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Dr Laura Cordova Rivera

Assistant Professor

Department: Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation

Dr Laura Cordova Rivera, FHEA, is a Chartered Physiotherapist and Assistant Professor in Physiotherapy at Northumbria University (UK). She brings over 15 years of international clinical experience across Chile, Australia, and the UK, with expertise in the care of ageing populations and chronic respiratory diseases in both community and inpatient settings.

Her research focuses on sarcopenia, chronic respiratory conditions, accelerometry for physical activity, digital mobility outcomes (DMOs), and Parkinson’s disease. She completed her PhD at the University of Newcastle (Australia), where her research on movement behaviours in severe asthma and bronchiectasis has been widely cited and contributed to global respiratory guidelines. As part of the Mobilise-D Consortium at Newcastle University (UK), she jointly led clinical data curation for the Parkinson’s cohort, supporting the development of digital mobility assessment tools.

Laura is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (UK) and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, and currently holds an Honorary Physiotherapy position with the Acute Medical Physiotherapy Service at James Cook University Hospital (South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust).

Laura Cordova Rivera

  • Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
  • Physical capacity and inactivity in obstructive airway diseases: a “can do, do do” analysis, Urroz Guerrero, P., Lewthwaite, H., Gibson, P., Clark, V., Cordova-Rivera, L., McDonald, V. 22 Jul 2024, In: ERJ Open Research
  • The prevalence of sarcopenia in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders- a systematic review, Hart, A., Rivera, L., Barker, F., Sayer, A., Granic, A., Yarnall, A. 1 Dec 2023, In: Neurological Sciences
  • Identification of asthma phenotypes based on extrapulmonary treatable traits, Freitas, P., Xavier, R., McDonald, V., Gibson, P., Cordova-Rivera, L., Furlanetto, K., de Oliveira, J., Carvalho-Pinto, R., Cukier, A., Stelmach, R., Carvalho, C. Jan 2021, In: European Respiratory Journal
  • Sedentary time in people with obstructive airway diseases, Cordova-Rivera, L., Gardiner, ., Gibson, P., Winkler, E., Urroz, P., McDonald, V. 1 May 2021, In: Respiratory Medicine
  • Targeting treatable traits in severe asthma: A randomised controlled trial, McDonald, V., Clark, V., Cordova-Rivera, L., Wark, P., Baines, K., Gibson, P. Mar 2020, In: European Respiratory Journal
  • Extrapulmonary associations of health status in severe asthma and bronchiectasis: Comorbidities and functional outcomes, Cordova-Rivera, L., Gibson, P., Gardiner, P., Hiles, S., McDonald, V. 2019, In: Respiratory Medicine
  • Physical activity associates with disease characteristics of severe asthma, bronchiectasis and COPD, Cordova-Rivera, L., Gibson, P., Gardiner, P., McDonald, V. 2019, In: Respirology
  • A Systematic Review of Associations of Physical Activity and Sedentary Time with Asthma Outcomes, Cordova-Rivera, L., Gibson, P., Gardiner, P., McDonald, V. 2018, In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice
  • Physical Activity and Exercise Capacity in Severe Asthma: Key Clinical Associations, Cordova-Rivera, L., Gibson, P., Gardiner, P., Powell, H., McDonald, V. 2018, In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice

  • Post Graduate Certificate in Education in Learning and Teaching PGCert June 30 2024
  • Health PhD June 30 2019
  • Health Studies PGDip November 30 2006
  • Rehabilitation Sciences BSc (Hons) December 31 2003
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy FHEA 2024
  • Registered Physiotherapist, Health and Care Professions Council HCPC 2019
  • Registered Physiotherapist, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency AHPRA 2013


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