Dr Laura Cordova Rivera

Assistant Professor

School: 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).

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Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Body Composition and Muscle Function in Bronchiectasis: A Comparative Longitudinal Study, de Oliveira, J., Smith, A., Urroz Guerrero, P., Cordova Rivera, L., Thomas, D., Clark, V., Gibson, P., McDonald, V. 1 May 2026, In: Respirology
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

Qualifications

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