Dr Hope Gangata

About me:

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.

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.

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)