Julie Latchem is a neurological physiotherapist who has held multiple clinical and managerial roles in the NHS and the independent sector, managing multidisciplinary teams in neurological rehabilitation, long-term care and general and old-age medicine. Julie left clinical practice in 2012 to pursue postgraduate study. Her research focuses on the care and rehabilitation of people with neurological conditions, and the wellbeing of those who care for them. 

She has worked extensively in the Coma and Disorders of Consciousness Research Centre (see cdoc.org.uk) conducting a range of studies in the area of severe brain injury, focusing particularly on family and Allied Health Professional (AHP) relations.  

Futures is central to Julie’s research work. Analysing the way in which relatives of people in long-term coma following severe brain injuries speak about the future formed the focus of Julie’s MSc research. Through talking with families in these interviews, Julie also identified the role the temporal plays in how families make sense of AHP interventions, and that there were mis-matches in understanding between AHPs and these families. This led first to a paper — tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09638288.2015.1005759 — second to the development of a multimedia resource for AHPs, families and students (see cdoc.org.uk) and, third, the development of interprofessional curricula for Allied Health pre-registration students (see naep-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Geraldine-Hastings-Julie-Latchem_Co-producing-multimedia-learning-resources-through-interprofessional-education_the-PDoC-way.pdf ).  

Julie has recently completed a PhD in the School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University. Her doctoral research examines how the futures of people with severe brain injury are shaped during their rehabilitation.