Prestigious award for Leeds Beckett academic

Kate Grafton, National Teacher Fellow and Principal Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University and the Centre for Learning and Teaching Associates, has been honoured with the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care (ACPRC) outstanding contribution to respiratory physiotherapy 2025 award.

Harriet Shannon, Chair of ACPRC, said: "We give this award once every two years to a single member of our professional network who has made a sustained and significant contribution to one area of respiratory physiotherapy practice. The committee were unanimous in wanting to acknowledge Kate's hard work since she joined the editorial board in 2019.

"Kate was a founding member of the ACPRC editorial board and has been a long-standing contributor. During this time, she has led the scoping review on upper GI and co-authored the simulation scoping review. Kate has also led the first editorial board podcast to highlight the progress of the Ed board and summarise the newly published surgical scoping reviews, which has allowed us to reach a wider audience and made our publications more accessible.

"Colleagues at the ACPRC have described Kate as passionate, student-centred, innovative and a bright, happy, shining face who is endlessly positive."

Dr James Milligan, Head of Subject for Rehabilitation and Health Professions in the School of Health at Leeds Beckett, said: "We are delighted that Kate has received this well-deserved recognition from The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care, which is the national body that promotes health and best practice in respiratory physiotherapy.

"Kate started at Leeds Beckett University in 2005 in a lecturer/ practitioner role enabling her to maintain her specialist NHS role. Soon becoming full-time at the University and throughout her promotions to Principal Lecturer, Kate retained her key interest in respiratory physiotherapy within our teaching team and has continued to promote it with clinical colleagues locally and nationally. The award is a credit to Kate who wishes to continue to drive good practice forwards. Kate was recognised as a National Teacher Fellow in 2016. Together these are wonderful examples of Kate's contributions within the University but with significant impact facing outwards.

"Kate's family are extremely proud of her achievements and Kate is delighted to receive the award."

Find out more about studying BSc Physiotherapy and MSc Physiotherapy at Leeds Beckett.