Dr Helen Kelly is a state registered Speech and Language Therapist and lecturer in Speech and Hearing Sciences at University College Cork, Ireland. Helen worked clinically in NHS Scotland on Stroke and Medical wards as well as in the Community. Her research embraces her clinical experience focusing on adults with acquired swallowing difficulties and communication impairment following brain injury, such as post-Stroke aphasia. Following completion of her PhD she achieved a post-doctoral Clinical Research Fellowship where she led the Cochrane Review update - Speech and Language Therapy for Aphasia following Stroke. Helen’s research endeavours to actively include the target population of her research, where possible, through PPI and Codesign. She was Principal Investigator in collaboration with Speakability (a user-led group for people with aphasia), Edinburgh where she developed, ran and evaluated bespoke computer classes for people with aphasia with the aim of making people more independent in their daily lives through engaging with online fora. More recently she was Principal Investigator for a HRB KEDS funded study which developed a website designed by people with aphasia for people with aphasia. She currently runs online Aphasia Home Cafés fortnightly, facilitating adults with aphasia to meet together to practice their communication skills during the lockdown due to Covid-19. Helen is also leading the collaborative research project with UHK, 'Optimising the role of speech and language therapists in emergency departments in the integrated care of older people who are frail: development of a study protocol'. Helen is an active member of the international Collaboration of Aphasia Trialists (CATs), specifically, Trials for Aphasia Panel, Cognition and Social Integration Working Group and is leading a subgroup focusing on technology and how to reduce the ‘digital divid

Post-Graduate Supervision Current PhD Shauna Bell (UCC) Research area - medication adherence in aphasia PhD Myriam Galea (UCC) Research area - dysphagia MSc Clare Meskill (UCC) Research area - Technology and Parkinson's Disease Norma O'Leary (UCC) Research area - Development of a Stroke Passport Graduated PhD Aine Kearns (UCC) Research area - The use of technology in aphasia PhD Dr Dominika Lisiecka (UCC) Research area - The lived experience of dysphagia in Motor Neurone Disease Dr James Robertson (Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, UK) Research area - The choir as therapeutic context: a service evaluation of responses from patients and staff in a medium secure forensic unit following their participation in a series of choral experiences. MSc Aoife Nic Chairtaigh (UCC) Research area - The Orpington Prognostic Score as a predictor of functional outcome post-stroke as determined by the Modified Barthel Index.

Dr. Helen Kelly is year tutor for 3rd year BSc in Speech and Hearing Sciences Main teaching interest Adult acquired communication impairments following Stroke and degenerate diseases Adult acquired dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) Inter-professional learning between SLT and Pharmacy students around topic of dysphagia