgers H, Murtagh MJ. Clinical research without consent in adults in the emergency setting: a review of patient and public views. BMC Medical Ethics 2008, 9, 9.
• Rodgers H, Sudlow M. Commentary: Controversies in NICE guidance on acute stroke and transient ischaemic attack. British Medical Journal 2008, 337(7664), a833.
• Rodgers H, Thomson R. Functional status and long term outcome of stroke. British Medical Journal 2008, 336(7640), 337-338.
• Rodgers H, Shaw L, Price C, Wijck Fvan, Barnes M, Graham L, Ford GA, Shackley P, Steen N. Study design and methods of the BoTULS trial: a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the clinical effect and cost effectiveness of treating upper limb spasticity due to stroke with botulinum toxin type A. Trials 2008, 9(1), 59.
• OAST Collaboration, Bath P, Gray L, Collier T, Pocock S, Carpenter J. Calculation of sample size for stroke trials assessing functional outcome: comparison of binary and ordinal approaches. International Journal of Stroke 2008, 3(2), 78-84.
• Stobbart L, Murtagh MJ, Louw SJ, Ford GA, Rodgers H. Consent for research in hyperacute stroke. British Medical Journal 2006, 332(7555), 1405-1406.
• Gommans J, Qilong Y, Eikelboom JW, Hankey GJ, Rodgers H. Homocysteine-lowering therapy with B-vitamins and the incidence of osteoporotic fractures in patients with cerebrovascular disease: results of the VITATOPS randomised, placebo-controlled, trial. 2012. Submitted.
• Forshaw D, Thomas LH, Watkins CL, French B, Sutton C, Cheater F, Roe B, Booth J, Leathley M, Burton C, Carter B, Brittain K, McColl E, Rodgers H, Dickinson H, Walker AP, Barrett J, ICONS Patient Grp, Public Involvement Grp, Carer Involvement Grp. ICONS: Identifying Continence OptioNs after Stroke. In: Stroke Society of Australasia 2012 Annual Scientific Meeting and the 8th Smart Strokes Australasian Nursing and Allied Health Stroke Conference. 2012, Sydney, Australia: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia.
• Forshaw D, Thomas LH, Watkins CL, French B, Sutton C, Cheater F, Roe B, Booth J, Leathley M, Burton C, Carter B, Brittain K, McColl E, Rodgers H, Dickinson H, Walker AP, Barrett J, ICONS Patient Grp, Publ Grp, Carer Involvement Grp. ICONS: Identifying Continence OptioNs after Stroke: findings from the case study phase. In: Stroke Society of Australasia 2012 Annual Scientific Meeting and the 8th Smart Strokes Australasian Nursing and Allied Health Stroke Conference. 2012, Sydney, Australia: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia.
• Dombrowski SU, Mackintosh JE, Sniehotta FF, Araujo-Soares V, Rodgers H, Thomson RG, Murtagh MJ, Ford GA, Eccles M, White M. Qualitative evaluation of a national stroke awareness campaign: the perceptions of stroke patients, stroke witnesses and primary care clinicians. International Journal of Public Health 2012. Submitted.
• Flynn D, Rae V, Ford G, Rodgers H, Price C, Thomson R. The impact of phase one of the FAST national stroke awareness campaign: a time series evaluation. Stroke 2012. Submitted.
• McMeekin P, Flynn D, Ford GA, Rodgers H, Thomson RG. Validating the stroke-thrombolytic predictive instrument in a population in the United Kingdom. Stroke 2012, (epub ahead of print).
• Mackintosh JE, Rodgers H, White M, Thomson RG, Ford GA, Murtagh MJ. Why people do, or do not, immediately contact emergency medical services following onset of acute stroke: qualitative interview study. PLoS One 2012, 7(10), e46124 [1-8].
• Dombrowski SU, Sniehotta F, Mackintosh J, White M, Rodgers H, Thomson R, Murtagh M, Ford G, Eccles MW, Araujo-Soares V. Witness response at onset of acute stroke: a qualitative theory-guided study. PLoS One 2012, 7(7), e39852.
• Fearon T, Marritt A, Mackintosh J, Price C, Rodgers H. Can Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists work harmoniously together?. Therapy Weekly 2002, (7 February).
• Price C, Pandyan AD, Johnson GR, Rodgers H. How valid is the clinical assessment of spasticity after stroke?. In: British Association of Stroke Physicians. 2002, London.
• Pandyan AD, Price CI, Rodgers H, Barnes MP, Johnson GR. A catch in the modified Ashworth Scale: Is there a biomechanical correlate?. In: Journal of the Neurological Sciences (Abstract presented at the XVII World Congress of Neurology). 2001, London.
• Pandyan AD, Price CIM, Rodgers H, Barnes MP, Johnson GR. A quantitative investigation into the construct validity of the modified Ashworth Scale. In: First World Congress of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. 2001, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Monduzzi Editore.
• Chappel D, Bailey J, Stacy R, Thomson R, Rodgers H. Implementation and evaluation of local priority setting for stroke. Public Health 2001, 115(1), 21-29.
• Gani A, Rodgers H, Herd B, Murphy J, Dobson R, James O, Thomson RG. The Tees Stoke Register: clinical subtypes, an indicator of stroke severity and prognosis. In: European Stroke Conference. 1999, Venice, Italy: S. Karger AG.
• Thomson RG, Gani A, Dobson R, Herd B, Murphy J, James O, Rodgers H. The Tees Stroke Register: stroke incidence in an area of high stroke mortality. In: 8th European Stroke Conference. 1999, Venice, Italy: S. Karger AG.
• Shackley P, Shaw L, Price C, VanWijck F, Barnes M, Graham L, Ford G, Steen N, Rodgers H. Cost-effectiveness of treating upper limb spasticity due to stroke with botulinum toxin A: results from the botulinum toxin for the upper limb after stroke (BoTULS) trial. Toxins 2012, 4.