Coles-Medlock Foundation pledges further support for Centre for Doctoral Training

The Coles-Medlock Foundation is focused on alleviating poverty and hardship by supporting charitable projects across the developing world, and has supported the University of Salford since 2013, initially providing invaluable financial support to the Salford Institute for Dementia.  

In 2019, the Foundation worked with the University to create an International Scholarship through the CDT to fund a student from a region of the world where doctoral education in prosthetics and orthotics will have a transformational impact on the quality of the services available to those in need. The International Scholarship was awarded to Sisary Kheng, a woman with over 20 years’ experience in prosthetics and orthotics education and clinical service management, providing incredible support for both people and animals – find out more about Sisary. 

The CDT is led by the University of Salford and combines the expertise of Imperial College London, the University of Strathclyde, and the University of Southampton, to address the prosthetics and orthotics skills gap across the world. 

The CDT’s new Professorial Chair will be the first in the UK and will help to cement the University’s position as a national lead in prosthetics and orthotics research. The Professorial Chair will also take the lead on developing partnerships with the World Health Organisation and universities in low and middle-income countries; help to develop undergraduate and master’s level courses; and engage internationally via teaching, research, and enterprise. 

Professor Malcolm Granat, Director of the CDT and Professor in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences added: “We’re delighted to announce a new Chair, the Coles-Medlock Professor of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology. This post will play a strategic role in leading and developing a rehabilitation research portfolio, complementing and strengthening research activity at the University, and supporting and enhancing our unique EPSRC funded Centre for Doctoral Training in Prosthetics and Orthotics. 

“This Chair represents a unique opportunity to significantly strengthen our ability to make a real-world impact in developing assistive technologies and rehabilitation strategies for all those who need it.”

Professor Margaret Rowe, Dean of the School of Health and Society, said: “The University and CDT are extremely grateful for the ongoing support of the Coles-Medlock Foundation for it is integral to our success in training the next generation of highly skilled professionals who can help to drive innovative research and technology for the benefit of service users.”

Applications for the Coles-Medlock Professor of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology are open until Tuesday 3 May. Find out more about the role and apply.