Jane Simmonds wins an EDS UK Community Champion Award

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• 28 March, 2023


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• Community Champions

We are absolutely delighted to give Dr Jane Simmonds a Community Champion Award. Jane has supported both the charity and our community for many years, making her a most worthy winner.

Jane is a specialist musculoskeletal and exercise rehabilitation physiotherapist with over 20 years of clinical experience, and leads the Physiotherapy provision in the Hypermobility Unit.

Originally from Western Australia where she completed her undergraduate and post graduate physiotherapy education at Curtin University, Jane combines her work in the Hypermobility Unit with her teaching and research at University College London within the Great Ormond Street Hospital Institute of Child Health. Jane has delivered many training courses to health professionals on behalf of EDS UK and is instrumental is upskilling allied health professionals across the NHS and private sector.

Dr Jane Simmonds has dedicated a huge part of her career to produce both ground breaking research and to educate health professionals and patients in the field of EDS/HSD. She is an extremely inspirational and encouraging person to be around and she works tirelessly to bring researchers, clinicians and specialists together to share knowledge and ideas to help this patient group and progress their clinical care.  A lucky number of patients have also benefitted from Jane’s meticulous and thorough clinical assessment and treatment over the years,  and she has inspired her multi-disciplinary  team around her both locally and globally to learn and grow their knowledge base.  She has promoted physiotherapy as a vital tool in the management of patients with EDS/HSD and has pushed hard to both produce and promote research to show the effectiveness of allied health professional input in the management of these patients. We are very grateful to Jane for all her hard work and inspiration.

Sophie Roberts Podiatrist MSc, BSc (hons), HPC Registered, MCPod

As Professor of Physiotherapy and Health Education at University College London, a committed educator and active researcher, she regularly publishes research and clinical papers. Additionally, Jane frequently presents at conferences and contributes to CPD education and training in this field. She is also a medical advisor to Ehlers Danlos Support UK and the Hypermobility Syndrome Patient Association (HMSA).

The award was presented by Vicky our North London volunteer.