2019 School of Physiotherapy Awardee: Ms Avril Copeland

Class of 2010Avril-Copeland

  • Country of residence: Ireland
  • Professional title: CEO of Innerstrength

Ms Avril Copeland graduated from RCSI School of Physiotherapy in 2010 and worked at Beaumont Hospital where she developed her idea to use technology to support patient rehabilitation remotely.

As CEO of Innerstrength, a Dublin-based healthtech firm, she has developed a secure web-based platform for health professionals to provide personalised programmes of education, exercise and support to patients who are at risk, recently diagnosed or currently living with a chronic condition.

TickerFit, the company’s first product, enables health professionals to prescribe, educate and monitor a heart patient’s recovery from a distance via its secure platform and integrated wearable devices. TickerFit is being used in both primary and secondary care. Most recently, Innerstrength was selected for the NHS Test Bed programme and is currently working with its partners, St Bart’s London, Care City and The Nuffield Trust to develop and evaluate a digitally enabled cardiac rehabilitation pathway for patients living with heart failure.

Avril has always been involved in sport, representing Ireland in both hockey and expedition adventure racing, with her most recent achievement competing for Ireland at the Adventure Racing Championships, through the Andes and Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. Avril’s focus is now firmly on building a great company and products that make a difference.

She was recognised with an Alumni Award for her spirit of entrepreneurship and her endeavours to create better outcomes for patients. She was joined at the Alumni Awards by her family.