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The University of Southampton
Health Sciences

Professor Jane Burridge PhD

Visiting Professor of restorative neuroscience

Professor Jane Burridge's photo

Professor Jane Burridge leads the Neurorehabilitation Research Group. Her research aims to understand the mechanisms of sensory-motor recovery following stroke. She and her Group use this better understanding to design and evaluate rehabilitation technologies that will improve recovery following central nervous system lesions such as stroke and spinal cord injury

‘Stroke rehabilitation is changing. Already most rehabilitation takes place in people's own homes and over the next few years technologies to support them will become commonplace’

Research into the mechanisms of sensory-motor recovery following stroke.

In collaboration with electronics, control, design and signal processing engineers, psychologists and industrial partners; development of technologies for measurement and therapy, including: rehabilitation robots; Functional Electrical Simulation (FES); and non-invasive cortical stimulation.

Research into the use and clinical effectiveness of technology in rehabilitation.

In collaboration with Health Psychologists; research into motivation adherence in neurological rehabilitation and barriers to adoption of new technologies.

Driving change in stroke rehabilitation towards intensive, evidence-based and cost-effective, therapy, using state-of-the-art technology.

Memberships and distinctions

2010 – Elected President of the International Society of Functional Electrical Stimulation (IFESS)

2008 - Member of the Scientific Board of Hocoma www.hocoma.com

2009 Elected member of the management committee of the World Federation of Neuro-rehabilitation

Member of the Editorial board of the following Journals: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair; Neuromodulation; International  Journal of Research in Rehabilitation

Expert Reviewer and evaluator for the European Union FP7 ICT in Future and Emerging Technologies

Member of the scientific committees of the medical charity INSPIRE (2006 -) and Action Medical Research 2006 – 2009

Prizes

2008 Best scientist of the year award AMF California US

2009 Prize for best paper at the International Rehabilitation Robotics Conference (ICORR) Kyoto, Japan

Research interests

My work is cross-disciplinary working with electronics, control, design and signal processing engineers, psychologists and industrial partners. Together we develop technologies for measurement and therapy to optimise recovery.

  • Wearable sensors to monitor movement and muscle activity
  • Non-Invasive Brain stimulation to modulate cortical activity and promote neuroplasticity – key to recovery
  • Using the Internet to support home-based rehabilitation in stroke and traumatic brain injury
  • Functional Electrical Stimulation to promote recovery in spinal cord injury
  • Longitudinal studies of stroke to understand the mechanisms on recovery
  • Why is intensity of exercise important is stroke recovery, and how can we promote it?
  • Is there a link between regaining trunk control and upper limb function following stroke?

Research group

Active Living for Health

Research theme

Active Living

Fitting a electronic gague to a persons arm
Stroke research

Research project(s)

Mechanical Muscle Activity with Real-time Kinematics (M-MARK): A novel combination of existing technologies to improve arm recovery following stroke

A systematic Exploration of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Spinal Cord Injury: Stage 2, An International Questionnaire Study, INSPIRE

Study to find out the opinions of the spinal cord injury community about Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (ES) so that the knowledge can be used to direct research, technical development, and clinical and service provision.

Development and Pilot Evaluation of a Web-supported Programme of Constraint Induced Therapy Following Stroke (LifeCIT)

Combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with robotic hand training for the severely impaired hand after stroke

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of combining transcranial direct current stimulation with robotic hand and arm training for the impaired hand and arm after stroke.

Development of an integrated service model incorporating innovative technology for the rehabilitation of the upper limb following stroke, (Assistive Technologies in Rehabilitation Following Stroke (ATRAS)

This programme of research seeks to significantly improve rehabilitation of the hand and arm following a stroke by investigating the use of assistive technologies to maximise recovery of function.

Shimmer Sensors for activity monitoring in post stroke upper limb rehabilitation

Module co-ordinator MSc module Sensory Motor Interaction in Neurorehabilitation

Teaching PhD students about research methodology, research project design and project management.

Undergraduate teaching on spasticity, motor control and neurophysiology

I am interested in supervising PhD and DClin students from a wide range of disciplines. I am particularly interested in technologies for self-management following stroke and research into mechanisms of recovery. Current and recent studentships include:

Prediction of upper limb recovery post-stroke using wrist motor impairments: A longitudinal study of stroke recovery with 50 participants from 2 weeks to six months post stroke.

Student: Waroonnapa Srisoparb

Supervisors: Jane Burridge and Ruth Turk

Cortical activity changes among stroke patients following robotic upper limb rehabilitation as measured by EEG during reaching movements

Student: Sebastien Pollet

Supervisors: Jane Burridge and David Simpson

Validity and Reliability of a wearable wireless sensor platform for monitoring upper limb activity in stroke patients

Student: Claire Meagher

Supervisors: Jane Burridge and Ann-Marie Hughes (in collaboration with Paolo Bonato MIT)

Development of LifeCIT for Patients following Traumatic Brain Injury: An interactive web-based programme to support independent rehabilitation

Student: Hannah Marshall

Supervisors: Jane Burridge and Ann-Marie Hughes

Exploring the recommendation for 45 minutes of therapy following stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence for intensity in stroke rehabilitation, a qualitative study using focus groups and Delphi methodology and a survey of therapists in practice

Student: Beth Clark

Supervisors: Jane Burridge and Jill Whitall

Hospital and home-based feasibility study of iCycle for functional recovery after incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI).

Student: Ahmad Alahmary

Supervisors: Jane Burridge and Julian Pearce (in collaboration with Nick Donaldson at UCL)

Relationship between Trunk Control and Recovery of Upper Extremity

Function in Stroke Patients: A longitudinal study of 45 participants over six months.

Student: Seng Kwee Wee

Supervisors: Jane Burridge, Ann-Marie Hughes and Martin Warner

Explicit and Implicit Motor Learning During Early Gait Rehabilitation Post Stroke

Student: Louise Johnson

Supervisors: Jane Burridge and Sara Demain

The effect of combining transcranial direct current stimulation with robot therapy for the impaired upper limb in stroke

Student: Lisa Tedesco-Triccas

Supervisors: Jane Burridge and Ann-Marie Hughes

Jane Helena Burridge, MCSP, LGSM, PhD, Professor of Restorative Neuroscience. Health Sciences, University of Southampton E-Mail jhb1@soton.ac.uk

1973-1993 Basic grade and then Senior I Physiotherapist specialising in stroke rehabilitation

1978 - 1990 Raise a family, study music and practice as music teacher and freelance musician

1/93 - 1/99 Senior I / clinical specialist, research physiotherapist, Salisbury District Hospital

12/99 –1/03 Senior Lecturer, Head of Postgraduate Education SOHPRS University of Southampton

1/03 – 9/08 Senior Research Fellow / Senior Lecturer, SOHPRS, University of Southampton

09/08 Professor of Restorative Neuroscience FOHS, University of Southampton

I am Professor of Restorative Neuroscience at the University of Southampton, where I lead the Neurorehabilitation Research Group and Chair the University of Southampton Strategic Research group ‘Health Technology’. I graduated as a physiotherapist from Bristol in the UK in 1973 and after working as a physical therapist for four years, changed career and trained as a musician at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. I developed a career as a performer and teacher of the flute and raised a family. In 1993 I began my PhD study at the University of Southampton and graduated in 1999. My research enabled response to Functional Electrical Stimulation for drop-foot to be better predicted by accurate measurement of muscle dysfunction. In 1999 I took up a senior lectureship at the University of Southampton as Head of Postgraduate Education with the remit to design and validate a multi-disciplinary MSc in Rehabilitation.

In 2008 I was appointed to my current position as Chair of Restorative Neuroscience. Building on my experience as a clinical physiotherapist specialising stroke, the aim of my work has been to understand the mechanisms of recovery post-stroke and how this knowledge can be translated into evidence-based and cost-effective therapy. My research has therefore been into the development, evaluation and clinical application of novel rehabilitation technologies, informed by a better understanding of motor control, neuroplasticity and psychosocial factors. Most of my research is cross-disciplinary involving collaboration with the disciplines of: electronics & computer science, signal processing and health psychology.

Between 2009 and 2013, funded by a UK National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Programme grant, I explored the barriers to and opportunities for rehabilitation technologies in upper limb rehabilitation following stroke. We identified key factors such as lack of education and awareness (of both healthcare professionals and patients and carers) into rehabilitation technologies, paucity of evidence-based research and NHS funding systems that inhibit the introduction of new technological approaches to stroke rehabilitation.

My work is funded mainly by the UK NIHR and Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC), the EU FP7 and medical charities. It has focused on developing home-based rehabilitation technologies, combining robot therapy with Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) using Iterative Learning Control, and with non-invasive brain stimulation using transcranial direct current stimulation in the treatment of post-stroke hemiplegia. My work also includes measurement of changes in EEG activity (synchronisation and de-synchronisation) in healthy people and in stroke rehabilitation using robot therapy. Working with signal processing engineers, we are developing novel ways to measure and analyse motor control and spasticity and how impairments relate to function in older people and patients with stroke. In collaboration with Health Psychologists we are interested in motivation and adherence in neurological rehabilitation and barriers to adoption of new technologies.

In collaboration with Health Psychologists I have conducted research, funded mainly by the NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) (2011-2014) into ways in which patients can be motivated to adhere to their stroke rehabilitation programme. Based on one of the few technologies that has strong research evidence, Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT), but which has not translated in clinical practice we developed a web-based support programme to enable patients to use CIMT at home without additional therapist input.

Most recently (Nov 2015) I was awarded an NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) grant to develop a new technology combining mechanomyography and inertial sensors into a garment to provide feedback to patients and therapists on amount and quality of upper extremity movement following stroke. This work involves collaboration with Imperial College London, two NHS Trusts and two UK companies.

I regularly review proposals and projects for EU FP7 and (H2020), Future and Emerging Technologies, including Neurobotics and currently the NEBIAS project, Wellcome Trust, NIHR and EPSRC. I was President of the International Functional Electrical Stimulation Society from 2011- 2014 and am currently a member of the Editorial board of the Journal of Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, and the International Journal of Research in Rehabilitation. I am frequently invited to speak at major International conferences and summer schools e.g. UK Stroke Forum, World Conference of Neurorehabilitation and US STEP VI. for more information visit IV STEP 2016 website.

I am a Consultant for International rehabilitation technology companies including: Bioness and MindMaze and member of the Scientific Board of Directors, Hocoma A/C Zurich.

PhD supervision: I have Supervised 10 PhD students to completion and am currently supervising 8 students, three of whom are International. I have examined more than 14 PhD students including students from Europe and New Zealand.

Education: I teach at Undergraduate and Masters level and co-led an EU Life-Long Learning project (€450k) to develop an MSc in Advanced Rehabilitation Technologies (MSc ART), which involved four European awarding partners and five Associate partners.

Current / Recent Research Grants:

  1. 2015-2017: PI: NIHR i4i: Mechanical Muscle Activity with Real-time Kinematics (M-MARK): A novel combination of existing technologies to improve arm recovery following stroke (£861k)
  2. 2013- 2016: PI: Donaldson, Gall, Roberts. INSPIRE Hospital and home-based feasibility study of an iCycle for functional recovery after incomplete spinal cord injury (£38.057) Plus externally funded PhD studentship
  3. 2011–2015: PI: NIHR RfPB: Development and pilot evaluation of a web-supported programme of Constraint Induced Therapy following stroke (LifeCIT) (£249,634)
  4. 2012-2015: CI EU FP7 ICT Telemedicine System Empowering Stroke Patients to Fight Back StrokeBack (€3.03M)
  5. 2011–2014: CI: Rogers, Freeman. EPSRC Restoration of Reach and Grasp in Stroke Patients using Electrical Stimulation and Haptic Feedback EP/I01909X/1 (£464,231) [0.2FTE]
  6. 2011-2014: CI: MRC/NIHR Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation programme grant. “Clinical efficacy of functional strength training for upper limb motor recovery early after stroke: neural correlates and prognostic indicators”. (PI: Pomeroy, Co-applicants: Ward, Johansen-Berg, van Vilet, Burridge, Hunter, Lemon, Rothwell, Weir, Norrie, Wing, Barton), £1.2 million
  7. 2011-2014: PI: Wessex Medical Trust: Combining transcranial Direct current stimulation (tDCS) with robot hand training for the severely impaired hand after stroke (£19,223) Plus externally funded PhD studentship
  8. 2009-2013: Co-applicant NIHR Programme Grant: Development of an integrated service model incorporating innovative technology for the rehabilitation of the upper limb following stroke (NIHR RP-PG-0707-10012) (£1.9M)
Professor Jane Burridge
Email: jhb1@soton.ac.uk

Room Number : 67/4067

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