Amanda Clifford is an Associate Professor in Physiotherapy in the School of Allied Health, University of Limerick, with over 16 years of lecturing and research experience.
She is a member of the Ageing Research Centre, Arts and Health Research Network, Health Research Institute, associate member of Physical Activity for Health at UL and an adjunct Associate Professor in the division of Physiotherapy, at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
Prof Clifford previously worked as a physiotherapist in the UK and has clinical experience in the management people with acute and chronic orthopaedic and rheumatological conditions and in rehabilitation settings including a neurological rehabilitation unit and an outpatient falls clinic.
Her research programme of work includes the design and evaluation of evidence-based interventions to optimise health and wellbeing, and prevent falls in older people, and people with neurological conditions. Previous projects have explored the feasibility and effect of dancing and aquatic therapy for people with Parkinson’s disease and the development of falls prevention interventions for people with neurological conditions.
Current work includes a HRB funded Music and Movement for Heath study, which is examining the feasibility of a novel arts-based intervention for community dwelling older adults. Our research team includes a PPI panel, advocacy groups, an international interdisciplinary team of researchers from disciplines of physiotherapy, dance, music therapy, geriatric medicine, occupational therapy, general practice, sociology, enthnochoreology, physical activity, health economics and statistics.
- O’Malley, N., Coote S. and Clifford, A.M (2023), Outcomes of importance to people with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and stroke following a falls prevention intervention: a qualitative study to inform a core outcome set, Disability and Rehabilitation, DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2023.2201513
- Clifford, A.M., Shanahan, J., McKee, J., Cleary, T., O’Neill, A., O’Gorman, M., Low, Q. and Ní Bhriain, O., (2023). The effect of dance on physical health and cognition in community dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arts & Health, 15:2, 200-228, DOI: 10.1080/17533015.2022.2093929
- Carroll LM, Morris ME, O'Connor WT, Volpe D, Salsberg J, Clifford AM. (2022) Evidence-Based Aquatic Therapy Guidelines for Parkinson's Disease: An International Consensus Study. Journal of Parkinson’s Disease. 2022;12(2):621-637. doi: 10.3233/JPD-212881. PMID: 34842200
- García Bengoechea E, Clifford AM, Gallagher S, et al (2022) Juggling with theory, evidence, practice, and real-world circumstances: Development of a complex community intervention to increase physical activity in inactive adults aged 50 years and older – The Move for Life Study, Evaluation and Program Planning, Volume 89, https://doi.org/10.1016/
- O’Malley, N., Clifford, A.M., Conneely, M. et al. Effectiveness of interventions to prevent falls for people with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and stroke: an umbrella review. BMC Neurol 21, 378 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-021-02402-6