Professor Clarke, then Dean of the Christchurch School of Medicine, had an eye-opening experience during his time at the Burwood Spinal Unit, realising the stark under-resourcing of research and rehabilitation within the health and disability sector.
In 1994, influenced by Christine Smith, General Manager of Burwood Hospital, Professor Clarke relinquished his Deanship to lead the Burwood Spinal Unit. Concurrently, he founded Burwood Academy Trust (BAT), with Christine as its inaugural chair and himself as the first executive director.
Formerly the Allan Bean Centre for Research and Learning, Burwood Academy symbolized Professor Clarke’s belief in rigorous research, rehabilitation, personalized learning, and the recovering individual’s responsibility. The Allan Bean Centre unfortunately fell victim to the 2015 Christchurch earthquakes, but the Academy persists at Burwood Hospital, offering research and learning in the area of disability.
Burwood Academy’s core mission is to promote independent living through research. Nothing about us, without us!
