I am a Maltese physiotherapist working within the Primary health care setting and with the Maltese National football team. I am also reading for a PhD with Cardiff Metropolitan University. I believe that life is all about balance, and therefore I constantly seek to find balance in whatever I do.

What is your main area of research / clinical expertise?

My research interest lies in sports injury prevention, specifically in sports injury surveillance and epidemiology. However, I am interested in readily applying research outcomes into the applied sporting context. In this vein, within my research area, I mainly focus on mixing methods and investing efforts to hold space for stakeholder participation within the research process to make research outcomes relevant to them.

What is your motivation to be a member of the BOSEM team?

Voltaire once said, “The more I read, the more I acquire, the more certain I am that I know nothing”. Being in the company of great minds is one of the best experiences that a researcher can have, as this is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to learn how little one knows. As part of the BOSEM team, learning new things is one of the most exciting things to do, especially since one of my main motivations is to use new and novel knowledge to provide back to the sports and exercise medicine community.

What is a work-related accomplishment that you’re really proud of?

From a clinical perspective, patient success stories are all accomplishments to me, and therefore every day is a new day for more accomplishments. From a research perspective, coming from a quantitative field, I have patted myself on the back for publishing my first qualitative research in 2021! I can genuinely say that I love this research method as it truly represents the stakeholders’ voices!

Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?

Many researchers, but just to mention one, one of my current supervisors, Evert Verhagen. A brilliant mind whose innovative and practical ideas inspire me to think outside of the box when my mind is enclosed inside a box! A Leader!

What’s your favourite way to unwind after a busy day?

A bottle of red wine (one glass is never enough) and a good conversation! When it’s a long tiring day, I just settle for a good book….and a bottle of wine!