Mr Rupert Kerrell

Senior Lecturer

School of Allied and Public Health Professions

Rupert is a Senior Lecturer and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in Occupational Therapy within the School of Allied & Public Health Professions.

Since joining Canterbury Christ Church in 2007, I have run and led a number of modules mainly in the first year, and predominately looked at the link between bodily systems and function and occupation. I have also taught on inter-professional modules. This includes teaching students from the Nursing, Midwifery, Radiography and Social Work programmes. I have an interest in sex, sexuality and sexual functioning within the health and social care field.

I have been the pathway director for the Occupational Therapy programme and Academic Group Lead for Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy, and Occupational Therapy programmes. I was instrumental in setting up the Occupational Therapy Apprentice programme that started in January 2020. Whilst at the university I completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching (Higher Education)

I graduated from Brunel University in 1998 and following that I successfully completed an MSc in Neurorehabilitation, and spent my subsequent clinical career working in London hospitals. Much of my time was spent working in neurology (acute stroke, neurorehabilitation, neurosurgery and general neurology) with a variety of conditions including stroke, head injury, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease.

Whilst completing my MSc in Neurorehabilitation at Brunel, I developed a keen interest in research and took on a research job jointly funded by King's College London and London South Bank University, evaluating the fast-track and in-service method of training health professionals. I also completed a joint research project looking at Appreciative Inquiry in healthcare degree programmes with Cardiff University.

In 2024 I was nominated for a Golden Apple Award (a student nominated award) within the category "most dedicated to supporting students.

I have led and taught on many modules on the Occupational Therapy programme, but my main area of interest is the human body and how it functions, as well as how occupations are affected when the body doesn't function properly.

  • Sex, sexuality and sexual functioning
  • Appreciative Inquiry
  • Cognitive functioning

I am registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.

I am also a member of the British Association / College of Occupational Therapists, and was a member of the National Executive Committee for the COT Specialist Section Neurological Practice from 2004-2018 and 2023-2024.