Professor of Stroke Rehabilitation; Head of Academic Unit, University of Leeds; NIHR Senior Investigator; NIHR Academic Training Advocate
Anne Forster is a physiotherapist with a long-standing interest in stroke and has undertaken a number of randomised trials and qualitative studies examining the effect of interventions to improve the longer-term outcome for patients and carers. Interventions evaluated include: the effectiveness of home physiotherapy; provision of specialist nurse support for community-based patients and their families; information/ education provision in stroke unit settings.
Anne is the chief investigator for the two largest recruiting multi-centre trials in stroke rehabilitation in the UK. She is also developing a programme of research focused on residents in care homes. This work is supported by the West Yorkshire Care Home Research Network.
In 2015 Anne has taken up the position as the Head of the Academic Unit of Elderly Care and Rehabilitation.
In 2017 she was awarded as an NIHR Senior Investigator, who is among the most prominent and prestigious researchers funded by the NIHR and the most outstanding leaders of patient and people-based research within the NIHR Faculty.
Anne is a NIHR Academic Training Advocate (with an emphasis on physiotherapy). She acts as an ambassador for a career in health research, promoting the NIHR training and career opportunities. Providing support to, and advocating for members of the non-medical professions who wish to begin or continue a research career. See http://www.nihr.ac.uk/our-faculty/academic-training-advocates.htm
Recent Funding Awarded
Forster A, Clarke D, Birch K, Carter G, Holloway I, Oxley S, Farrin A, Patel A, English C, Mead G, Lawton R. Development and evaluation of strategies to reduce sedentary behaviour in patients after stroke and improve outcomes. NIHR, Programme Grants for Applied Research £3,013,121; 01/10/2017-31/09/2024 (84 months).
Clegg A, Young J, Forster A, Farrin A, Hartley S, Hulme C, Clarke D, Wright P, Cundill B. Randomised controlled trial evaluation to determine the clinical and cost effectiveness of a Home-based exercise intervention as Extended Rehabilitation in Older people with frailty following acute illness or injury, including internal pilot and embedded process evaluation (HERO). NIHR HTA £2,038,930.19; 01/03/2017- 31/05/2021 (51 months).
Thyer N, Jackson C, Cocks K, Forster A, Hickson, L, Gailey L, Gardner R, Smith R, Bell, K, Dennison J. Feasibility of a RCT of the Active Communication Education (ACE) programme plus hearing-aid provision versus hearing-aid provision alone. 2016 NIHR, RfPB £249,935.00
Markus HS, O’Sullivan M, de Leeuw F, Hollocks MJ, Husain M, Morris R, Barrick TR, Forster A. Apathy in stroke and cerebral small vessel disease – towards better understanding and more effective treatment approaches. The Stroke Association£445,413, 01/10/2015 – 30/09/2020 (60 months).
Forster A, Graham E, Farrin A, Hulme, C, Fisher J, Hull K, Hawkins R. Skilful Care Training Package for residents in care homes: cluster randomised controlled feasibility trial. Physiotherapy Research Foundation, £300,340.55, 01/09/2016-31/03/2019.
Singh S, Clague-Baker N, Robinson T, Carpenter C, Gilles C, Forster A. A feasibility study to identify attitudes, determine outcome measures and develop an intervention to inform a definitive trial that will determine the effectiveness of adapted cardiac rehabilitation for sub-acute stroke patients. The Stroke Association, £205,240; 01/01/14-31/12/2016.
Dean S, Forster A, Taylor R, Spencer A, James M, Allison R, Stevens S, Norris M, Poltawski L. Community-based Rehabilitation Training after Stroke (ReTrain): a pilot RCT. Stroke Association, £161,180; 01/01/2015-31/10/2017.
Clarke DJ, Forster A, Rodgers H, Tyson S, Drummond A, Palmer R, Prescott M. ReAcT: Why do stroke patients not receive the recommended amount of therapy? NIHR RfPB, £346,189; 01/09/2014-28/02/2017.
Forster A, Young J, Hewison J, House A, Hulme C, Hawkins R, Dickerson J, Richardson G, Bhakta B, Hartley S, Speed M, McKevitt C, Farrin A, Fay M, McEachan R, Foy R. Development and evaluation of strategies to provide longer-term health and social care for stroke survivors and their carers. NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research £1,643,906, 01/10/2013 – 30/09/2018.
Forster A, Young J, Farrin A, Johnson L, Birch K, Hulme C, Godfrey M, Keighley L, Buttle L, Graham E, Firth J, Siddiqi N, Ellard D, Lawton R. Development and preliminary testing of strategies to enhance routine physical activity in care homes. NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research. £1,647,249, 01/05/2013 – 30/04/2017
Pollock A, Morris J, Forster A. Physical rehabilitation treatment approaches following stroke: Cochrane systematic review of the evidence. Chief Scientist Office. £49,951, 01/03/2013 – 2/02/2014.
CIMSS programme (5th year funding). NIHR CLAHRC £2million, 01/10/2012 – 30/09/2013.
Young J, Forster A, Noonan K, Barber S, Kirby J, Speed M, Ozer S, Jones R. Investigation of screening tools for amnestic mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI). NIHR RfPB. £225,934, 03/12/2012 – 02/12/2015.
Rodgers H, Deverill M, Drummond A, Ford G, Forster A, Howel D, Laverty A, McKevitt C, McMeekin P, Price C, Shaw L, Cant R. A trial to evaluate an extended rehabilitation service for stroke patients. NIHR HTA £1,795,544, 01/10/2012 – 30/09/2017.
Rodgers H, Price C, Shaw L, van Wijck F, Watkins C, Forster A, Langhorne P. Development and feasibility evaluation of a repetitive functional task practice (RFTP) programme for upper limb recovery early after stroke. The Stroke Association £157,923, 01/07/2011 – 30/06/2014.
Siddiqi N, Young J, Cheater F, Godfrey M, Forster A, Hulme C, Farrin A, Pilot trial of Stop Delirium! A complex intervention to prevent delirium in care homes for older people. NIHR RfPB, £244,877, 01/12/2011 – 30/11/2012.
Forster A, Young J, Siddiqi N, Godfrey M, Ellard D, Johnson L, Pighills A, Lawton R, Hulme C, Torgerson D, Hewitt C, Mitchell J, Birch K, Firth J. Development and testing of strategies to enhance physical activity in care homes: a feasibility study NIHR Programme Development Grant. £85,370, 01/12/2010 – 01/09/2011.
Young J, Brooker D, Brown A, Cheater F, Farrin A, Forster A, George J, Green J, Hulme C, Hurst K, Inouye S, Siddiqi N. An investigation of the Hospital elder Life Program (HELP) system of care to prevent delirium. NIHR Programme Grant. £1,949,9391, 16/12/2009 – 30/09/2015.
Forster A, Young J. Junior Research Fellowship: Realist evaluation of the LoTscare trial. The Stroke Association. £85,000 & NIHR £20,000. 01/05/2009 – 31/04/2012.
Young J, Keen J, Forster A, Bamford J, McDermid J. Outcome-Driven Stroke Care: Clinical Information Management System for Stroke (CIMSS). National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership In Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC), £1,499,919.00, 01/10/2008 – 31/09/2013.
Forster A, McKevitt C, Young J, Clarke D, Farrin A, Lalit K, Smithard D. Process evaluation embedded within a randomised trial of caregiver training after stroke. NIHR RfPB, £249,633, 01/07/2008 to 31/12/2011.
Forster A, Young J, Farrin A, Kalra L, Knapp M, Nixon J, Patel A, Smithard D. A cluster randomised controlled trial of a structured training programme for caregivers of in-patients after stroke. MRC, £2,029,049, 03/07/2007- 31/08/2011.
Forster A, Young J, Bhakta B, Brady T, Farrin A, Hewison J, House A, Knapp M, Murray J, Patel A, Powell J, Steele V. Improving patient and carer centred outcomes in longer-term stroke care. NIHR £1,861,488, 01/08/2007 – 31/12/2012.
Forster A, Young J, Farrin A, Nixon J, Murray J. Stroke system of care trial: a cluster randomised trial evaluation of a patient- and carer-centred system for longer-term stroke care. The Stroke Association, £31,339, 01/06/2008 – 30/04/2012.
Recent Publications
Lindley R, Anderson C, Billot L, Forster A, Hackett M, Harvey L, Jan S, Li Q, Liu H, Langhorne P, Maulik P, Murthy G, and Walker M, Pandian J. Family-led rehabilitation after stroke in India: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2017 ISSN 1474-547X (In Press)
Walker M, Hoffmann T, Brady M, Dean C, Eng J, Farrin A, Felix C, Forster A, Langhorne P, Lynch E, Radford K, Sunnerhagen K, Watkins C. Improving the development, monitoring and reporting of stroke rehabilitation research: consensus-based core recommendations from the Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable (SRRR). International Journal of Stroke 2017, ISSN 1747-4949 In Press
Ozer S, Noonan K, Burke M, Young J, Barber S, Forster A, Jones. An Investigation Of Two Brief Cognitive Tests (M@T And TYM) For Identifying Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) Age and Ageing 2017 (suppl_1), i35-i38
Forster A, Airlie J, Birch K, Cicero R, Cundill B, Ellwood A, Godfrey M, Graham L, Green J, Hulme C, Lawton R, McLellan V, McMaster N, Farrin A, on behalf of the REACH Programme Team. Research Exploring Physical Activity in Care Homes (REACH): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials 2017, 18:182. doi: 10.1186/s13063-017-1921-8
Wray F, Clarke D, Forster A. Post-stroke self-management interventions: a systematic review of effectiveness and investigation of the inclusion of stroke survivors with aphasia. Disability and Rehabilitation 2017; 1-15 (online) http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2017.1294206
Clarke D, Drummond A, Burton L, Tyson S, Rodgers H, Palmer R, Grenfell K, Prescott M, Forster A. What factors influence the provision of therapy to stroke survivors? Findings from an in-depth qualitative case-study series in eight stroke units. International Journal of Stroke 2016;11(Supp3):35.
Billot L, Lindley R, Harvey L, Maulik P, Hackett M, Murthy G, Anderson C, Shamanna B, Jan S, Walker M, Forster A, Langhorne P, Verma S, Felix C, Alim M, Gandhi D, Pandian J. Statistical analysis plan for the family-led rehabilitation after stroke in India (ATTEND) trial: A multicenter randomized controlled trial of a new model of stroke rehabilitation compared to usual care. International Journal of Stroke 2016;12(2):208-10. DOI: 10.1177/1747493016674956
Brkic L, Shaw L, van Wijck F, Francis R, Price C, Forster A, Langhorne P, Watkins C, Rodgers H. Repetitive arm functional tasks after stroke (RAFTAS): a pilot randomised controlled trial. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 2016;2(1). DOI 10.1186/s40814-016-0088-5
Heslin M, Forster A,Healey A, Patel A. A systematic review of the economic evidence for interventions for family carers of stroke patients. Clinical Rehabilitation2016;30(2):119-133.
Ozer S, Noonan K, Burke M, Young J, Barber S, Forster A, Jones R. The validity of the Memory Alteration Test and the Test Your Memory test for community-based identification of amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Alzheimer’s & Dementia 2016;12(9):987-995.
Alim M, Lindley R, Felix C, Gandhi DBC, Verma SJ, Tugnawat DK, Syrigapu A, Anderson CS, Ramamurthy RK, Langhorne P, Murthy GVS, Shamanna BR, Hackett ML, Maulik PK, Harvey LA, Jan S, Liu H, Walker M, Forster A, Pandian JD. Family-led rehabilitation after stroke in India: the ATTEND trial, study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2016;17:13. doi: 10.1186/s13063-015-1129-8.
Shannon R, Forster A, Hawkins R. A qualitative exploration of patient identified unmet need one year after stroke.Disability and Rehabilitation 2016;38(20) http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2015.1107784
Forster A, Young J, Chapman K, Nixon J, Patel A, Holloway I, Mellish K, Anway S, Breen R, Knapp M, Murray J, Farrin A. Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial: Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness of a System of Longer-Term Stroke Care. Stroke 2015; 46: 2212-2219.
Clarke,D.J., Forster,A. Improving post-stroke recovery: the role of the multidisciplinary health care team. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare. 2015;8: 433–442.
Clarke DJ, Tyson S, Palmer R, Drummond A, Rodgers H, Forster A, Burton L, Brkic L, Grenfell K, Tyrrell P, Prescott M. Why do patients with stroke not receive the recommended amount of active therapy (ReAcT)? Study protocol for a multisite case study investigation BMJ Open 2015;5(8) e008443 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008443.
Young J, Cheater F, Collinson M, Fletcher M, Forster A, Godfrey M, Green J, Anwar S, Hartley S, Hulme C, Inouye SK, Meads D, Santorelli G, Siddiqi N, Smith J, Teale E, Farrin AJ. Prevention of delirium (POD) for older people in hospital: study protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility trial. Trials 2015, 16:340 doi:10.1186/s13063-015-0847-2.
Dickerson J, Forster A. Questions people ask about stroke: What has changed in twenty years? SAGE Open Medicine 2015, doi: 10.1177/2050312115591623
Brown L, Forster A, Young J, Crocker T, Benham A, Langhorne P, Day Hospital Group. Medical day hospital care for older people versus alternative forms of care. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015;6. Art. No.: CD001730. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD001730.pub3.
Forster A, Young J, Chapman K, Nixon J, Patel A, Holloway I, Mellish K, Anway S, Breen R, Knapp M, Murray J, Farrin A. Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness of a System of Longer-Term Stroke Care. Stroke 2015; doi:10.1161/strokeaha.115.008585
Rodgers H, Shaw L, Cant R, Drummond A, Ford GA, Forster A, Price C. Evaluating an extended rehabilitation service for stroke patients (EXTRAS): Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials. 2015 DOI:10.1186/s13063-015-0704-3
Poltawski L, Boddy K, Forster A, Goodwin VA, Pavey AC, Dean S. Motivators for uptake and maintenance of exercise: perceptions of long-term stroke survivors and implications for design of exercise programmes. Disability And Rehabilitation, 2015;37(9), 795-801. DOI:10.3109/09638288.2014.946154
Pollock A, Campbell P, Baer G, Choo PL, Morris J, Forster A. User involvement in a Cochrane systematic review: using structured methods to enhance the clinical relevance, usefulness and usability of a systematic review update. Systematic Reviews, 2015;4(55). DOI:10.1186/s13643-015-0023-5
Pandian JD, Felix C, Kaur P, Sharma D, Julia L, Toor G, Forster A,Lindley R. (2015). FAmily-Led RehabiliTaTion aftEr Stroke in INDia: The ATTEND pilot study. International Journal of Stroke 2015;10(4):609–614.
Heslin M, Forster A,Healey A, Patel A. A systematic review of the economic evidence for interventions for family carers of stroke patients. Clinical Rehabilitation 2015. DOI:10.1177/0269215515575334.
Forster A, Dickerson J, Young J, Patel A, Kalra L, Nixon J, Smithard D, Knapp M, Holloway I, Anwar S, Farrin A. A Structured training programme for caregivers of inpatients after stroke (TRACS): a cluster randomised controlled trial and cost-effectiveness analysis. The Lancet (in press).
Forster A, Dickerson J, Young J, Patel A, Kalra L, Nixon J, Smithard D, Knapp M, Holloway I, Anwar S, Farrin A. A cluster randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation of a structured training programme for caregivers of in-patients after stroke (TRACS). HTA Journal (in press).
Forster A, Mellish K et al. Development and evaluation of interventions and tools to improve patient and carer centred outcomes in longer-term stroke care (LoTS care) and exploration of adjustment post stroke. NIHR Journals Library (in press).
Clarke DJ, Godfrey M, Hawkins R, Sadler E. Harding G, Forster A, McKevitt C, Dickerson J, Farrin AJ. Implementing a training intervention to support caregivers after stroke: a process evaluation examining the initiation and embedding of programme change. Implementation Science (in press).
Crocker T, Young J, Forster A, Brown L, Ozer S, Greenwood DC. The effect of physical rehabilitation on activities of daily living in older residents of long-term care facilities: systematic review with meta-analysis. Published on line Age Ageing 2013; 0: 1–7.
Poltawski L, Briggs J, Forster A, Goodwin VA, James M, Taylor RS, Dean S. Informing the design of a randomised controlled trial of an exercise-based programme for long term stroke survivors: lessons from a before-and-after case series study, BMC Research Notes 2013; 6:324.
LoTS care LUNS study team. Validation of the Longer-term Unmet Needs after Stroke (LUNS) monitoring tool: a multicentre study. Published Clin Rehabil, 2013. Article first published online: 20/06/2013 DOI: 10.1177/0269215513487082.
Forster A, Young J, Nixon J, Chapman K, Murray J, Patel A, Knapp M, Anwar S, Breen R, Mellish K, Holloway I, Farrin A . Protocol of a cluster randomized trial evaluation of a patient and carer-centered system of longer-term stroke care (LoTS care). International Journal of Stroke 2013. Article first published online: 19/02/2013 DOI: 10.1111/ijs.12038.
Crocker T, Forster A, Young J, Brown L, Ozer S, Smith J, Green J, Hardy J, Burns E, Glidewell E, Greenwood DC. Physical rehabilitation for older people in long-term care. Cochrane Database Syst Rev CD004294 2013 (DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004294).
Clarke D, Hawkins R, Sadler E, Harding G, Forster A, McKevitt C, Godfrey M, Dickerson J, Farrin A. Training caregivers after stroke: process evaluation of the implementation of the London Stroke Caregiver Training Course (LSCTC) in a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial. International Journal of Stroke 2012; 7:48.
Barber SE, Birch KM, Forster A. Levels and patterns of daily physical activity and sedentary behaviour measured objectively in older care home residents in the UK. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity 2012; 20:S251-S252.
Goodwin V, Poltawski L, Kilbride C, Abraham C, Taylor RS, Forster A, Dean SG. Exercise for Stroke survivors: A synthesis of evidence-based guidelines. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity 2012; 20:S245-S245.
Teale E, Forster A, Munyombwe T, Young J. A systematic review of case-mix adjustment models for stroke. Clin Rehabil 2012; 26(9):771-786.
Clarke D, Hawkins R, Sadler E, Harding G, Forster A, McKevitt C, Godfrey M, Monaghan J, Farrin A. Interdisciplinary health research: perspectives from a process evaluation research team. Qual Prim Care 2012; 20(3):179-189.
Forster A, Young J, Nixon J, Kalra L, Smithard D, Patel A, Knapp M, Monaghan J, Breen R, Anwar S. Farrin A. A cluster randomized controlled trial of a structured training programme for caregivers of inpatients after stroke (TRACS). International Journal of Stroke 2012,7:94-99.
Clegg A, Barber S, Young J, Forster A, Iliffe S. Do home-based exercise interventions improve outcomes for frail older people? Findings from a systematic review. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology 2012 22;68-78.
Clegg A, Barber S, Young J, Forster A, Iliffe S. The Home-Based Older People’s Exercise (HOPE) trial: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMC Trials 2011;12:143.