Dr Michael McCluskey is a Chartered Physiotherapist and Higher Education Academy Fellow with a career spanning clinical practice, academic leadership, and educational innovation. With significant experience in NHS teaching hospitals and private practice, he has specialised in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy and Exercise Medicine, providing expert care to athletes across a range of sports. His transition into academia in 2014 has seen him contribute to leading healthcare programmes at the University of Gloucestershire, Keele University, and the University of Liverpool, where he held roles in curriculum development, assessment leadership, and departmental research coordination. Currently, he serves as Lecturer in Higher Education Practice and Programme Director for the MEd in Higher Education Practice at Ulster University, where he leads strategic initiatives in teaching excellence, curriculum enhancement, and institutional quality assurance.

Dr McCluskey’s academic portfolio includes the design and validation of pioneering healthcare programmes, external consultancy for UK universities, and substantial contributions to inclusive and evidence-based teaching practices. His doctoral research at the University of Twente explored physical activity interventions in primary school children, reflecting his broader research interests in health promotion, behaviour change, and educational outcomes. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals, contributed to academic texts, and presented internationally. His work is supported by competitive grant income from organisations including the Wellcome Trust and the CSP Charitable Trust. Through his leadership, scholarship, and commitment to academic development, Dr McCluskey continues to shape physiotherapy education and higher education practice across the UK and beyond.