Alasdair MacSween

Alasdair is a Principal Lecturer (Research and Innovation) in the School of Health and Life Sciences and the Chair of the Teesside University Research Ethics and Integrity Committee (UREIC). Alasdair also Chaired RECs for both NRES and the HRA for many years.

Alasdair works with the School’s staff, students and our collaborators to facilitate excellence in our research and innovation activities.

Alasdair qualified as a Physiotherapist at Glasgow Caledonian University and his academic career began there as a Research Assistant working on a wide range of research projects in the then Department of Physiotherapy, Podiatry and Radiography. Alasdair went on to be employed as a Lecturer in Physiotherapy at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and then a Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, Course Leader for M.Sc. Physiotherapy (Pre-registration) and School of Health Sciences Research Coordinator at The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen before joining Teesside in 2007. Alasdair has maintained his clinical experience through private practice and work for Strathclyde Police Occupational Health and Welfare Unit, in Sports Injury Clinics and as an Ergonomic Consultant.

Alasdair completed his Ph.D - studying the efficacy of a hydrotherapy and land based aerobic exercise programme for female Rheumatoid Arthritis patients. His primary area of research interest is in persistant pain and pain management and physical and other interventions (particularily) in the Rheumatic diseases. He also has an active interest in research in the areas of exercise, physical activity, virtual rehabilitation systems,  and Alternative and Complementary therapies, especially Acupuncture.

• Pain and the management of pain
• Virtual Rehabilitation systems
• Physical and other interventions in the Rheumatic diseases
• Exercise, physical activity and Alternative and Complementary therapies, especially Acupuncture
• Ethics and Governance

External research funding since 2008

• Commercial - Contract Research Grant Application with Dr Cormac Ryan and Prof Martin - An Investigation of the Senstrain device for the management of phantom limb pain: A RandomisEd, single-bLInd, placebo-controllEd trial of saFety and efficacy. [PHANTOM RELIEF Trial] Funded by 2PD Ltd.  £101,076   
• KTP (application title PHZ -Teesside University) Study of device for treatment of phantom limb pain (Phase 1) Funder:Medi-Direct PI:Cormac Ryan, Submitted on:24.04.2018 Proposed start date:01.09.2018 Proposed end date:31.08.2019 Successful
• The effectiveness of Acupuncture for Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy, of the lower limb and foot, following Paclitaxel treatment for Ovarian Cancer: a single blind randomised control trial. South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, £24,989
• £30,000 ARUK Educational Grant with Prof Martin as co-applicant - The Pain Garden: development and evaluation of an online educational tool to improve patients' understanding and provoke learning about the multidimensional nature of persistent pain.

PhD supervisions

• Jon Robinson - Virtual Rehabilitation Of Pain And Function For People With Multiple Sclerosis
• Gillian Barry - The effects of virtual reality augmented rehabilitation on function for people with low back pain
• Jae-Llane Ditchburn - Virtual reality augmented rehabilitation to improve postural stability in older people with chronic pain
• Lay Khoon Lau - The influence of the higher cognitive systems and various methods of cervical joint position error calculation on cervical joint position sense among idiopathic neck pain patients