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University of Exeter Medical School

 Hope Gangata

Hope Gangata

Senior Lecturer in Human Anatomy (Education & Scholarship)

 H.Gangata@exeter.ac.uk

 7081

 College House G0.02

 

College House, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK


Overview

Hope is a classically trained broad-spectrum anatomist who is a Chartered Physiotherapist and joined the University of Exeter from the University of Birmingham in August 2018. He is a specialist Anatomy teacher on the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (BMBS) programme and Co-Lead for Anatomical Sciences Module for the BSc Medical Science. He is the main Anatomist running anatomy dissection laboratory sessions for 1st and 2nd year BMBS and BSc Medical Science students. Hope is part of the faculty teaching other academic disciplines to BMBS and medical science students.

In his early days, he graduated from a four-year BSc Physiotherapy degree in 2003 and gained experience as a physiotherapist working in orthopaedic, outpatient, paediatric, neurological, burns and respiratory physiotherapy roles. During his BSc Physiotherapy undergraduate training, he was awarded a Vice Chancellor's university scholarship to intercalate a BSc Hons in Human Anatomy, where was awarded the University Book Prize for being the best student. His first research project was on the anatomy of herniated discs under the supervision of the late Professor Laurence Levy, an anatomist and neurosurgeon. Hope started his anatomy career in 2000 as an Anatomy Demonstrator teaching cadaveric dissections to medical students, then lecturing anatomy and leading a team of Anatomy Demonstrators prepare teaching specimens in 2003.

Since then, Hope has lectured anatomy and taught cadaveric dissections to medical, physiotherapy, dental and science students. He has many qualifications in educational theory and practice and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Hope is a member of Curriculum Review Committee of the new BMBS curriculum and also part of the HEA Awarding Panel of the University of Exeter. He is contributing to the development of a core anatomy curriculum for physiotherapy in the United Kingdom.

Qualifications

  • BSc Hons Intercalated Human Anatomy
  • BSc Hons Physiotherapy
  • Master of Medicine in Anatomy
  • Master of Arts in Higher Education Practice
  • Doctor of (Anatomical) Education
  • Chartered Physiotherapist
  • Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy (SHEA)

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Research

Research interests

Hope's earlier research was on the anatomical basis of clinical conditions that physiotherapists assess and treat. He started exploring the anatomical basis why herniated vertebral discs were rare in Black Africans and then on the equinus ankle posture of children with cerebral palsy. Work on the palmaris longus led to the invention of a manual test called the ‘Gangata Test'. Since then, Hope has moved into anatomical education. He has taken an interest in not only how students actually learn anatomy and are taught, but on how the curriculum should be structured and arranged.

Research projects

  • Developing a student crowd-sourced formative integrated clinical anatomy Spot Test question items bank and evaluation of appropriate mode of delivery: Dr Tudor Chinnah & Dr Hope Gangata
  • A core anatomy syllabus for undergraduate physiotherapy students preparing for entry-level Band-5 physiotherapist posts in the United Kingdom: Dr Hope Gangata (University of Exeter), Dr Stuart Porter (University of Salford), Mrs Kim Major (Keele University) & Dr Neil Artz (The University of Gloucestershire)

Grants/Funding

  • Developing a student crowd-sourced formative integrated clinical anatomy Spot Test question items bank and evaluation of appropriate mode of delivery: Dr Tudor Chinnah, Dr Hope Gangata & Dr Vikram Devaraj

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External Engagement and Impact

Awards

  • Shortlisted for the University of Birmingham Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award 2015 (Nominated again in 2017)
  • University Book Prize (Best Student): BSc Hons Intercalated Human Anatomy Degree (Aug 2001)

Committee/panel activities

  • Awarding Panel Member & Mentor of the HEA-accredited Fellowships Scheme (ASPIRE) of the University of Exeter that awards HEA Fellowships and Senior Fellowships (2018 to date)
  • External Examiner

Editorial responsibilities

  • Editorial Board: Edorium Journal of Anatomy and Embryology (July 2014 to date)
  • Conference Abstract Reviewer of the annual conference of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy called ‘Physiotherapy UK’

Other

  • Youth Book Talks: Aimed at raising aspirations and widening access to higher education based on my autobiography book: ‘The Fattened Lions on the Educational Odyssey’ Diadem Books.

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Teaching

Anatomy Teaching

  1. Specialist Anatomy Teacher: Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (BMBS) Programme
  2. Co-Module Lead: Anatomical Sciences Module

Other Teaching

  1. Special Study Units: BMBS Programme
  2. Problem Based Learning Tutor: BMBS Programme
  3. Scientific Communication Group Tutor: Fundamental Skills for Medical Scientists (CSC1004) Module
  4. Facilitated Structured Small Group learning session Tutor: Integrated Human Physiology (CSC1005) Module

Modules

2023/24


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