Katarina's Profile
Job title
Senior Lecturer and Physiotherapy Practice Based Lead
Academic qualifications
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, MSc Musculoskeletal Sports Science and Health, PGCert in Higher Education
"I’m a registered physiotherapist with a specialist focus on neurodiversity, and a clinical background in sports physiotherapy for several professional football academies in the UK, including West Bromwich Albion, Cheltenham Town, and Coventry City FC."
I’m a registered physiotherapist with a specialist focus on neurodiversity in higher education, inclusive teaching and learning environments, return to sport and injury prevention in athletes, concussion care, and research-driven practice. I’m a member of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), and I teach on the BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy course at UCB.
My clinical background is in sports physiotherapy, working across several professional football academies in the UK, including West Bromwich Albion, Cheltenham Town, and Coventry City FC. Most of my experience has been with professional development phase athletes (U18s-U21s), supporting their transition into full-time and first-team football. I’ve also worked closely with sports science, nutrition, and psychology teams to design individualised programmes that boost player availability and success.
Alongside teaching, I work as a freelance Content Reviewer for AnatomyStuff/Cetra, developing and reviewing physiotherapy resources. I’m also completing action research into the experiences of neurodiverse physiotherapy students on clinical placements, aiming to drive change and improve inclusivity in healthcare education. I’m passionate about working with practice providers to raise awareness of neurodiversity and ensure reasonable adjustments are made so that all students can thrive.
It’s difficult to choose just one career highlight - I really enjoyed working Youth Cup games at first-team stadiums, helping athletes return from long-term injuries (such as successful ACL reconstructions), and becoming a senior lecturer in my field. But above all, I cherish the personal successes of our UCB students, whether that’s graduating, publishing research, or landing their first jobs. I strive to create hands-on, practice-based learning that prepares students for real clinical environments.
I appreciate how inclusive UCB is as a university - cultures, disabilities, and differences are all genuinely celebrated here. The open-door policy on our course means that students always have support, and as lecturers, we’re committed to going above and beyond for everyone.
My advice to new students on our physiotherapy course is to be open-minded about which modules you might enjoy. I started out certain that I wanted to work in sports physiotherapy, but was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my placements in paediatrics, ICU, and community settings.
Outside of work, I’m a big reader, especially of anything fantasy-related - my favourite series is The Mistborn Saga by Brandon Sanderson. I speak Estonian, and I’m learning Japanese.