Samita Kirve

With over 25 years of experience in Occupational Therapy (OT) and Higher Education, I am a dedicated academic and clinician with a passion for teaching and research. Throughout my career, I have consistently improved my teaching and research skills and worked towards achieving academic excellence and student success. I have taught a variety of courses in the fields of Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Nursing, and more, and have consistently received positive feedback from my students.

My teaching philosophy revolves around active learning, experiential education, and collaborative engagement with students. I believe that learning should be inclusive and dynamic, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity which is essential for students to excel in their academic and professional endeavours. I ensure that teaching and assessment methods are suitable for students with diverse needs, and I support students in developing academic skills while fostering independent thinking. I also supervise students' research projects, and two of them presented their dissertation projects at the British Conference of Undergraduate Research and the Oxford Brookes Student Conference.

In April 2022, I was honoured with the Brookes Union Teaching Award for excellent partnership with students.

I have an in-depth understanding of the OT curriculum and validation of the OT programme. I am also an accreditor for RCOT Pre-reg programmes. Currently, as a Programme Lead for the MSc (pre-reg) OT programme I am designing and developing the new OT programme. I am also collaborating with Professional, Statutory, and Regulatory Bodies such as the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) and Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) as well as local placement partners, service user forums and students.

My primary research interests include long-term neurological conditions, dementia and inclusivity in higher education. I have conducted various projects in both academic and clinical areas. One of my recent publications focused on exploring nursing students' understanding of Alzheimer's disease, which provided valuable recommendations for the undergraduate nursing programme. As a Principal Investigator, I conducted a research project to explore gaps in the OT curriculum related to dementia, and I have submitted two papers for publication. I have received research grants, currently working on joint research projects with Alzheimer’s Research UK, the University of Oxford, and an international research project with the University of West Bohemia in the Czech Republic.

I am a Fellow of Advance HE and am currently working on my Senior Fellowship application. I regularly attend academic conferences and seminars to present my research and collaborate with colleagues. I am an active member of various research networks, including the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) dementia research community, Alzheimer's Research United Kingdom Thames Valley Network, and the Higher Education in Dementia Network (HEDN).

I am a member of the Equality and Diversity Forum and the Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team (RECSAT) at my current and past universities. I have contributed significantly to the development of new policies for staff and student inclusion and diversity.