Professor Rebecca Palmer
BA, PhD, FRCSLT
School of Medicine and Population Health
Professor of Communication and Stroke Rehabilitation
+44 114 222 0863
Full contact details
School of Medicine and Population Health
Room 107
The Innovation Centre
217 Portobello
Sheffield
S1 4DP
- Profile
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I am a speech and language therapist (SLT) specialising in stroke rehabilitation. I have more than 25 years of experience working in the field of stroke rehabilitation, both in research and clinically in stroke care. I gained a PhD in the treatment of dysarthria using speech recognition technology from the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø of Sheffield in 2005. From 2005 to 2010 I worked as a specialist SLT in the stroke unit at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. I coordinated the rehabilitation and community trials for the Trent NIHR Stroke Research Network from 2007 to 2013, gaining experience in clinical trial delivery.
As part of my HEFCE-NIHR Senior Academic Clinical Lectureship, my focus was on applied clinical research. I was the chief investigator of the Big CACTUS trial investigating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of aphasia computer treatment versus usual stimulation or attention control long-term post-stroke. This study was a multicentre randomised controlled trial taking place in 21 NHS trusts across the UK. I also piloted the implementation of computerised speech and language therapy in clinical practice, 2013-2015 for which I was awarded the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) Stenberg award for clinical innovation in 2014. I was awarded a fellowship of the RCSLT in 2023. I currently co-lead two NIHR grants on communication training: COM-STAR, co-designing and evalauting a national communication training programme for stroke staff, and an Aphasia Partnership Training (APT) NIHR Programme Grant focused on communication partner training intervention development for people with aphasia and their family members.
- Research interests
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My research interests include dysarthria and aphasia assessment and treatment, the use of technology for self-managed rehabilitation in the long-term post-stroke, and communication partner training for multidisciplinary teams and for family dyads. I am also committed to the inclusion of people with language disorders in health care and research.
I first authored the ‘Consent Support Tool: including people with communication disorders in research’ to enable people with communication difficulties to be involved in research. The inclusion of people with communication difficulties in an advisory capacity and in co-produced research is also of particular interest. I have explored different ways of including people with aphasia in PPIE winning a prize for this at the UK Stroke Forum in 2016.
- Publications
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- Grants
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- Chief investigator - Aphasia Partnership Training (APT). 2025-2031 [NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Health Research £3,800,000] (co-lead Madeline Cruice, City St Georges ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø of London)
- Chief investigator - Communication in Stroke Care and Rehabilitation (COM-STAR). 2024-2027 [NIHR HSDR £1,090,000] (co-lead Madleine Cruice, City St Georges ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø of London)
- Collaborator – VocaTempo Evaluation of the use of Voice Input Voice Output Communication Aid in adults with dysarthria. 2022-2024 [NIHR RfPB £180,000] (CI Kate Fryer, Barnsley NHS Trust/Sheffield ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø)
- Collaborator – VAMCAST Validation of the Mental Capacity Assessment Support Tool. 2022-2024 [NIHR RfPB £160,000] (CI Mark Jayes, Manchester Metropolitan ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø)
- Lead investigator – APT aphasia partnership training project 2021-2023 [NIHR Programme Development Grant £150,000] (co-lead Madeline Cruice, City ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø)
- British Association of Stroke Physicians and NIHR Stroke Research Network writing grant for Communication Partner Training. £2000. PI. 2019-2020
- HEFCE-NIHR Senior Academic Clinical Lectureship, 2012-2017 [£250,000]
- Chief investigator - Big CACTUS trial, Cost-effectiveness of aphasia computer therapy versus usual stimulation 2013-2018 [NIHR HTA grant £1.5 million]
- Collaborator - Why do stroke patients not receive the recommended amount of therapy? 2014-2017 [NIHR RfPB grant £347,089] (CI David Clarke, Leeds)
- Collaborator – STAR Speech Therapy Articulation Rehabilitation, 2015-2017 [NIHR i4i grant £339,534] (CI Stuart Cunningham, Sheffield)
- Collaborator - BEADS – behavioural therapy for depression post-stroke, 2014-2016 [NIHR HTA grant, £430,583] (CI Shirley Thomas, Nottingham)
- Collaborator – RELEASE - REhabilitation and recovery of peopLE with Aphasia after StrokE (RELEASE): Utilizing secondary data to enhance speech and language therapy interventions for people with aphasia after stroke, 2016-2018 [NIHR HS&DR £446,158] (CI Marian Brady, Glasgow)
- Teaching interests
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I am Programme Director for the MSc Clinical Research in which we aim to build research capacity in all health professionals.
I have supervised 6 PhD students to completion and have two current ongoing PhD students. This includes supporting allied health professionals to successfully obtain prestigious NIHR and Stroke Association doctoral fellowship awards. Please contact me if you are interested in studying for a PhD with me in communication disorders, stroke rehabilitation, or rehabilitation technology.
- Professional activities and memberships
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- Fellow of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (former Trustee for Research and Development 2016-2022)
- Co-lead for the Triallists in Aphasia Panel, Collaboration of Aphasia Triallists
- Member of the NIHR Doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship award panel
- Member of NICE Stroke Rehabiliation Guideline Committee (2021-2023)