Dr Owen Gustafson
PhD, MCSP
Clinical Academic Physiotherapist
School of Sport, Nutrition and Allied Health Professions
Role
Dr Gustafson is a clinical academic physiotherapist in critical care at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford Brookes University.
His clinical work is within the Critical Care Follow-up Service where he provides expert physiotherapy interventions to patients following discharge from hospital. The focus of his research is on improving rehabilitation of the long-term consequences of critical illness. In 2024 he completed his National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded PhD evaluating the musculoskeletal health state of intensive care survivors (the MSK-ICU study), which was awarded the Intensive Care Society Rising Star - Gold Award.
Dr Gustafson has expertise in investigating care delivery in the acute hospital following discharge from intensive care. Having previously worked on the NIHR funded REFLECT study evaluating care in this acute hospital period, he is now a co-investigator on the Physiotherapy and Optimised Enteral Nutrition in the post-acute phase of critical illness (PHOENIX) trial which is also NIHR funded. He is also a co-investigator for the Enhanced Recovery After Critical Illness (ERACC) programme. This six-year programme of research funded by the NIHR aims to design and test an enhanced care pathway for critical care survivors, with the goal of enabling patients spend more time at home after leaving ICU.
Dr Gustafson is a member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists and is the Vice Chair for the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care. He also holds positions on several editorial boards of UK based peer reviewed journals. He is the co-editor of Physiotherapy in Respiratory Care, associate editor for the Journal of the Intensive Care Society, and member of the editorial board for Nursing in Critical Care.
Dr Gustafson regularly teaches on research methods and critical care rehabilitation and recovery. He teaches in a variety of clinical, academic and conference settings. He is also the clinical supervisor for an Advanced Clinical Practitioner Physiotherapist in critical care and a Clinical Academic Physiotherapist in critical care follow-up.
His clinical work is within the Critical Care Follow-up Service where he provides expert physiotherapy interventions to patients following discharge from hospital. The focus of his research is on improving rehabilitation of the long-term consequences of critical illness. In 2024 he completed his National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded PhD evaluating the musculoskeletal health state of intensive care survivors (the MSK-ICU study), which was awarded the Intensive Care Society Rising Star - Gold Award.
Dr Gustafson has expertise in investigating care delivery in the acute hospital following discharge from intensive care. Having previously worked on the NIHR funded REFLECT study evaluating care in this acute hospital period, he is now a co-investigator on the Physiotherapy and Optimised Enteral Nutrition in the post-acute phase of critical illness (PHOENIX) trial which is also NIHR funded. He is also a co-investigator for the Enhanced Recovery After Critical Illness (ERACC) programme. This six-year programme of research funded by the NIHR aims to design and test an enhanced care pathway for critical care survivors, with the goal of enabling patients spend more time at home after leaving ICU.
Dr Gustafson is a member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists and is the Vice Chair for the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care. He also holds positions on several editorial boards of UK based peer reviewed journals. He is the co-editor of Physiotherapy in Respiratory Care, associate editor for the Journal of the Intensive Care Society, and member of the editorial board for Nursing in Critical Care.
Dr Gustafson regularly teaches on research methods and critical care rehabilitation and recovery. He teaches in a variety of clinical, academic and conference settings. He is also the clinical supervisor for an Advanced Clinical Practitioner Physiotherapist in critical care and a Clinical Academic Physiotherapist in critical care follow-up.
Teaching and supervision
Supervision
Dr Gustafson continues to support developing nursing, midwifery and allied health professional researchers, regularly supervising internships, preparatory fellowships and MSc students. He is currently supervising one DPhil student at the University of Oxford.
Professional information
Memberships of professional bodies
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
Chartered Society of Physiotherapists (MCSP)
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care (ACPRC)
Intensive Care Society (ICS) – FUSIC Lung Mentor