Dr Anna Pettican

Biography

Anna is an Occupational Therapist with practice and research interests in developing, implementing, and evaluating complex health interventions that address physical inactivity and other areas of health inequality. She has particular expertise in using co-production and participatory methods to work with marginalised groups on an equal basis, in an effort to democratise the production of knowledge, develop sustainable community health improvements, and contribute to social and occupational justice. Anna has an established track record for generating research income from charitable and other grant funders (e.g. Research England's Participatory Research Fund, the Elizabeth Casson Trust, and Sport England) for research projects on disabled people's experiences of accessibility in leisure centres, participatory research methods (go-along interviews), and evaluating various community-based physical activity interventions (e.g. football as an intervention for people with mental health problems). She has published academic output at international levels of recognition in the fields of disability studies, public health and qualitative health research. Anna currently co-lead's, with her physiotherapy colleague Dr Adrian Mallows, the Essex hub for the Council for Allied Health Professions Research. This has mostly recently resulted in an 'ideas exchange' initiative, which is connecting the real-world issues and problems that practitioners are encountering with students who are completing their dissertation projects. Since 2020 Anna has been a member of the Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Public Health Expert Advisory Group convened by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (previously Public Health England), which has a particular remit for enacting the current UK AHP Public Health strategic framework across practice, research, and education. Anna is also a member of the Occupational Science Europe Research Committee, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is a reviewer for the British Journal of Occupational Therapy, the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal and Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health. Anna works part-time, Tuesday-Thursday.

Qualifications

• PhD Occupational Therapy University of Essex,

• Post-Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice University of Essex,

• MSc Occupational Therapy Brunel University London,

• BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy Coventry University,

Appointments

University of Essex

• Post-doctoral Researcher (Senior Research Officer), School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex (1/8/2019 - 31/12/2021)

• Lecturer in Occupational Therapy (Career break July 2017-Nov 2018), School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex (2/11/2009 - 31/7/2019)