Jemma Houghton

Biography

I am a South African trained Physiotherapist, I graduated from The University of the Western Cape with BSc Hons Physiotherapy (Summa Cum Laude) in 2019. In 2020, I completed my Community Service placement at Butterworth Hospital in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. I have also worked in the private physiotherapy sector in South Africa and in the United Kingdom. I recently completed my MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology in the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford with merit in 2022. My dissertation investigated the association between accelerometer-derived physical activity behaviours and incident atrial fibrillation in adults in the UK Biobank, under the supervision of Rosemary Walmsley, Aiden Doherty, and Derrick Bennett. I am now reading for a DPhil in Primary Health Care. My thesis will focus on the prevention and management of diabetes-associated lower limb complication risk in South Africa, using a mixed method approach. I am supervised by Professor Andrew Farmer and Dr. Kathryn Taylor at the University of Oxford, and Associate Professor Joel Dave at the University of Cape Town. My other interests include ballet and contemporary dance, I completed RAD ballet examinations to Advanced 1 level and completed a year of semi-professional training at London Studio Centre in 2014/15. I also enjoy yoga and pilates, and have completed my teacher training qualifications in these disciplines, with teaching experience in various commercial studios in Cape Town since 2016 and online throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.