Assoc Prof Kwah Li Khim

A/Prof Kwah Li Khim is a senior principal physiotherapist at Singapore General Hospital, with joint appointments at the Singapore Institute of Technology (Health and Social Sciences Cluster) and the Ministry of Health (Chief Allied Health Officer’s Office).

A physiotherapist with over 20 years of clinical, academic and research experience, A/Prof Kwah Li Khim’s work focuses on advancing stroke rehabilitation and community-based care.

A/Prof Kwah Li Khim co-chairs the Singapore Stroke Rehabilitation Guidelines committee, serves on the World Stroke Organization Rehabilitation Implementation committee, and is a steering committee member of the World Rehabilitation Alliance, contributing to national and global efforts to strengthen rehabilitation practice and policy.

• Doctor of Philosophy, University of Sydney (2012)
• Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy), University of Sydney (2003)

1. (2026 – Present) Steering Committee Member, World Rehabilitation Alliance, hosted by the World Health Organisation
2. (2025 – Present) Member, World Stroke Organisation Rehabilitation Implementation Committee
3. (2024 – Present) President, Singapore Physiotherapy Association https://www.physiotherapy.org.sg/Organisation
4. (2023 – Present) Co-Lead of Sub-Team 1: Clinical Practice Guidelines, Community Rehabilitation Transformation Workgroup (CRTW), Ministry of Health
5. (2023 – Present) Executive Committee member, Singapore National Stroke Association https://snsa.org.sg/about-us/our-team/
6. (2023 – Present) Senior Principal Project Administrator, Chief Allied Health Officer’s Office (CAHOO), Ministry of Health (MOH)

1. (2024) Outstanding Research Award (Allied Health), for the paper "Barriers and facilitators to physical activity after stroke in Singapore: A qualitative study informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework.", at the SGH 25th Annual Scientific Meeting
2. (2024) SIT Applied Research Excellence (Team) Award for project "MOTIVATE: Multi-mOdal Training program to promote physical actIVity After sTrokE."
3. (2021) Best oral research presentation by a researcher in Neurology, Singapore International Physiotherapy Congress, Singapore
4. (2020) Successful candidate for World Stroke Organisation Future Stroke Leaders program https://www.world-stroke.org/news-and-blog/news/wso-future-stroke-leaders-program
5. (2011) Best oral research presentation by a researcher in Neurology, Australian Physiotherapy Association Biennial conference, Brisbane, Australia.

1. (2026-Present) Neuroplasticity-Activated Training for Recovery Optimisation After Stroke (NEUROACT-Stroke): An early-phase trial of aerobic dose modulation to enhance neuroplasticity after stroke.
2. (2023-Present) Multi-mOdal Training program to promote physical actIVity After sTrokE: MOTIVATE- a Hybrid Type 1 Randomised Controlled Trial. 
3. (2020-2023) Development of MOTIVATE: Multi-mOdal Training program to promote physical actIVity After sTrokE.

1. Thilarajah S, Dancza K, Chen ZZ, Wong XQC, Yan CKC, Niam S, Ng YS, Lynch E, Churilov L, Tan WK, Tan E and Kwah LK (2025) Transforming community-based rehabilitation services: A national redesign using Experience-Based Co-Design. Health Expectations 28(3): e70330. Paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hex.70330.
2. Scully A, Thilarajah S, Lee M, Sreeram A, Tang P, Tan B, Tan C, Tan YL and Kwah LK (2024) What do we need for a successful model of care to promote physical activity after stroke? Results from two web-based surveys on physiotherapists and exercise professionals in Singapore. Physiotherapy. Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031940624004656
3. Demers M, Charalambous M, Kwah LK, Thilarajah S, Bazadona D, Chapman S, Nasreldein A, Yperzeele L, Amoah D, Winstein C, Bernhardt J and Gopaul U (2024) The unique needs and challenges experienced by young people with stroke: An international qualitative analysis. Neurology: Clinical Practice. Paper: https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200406
4. Kwah LK, Doshi K, Wai E, Hollis J, Bird M-L, Pua YH, Thumboo J, Low LL, He H-G, De Silva DA, Niam S, Toh I, Lui YC, Choo S, Wang J and Thilarajah S (2024) Development of a behaviour change intervention for improving physical activity amongst stroke survivors with physical disabilities: A co-design approach. BMC Public Health 24(1): 2918. Paper: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-024-20403-1
5. Kwah LK, Doshi K, De Silva DA, Ng WM and Thilarajah S (2024) What influences stroke survivors with physical disabilities to be physically active? A qualitative study informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework. PLOS One 19(3): e0292442. Paper: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0292442
6. Thilarajah S, Low A, Lee A, Ng S, Seow HC, Choo S, Bok CW, De Silva D, Chew ES, Chua TL, Kwah LK and Pua YH (2024) Modifying the Mobility Scale for Acute Stroke (MSAS) for All Stroke Phases (MSAllS): Measurement properties and clinical application. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (in press). Paper: https://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(24)00832-3/fulltext
7. Teo R, Thilarajah S, Liu J, Lim F and Kwah LK (2023) Barriers to physical activity of stroke survivors in Singapore: a face-to-face cross-sectional survey. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare 32: 1-9. Paper: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20101058231184953
8. Sebastian IA, Demers M, Yeghiazaryan N, Wan Asyraf WZ, Nasreldein A, Gopaul U, Charalambous M, Thilarajah S, Kwah LK and Vishnu VY (2023) Establishing organized stroke care in low- and middle-income countries: From training of non-specialist to implementation. Journal of Stroke Medicine. Paper: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/25166085231158425
9. Gopaul U, Charalambous M, Thilarajah S, Kwah LK, Chapman S, Bayley M and Demers M (2022) Age-specific information resources to address the needs of young people with stroke: a scoping review protocol. Systematic Reviews 275 (2022). Paper: https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13643-022-02147-4
10. Hoang PD, Psarakis M, Kwah LK, Clarke JL, Gandevia SC and Diong J (2021) Brief report: Passive mechanical properties of gastrocnemius in multiple sclerosis and ankle contracture. Clinical Biomechanics 84(2021): 105338. Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268003321000681?via%3Dihub
11. Kwah LK, Webb MT, Goh L and Harvey LA (2019) Rigid dressings versus soft dressings for transtibial amputations. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Issue 6. Art. No.: CD012427. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012427.pub2. Paper: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD012427.pub2/full
12. Kwah LK, Green J, Butler J and Lam L (2019) Quality of clinical practice guidelines for management of limb amputations: a systematic review. Physical Therapy 99(5): 577-590. Paper: https://academic.oup.com/ptj/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ptj/pzz006/5305875
13. Armitage L, Kwah LK and Kark L (2019) Reliability and validity of the iSense optical scanner for measuring volume of transtibial residual limb models. Prosthetics and Orthotics International 43(2): 213-220. Paper: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0309364618806038
14. Armitage L, Kark L, Czerniec S and Kwah LK (2019) Reliability and validity of measurement tools for residual limb volume in people with limb amputations: a systematic review. Physical Therapy 99(5): 612-626. Paper: https://academic.oup.com/ptj/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ptj/pzz010/5306468
15. Kwah LK and Herbert RD (2016) Prediction of walking and arm recovery after stroke: A critical review. Brain Sciences 6(4): E53. http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/6/4/53
16. Kwah LK and Diong JHL (2014) National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Journal of Physiotherapy 60(1): 61. http://www.journalofphysiotherapy.com/article/S1836-9553(14)00013-7/fulltext
17. Kwah LK, Harvey LA, Diong JHL and Herbert RD (2013) Models containing age and NIHSS predict recovery of ambulation and upper limb function six months after stroke: an observational study. Journal of Physiotherapy 59(3): 189-197. http://www.journalofphysiotherapy.com/article/S1836-9553(13)70183-8/fulltext
18. Kwah LK, Pinto RZ, Diong JHL and Herbert RD (2013) Reliability and validity of ultrasound measurements of muscle fascicle length and pennation in humans: a systematic review. Journal of Applied Physiology 114(6): 761-769. http://jap.physiology.org/content/114/6/761.long
19. Diong JHL, Herbert RD, Harvey LA, Kwah LK, Clarke JL, Bilston LE and Gandevia SC (2013) Gastrocnemius muscle contracture after spinal cord injury: a longitudinal study. American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 92(7): 565-574. https://insights.ovid.com/pubmed?pmid=23117273
20. Kwah LK, Harvey LA, Diong JHL and Herbert RD (2012) Half of the adults who present to hospital with stroke develop at least one contracture within six months: an observational study. Journal of Physiotherapy 58(1): 41-47. http://www.journalofphysiotherapy.com/article/S1836-9553(12)70071-1/fulltext
21. Kwah LK, Herbert RD, Harvey LA, Diong JHL, Clarke JL, Martin JH, Clarke EC, Hoang PD, Bilston LE and Gandevia SC (2012) Passive mechanical properties of gastrocnemius muscles of people with ankle contracture after stroke. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 93(7): 1185-1190. http://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(12)00102-5/fulltext
22. Diong JHL, Herbert RD, Kwah LK, Clarke JL and Harvey LA (2012) Mechanisms of increased passive compliance of hamstring muscle-tendon units after spinal cord injury. Clinical Biomechanics 27(9): 893-898. http://www.clinbiomech.com/article/S0268-0033(12)00151-9/fulltext
23. Diong JHL, Harvey LA, Kwah LK, Eyles J, Ling MJ, Ben M and Herbert RD (2012) Incidence and predictors of contracture after spinal cord injury – A prospective cohort study. Spinal Cord 50(8): 579-584. http://www.nature.com/sc/journal/v50/n8/full/sc201225a.html?foxtrotcallback=true
24. Diong JHL, Herbert RD, Harvey LA, Kwah LK, Clarke JL, Hoang PD, Martin JH, Clarke EC, Bilston LE and Gandevia SC (2012) Passive mechanical properties of gastrocnemius after spinal cord injury. Muscle & Nerve 46(2): 237-245. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mus.23356/abstract
25. Herbert RD, Clarke J, Kwah LK, Diong J, Martin J, Clarke EC, Bilston LE and Gandevia SC (2011) In vivo passive mechanical behavior of muscle fascicles and tendons in human gastrocnemius muscle-tendon units. Journal of Applied Physiology 589 (Pt 21): 5257-5267. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.212175/full