Rate My Professor Claire Hargest

Claire Hargest serves as a Professional Practice Fellow in the School of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Professional Programmes, Health Sciences Division, at the University of Otago. She earned her Master of Physiotherapy (MPhty) with distinction from the University of Otago in 2019. Her master's thesis, titled 'A physiotherapist facilitated walking intervention using an overground programmed electrical stimulation gait aid for people with incomplete spinal cord injury: a feasibility study,' investigated the feasibility of an electrical stimulation-based intervention to improve walking ability in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injuries. In her teaching role, Hargest coordinates the UMove programme and contributes to courses such as PHTY355 Physiotherapy Clinical Practice 2 and PHTY256 Physical Activity for Physiotherapy Practice, supporting students in clinical and physical activity contexts within physiotherapy education.

Hargest's research and clinical interests focus on neurorehabilitation. Her publications include 'Gait quality and velocity influences activity tracker accuracy in individuals post-stroke' (2019, co-authored with Clay et al., Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation), which demonstrated that the Fitbit Zip's step count accuracy decreases with lower gait velocity and poorer gait quality in stroke survivors. She contributed to 'Biomechanics of the paretic knee during overground gait in people with stroke: a systematic review' (2022, Waller et al., Journal of Motor Behavior), synthesizing evidence on reduced knee flexion and extension moments in the paretic limb. Other key works are 'Psychosocial interventions for building resilience of informal carers of people living with stroke: a systematic review' (2023, Qureshi et al., Disability and Rehabilitation), supporting combined information, problem-solving, and psychoeducation strategies, and 'The effect of physiotherapy interventions on biomechanical outcomes of the knee in people with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review' (2025, Alam et al., Physical Therapy Reviews). Additionally, she is Vice President of the Otago Multiple Sclerosis Society, serving on the committee since 2019. Her contributions advance knowledge in gait rehabilitation, wearable technology validation, carer support, and physiotherapy interventions for neurological and musculoskeletal conditions.