- FF14, PAHC, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA
- +44 1752 588882
- lisa.bunn@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Dr Lisa Bunn
Lecturer in Clinical Research
School of Health Professions (Faculty of Health)
Lisa can be contacted through arrangement with our Press Office, to speak to the media on these areas of expertise.
- Balance
- Neurological rehabilitation
- Vision and human movement
- Rare conditions
- Movement disorders
- Ataxia
- Clinical trials of rehabilitation
- Research ethics
- Clinical academic careers
Email publicrelations@plymouth.ac.uk to enquire.
Programme Lead of Clinical Research and Chair of the Taught Masters Ethics and Integrity Committee, Faculty of Health
Lisa's neurological rehabilitation research first explores pathophysiology,
to guide targeted therapies, and then evaluate novel therapeutic design through clinical trial
"Lab to living room"
Lisa is a specialist in the neurophysiology of human movement and translational clinical neuroscience. A clinical-academic herself, consulting at the National Ataxia Centre at the National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Lisa champions clinical-academic career pathways for those bridging in from clinical sectors. Lisa holds a prominent role on the Health Education England/National Institute of Health Research regional committee that awards fellowships to people bridging into research at pre- and post-doctoral levels.
Lisa programme leads the Masters of Clinical Research (MClinRes), supervises a number of PhD and MSc students and module leads core postgraduate inter-professional research modules offered across the MClinRes and Advanced Professional Practice Masters in the Faculty of Health. As a Chair of the Faculty of Health's Ethics and Integrity Committee, Lisa plays an integral role in the research approvals and governance as well as strategic development of this service.
Lisa programme leads the Masters of Clinical Research (MClinRes), supervises a number of PhD and MSc students and module leads core postgraduate inter-professional research modules offered across the MClinRes and Advanced Professional Practice Masters in the Faculty of Health. As a Chair of the Faculty of Health's Ethics and Integrity Committee, Lisa plays an integral role in the research approvals and governance as well as strategic development of this service.
Lisa Bunn joined the University in April 2011, helping to develop the flagship MScs in Neurological Rehabilitation and Clinical Research as well as teaching undergraduate neurological, respiratory and musculoskeletal physiotherapy and developing key syllabus modules such as complex care in trauma. Having worked clinically in acute and rehabilitation, in specialist regional and national centres, Lisa specialises in inherited neurological conditions, movement disorders and neuromuscular disease, paediatric neurology and oncology, acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury and sensory neuropathies.
Since joining the University of Plymouth Lisa has collaborated with staff members and external researchers and charities in order to investigate (i) Assessment of ataxia in children with posterior-fossa tumour resection, (ii) Assessment of inherited ataxias (iii) An Oculomotor Pilot Therapy for Improving Movement of the Eyes in Multiple Sclerosis (OptimEYEs MS), (iv) the effects of localised temperature changes on muscle stiffness for people with Multiple Sclerosis and Hereditary Spastic Paraparesis, (v) standing balance impairments in young people with Down Syndrome, (vi) the effect of cataract surgery on balance and (vii) use of widely available commercial devices as an option for clinically measuring balance in children with balance impairment.
Previously based in the 'Sensori-motor Control Group' in Queen Square (University College London), Lisa undertook a PhD investigating sensory mechanisms of balance control in cerebellar disease. Lisa worked as a post-doc leading a feasibility RCT involving participants with rare conditions across the breadth of the UK, in collaboration with the Specialist Ataxia Centre at the National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery (lead clinician Dr Paola Giunti). Lisa also worked with Prof Giunti during her early post-doc career on the European EUROSCA project.
Lisa now leads a large co-production programme of research investigating rare paediatric ataxia.
In her clinical career Lisa has worked in the National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery (UCLH), at the Regional Trauma Centre and Regional Paediatric Neuro-rehabilitation Centre at North Bristol NHS Trust and Stoke Mandeville's National Spinal Injuries Centre (Buckinghamshire).
Lisa has won prizes such as the Gordon Holme's prize for Clinical Neuroscience from the Royal Society of Medicine and student (SSTAR) awards for 'Most Innovative Use of Teaching Methods', 'Most dedicated dissertation/project supervisor of the year' and 'Personal Tutor of the Year'.
Qualifications
PhD Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London (2010)
Post Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice and Fellow of The Higher Education Authority
BSc Hons Physiotherapy, UWE Bristol (2003)
Professional membership
- HCPC registered 'Physiotherapist'
- Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
- Member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists Interested in Neurology (ACPIN)
- Member of the Physiotherapy Research Foundation
- Member of the Movement Disorders Society
- Member of the International Society of Posture and Gait Research
- Member of the Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research, contributing to the Brain and Mind Translation Research theme and Health Across the Lifecourse themes (Early Life, Childhood and Adolescence and Older Age)
- Member of the Rehabilitation Research Group
Roles on external bodies
Core committee member and panellist of the HEE/NIHR ICA regional personal research award scheme (internships, pre-doctoral and post-doctoral bridging fellowships).
Research advisory committee AHP representative for Action for AT (Ataxia Telangiectasia).Former positions:
Vice chair for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) Professional Development committee
Member of the CSP Research Committee
Research Officer for the National and Executive committees of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists In Neurology (ACPIN)
Chair of ACPIN Devon and Cornwall Region
Key publications
Teaching interests
Lisa teaches interprofessional cohorts of students (AHPs, nurses, medics, dentists, healthcare scientists) at undergraduate and postgraduate (Masters and PhD) levels. A physiotherapist herself, Lisa has taught extensively across the Physiotherapy program in addition to Advanced Professional Practice modules within APP Neuro-rehabilitation and the Masters of Clinical Research (MClinRes: Dr Lisa Bunn, programme leader).
Specialist areas (clinical):
- Ataxia and cerebellar disease
- Neuro-rehabilitation
- Balance
- Neuro-physiology and sensorimotor control
- Complex case management
Specialist areas (research):
Lisa holds a special interest in international healthcare research and, as well as being Director of Studies to two current international PhD students, Lisa has championed international students joining an NIHR instigated Masters of Clinical Research to globalise the MClinRes curriculum and help address global health inequality through an enhanced understanding of how research is embedded in health care across the globe. See our feature about how Lisa's work has contributed to the clinical academic career of a now prestigious medic in Nepal.
Staff serving as external examiners
University of Monash, PhD studies
Research interests
Lisa's neurological rehabilitation research first explores pathophysiology, to guide targeted therapies and then evaluate novel therapeutic design through clinical trial:
"Lab to living room"
- Quantitative measurement of balance.
- Sensori-motor control.
- Movement disorders.
- Cerebellar disease.
- Falls in neurological disorders.
- The role of vision for balance and visually guided movement.
Other research
Lisa conducts translational research involving and engaging patients and the public at all stages of research; from conception to completion of projects. Lisa is leading a co-production project presently with a large team of professionals and family experts.
Lisa champions ethics and integrity in research and asks for all ethics committee applicants to indicate how they are striving to address or mitigate health inequalities in their proposals for research.
Lisa champions translation of research into healthcare policy - her personal contributions to Clinical Guideline development include:
National Clinical Guideline for Stroke 5th Ed., Royal College of Physicians
Lisa champions research-led education and has made two significant contributions to core-texts for health care professional education (spanning undergraduate and postgraduate education):
Physical Management for Neurological Conditions - a core text for undergraduate healthcare professionals
Neurological rehabilitation : spasticity and contractures in clinical practice and research - a core text for advanced professional practice
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
PhD Completed:
PhD student, Catherine Bain, Fight for Sight fellowship: Improving visual field tests for populations with advanced glaucoma and visual field loss in the far periphery (Awarded 2021)
Current PhD supervision:
PhD student, Helen Hartley, NIHR fellowship, ASPECT Study : The ASsessment and Physiotherapy managEment of ataxia in Children following surgical resection of posterior fossa Tumour", ref:ICA-CDRF-2016-02-065 for an ICA Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship, Health Education England. £223,377.00 Children following surgical resection of posterior fossa TumourDirector of Studies: PhD student: Nesibe Cakmak, Fellowship from the Turkish Government: Physiotherapy approaches for balance rehabilitation in people with Parkinson’s disease.
Director of Studies: PhD student: Munira Khan, Studentship from main PI Bunn award from Action for AT:
MSc student completion: n=27
Current MSc student: n=5
Grants & contracts
2010-2011 MRC and Ataxia UK funded, University College London
UCL School: Biomedical sciences (Institute of Neurology, Sobell Department, Whole-body sensori-motor group).
2006-2010 Ataxia UK funded, UCL/NHNN, London
UCL School: Biomedical sciences (Institute of Neurology, Sobell Department, Whole-body sensori-motor group). Supervisors: Prof Brian Day, Prof Jonathan Marsden, Dr Paola Giunti.
2004-2006 Senior 2 physiotherapist, Frenchay Hospital, Bristol
2003-2004 Physiotherapist, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
2021 'Evaluating participants' perceptions of a functional physical fitness assessment for those aged 60 years and over conducted in the community by student physiotherapists' International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation 28, (3) 1-12 , DOI
2019 'Exercise and Physical Therapy Interventions for Children with Ataxia: A Systematic Review' The Cerebellum , DOI Open access
2019 'The ASsessment and Physiotherapy managEment of Ataxia in Children Following Surgical Resection of Posterior Fossa Tumour' Case Medical Research , DOI
2019 'Guidelines on the diagnosis and management of the progressive ataxias' Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases 14, (1) , DOI
2019 'E-SURVEY OF CURRENT INTERNATIONAL PHYSIOTHERAPY PRACTICE FOR CHILDREN WITH ATAXIA FOLLOWING SURGICAL RESECTION OF POSTERIOR FOSSA TUMOUR' Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine , DOI Open access
2019 'Evaluating the benefit of physical fitness MOTs for people aged over 60 with Devon AgeUK and Age Concern' Physiotherapy 105, e128-e129 , DOI
2018 'Incidence and prognostic factors of ataxia in children with posterior fossa tumours' Neuro Oncology Practice , DOI Open access
2018 'QOL-04. LONGITUDINAL ASSESSMENT OF ATAXIA IN CHILDREN FOLLOWING SURGICAL RESECTION OF POSTERIOR FOSSA TUMOURS' Neuro-oncology 20, (Suppl 2) i158-i158
2018 'QOL-05. E-SURVEY OF CURRENT INTERNATIONAL PHYSIOTHERAPY PRACTICE FOR CHILDREN WITH ATAXIA FOLLOWING SURGICAL RESECTION OF POSTERIOR FOSSA TUMOUR' Neuro-oncology 20, (Suppl 2) i158-i158
2016 'Superficial warming and cooling of the leg affects walking speed and neuromuscular impairments in people with spastic paraparesis' Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 59, (5-6) 326-332 , DOI Open access
2016 'Standardized Assessment of Hereditary Ataxia Patients in Clinical Studies' Movement Disorders Clinical Practice 3, (3) 230-240 , DOI Open access
2015 'Sensorimotor processing for balance in spinocerebellar ataxia type 6' Mov Disord 30, (9) 1259-1266 , DOI Open access
2015 'Training balance with opto-kinetic stimuli in the home: a randomized controlled feasibility study in people with pure cerebellar disease' Clin Rehabil 29, (2) 143-153 , DOI
2010 'Falls in spinocerebellar ataxias: Results of the EuroSCA Fall Study' The Cerebellum: an international journal from neurosciences to clinical perspectives 9, (2) 232-239 , DOI
'Functional Physical Fitness MOTs for the over 60s: An Exploratory Study to Evaluate Student Physiotherapists Assessing Volunteer Participants in Non-Healthcare Settings' International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation Publisher Site Open access
Chapters
2018 'Observation and analysis of movement' Physical Management for Neurological Conditions Open access
2018 'Hereditary spastic paraparesis and other hereditary myelopathies' in Pandyan A; Hermens H; Conway B Neurological rehabilitation: Spasticity and Contractures in Clinical Practice and Research Taylor Francis Open access
Conference Papers
2018 'Longitudinal assessment of ataxia in children following surgical resection of posterior fossa tumours' International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Denver, Colorado USA 6-/-0/20187-/-0/2018Oxford University Press (OUP) , DOI Open access
2018 'QOL-05. E-SURVEY OF CURRENT INTERNATIONAL PHYSIOTHERAPY PRACTICE FOR CHILDREN WITH ATAXIA FOLLOWING SURGICAL RESECTION OF POSTERIOR FOSSA TUMOUR' International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Denver, Colorado, USA 6-/-0/20187-/-0/2018, DOI Open access
2013 'Investigating balance in persons with Down Syndrome: A focus on vision' 2nd Joint World Congress of the International Society of Posture and Gait Research and Gait and Mental Function Akita, Japan 6-/-0/20136-/-0/2013
2012 'Multi-sensory contributions to balance control in pure cerebellar disease: Translating neuroscience from laboratory to living room' Ataxia Research Conference Stansted, London 1-/-1/20121-/-1/2012London, UK (Ataxia UK website online) Ataxia UK Publisher Site
2012 'Processing vestibular, proprioceptive and visual information for balance control in pure cerebellar disease (SCA6)' 1st Joint World Congress of ISPGR and Gait & Mental Function Trondheim, Norway 6-/-0/20126-/-0/2012The International Society of Posture and Gait Research Publisher Site
2012 'What causes balance impairment in cerebellar disease?' National ACPIN Conference 'The Backbone of Neurology' Northampton 3-/-0/20123-/-0/2012ACPIN conference proceedings
2011 'Balance impairment in cerebellar disease: Can it be explained by disrupted sensory processing?' The 16th World Congress of Physical Therapy Amsterdam, The Netherlands 6-/-0/20116-/-0/2011Elsevier RR-PO-206-5-Thu-RR-PO-206-5-Thu
2009 'Balance control in spino-cerebellar ataxia type 6: Vestibular processing unravelled' The19th International Conference of the International Society of Posture and Gait Research Bologna, Italy 6-/-0/20096-/-0/2009377-377
2009 'The influence of posture on the pattern of whole-body instability in freely-standing subjects with SCA6' The19th International Conference of the International Society of Posture and Gait Research Bologna, Italy 6-/-0/20096-/-0/2009The International Society of Posture and Gait Research 377-377
2009 'The pattern of instability and its dependence on posture in spino-cerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6)' Movement Disorders Society 13th International Congress Paris 6-/-0/20096-/-0/2009Movement Disorders Society 68-68 Publisher Site
2009 'Vestibular processing for balance control in spino-cerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6)' Movement Disorders Society 13th International Congress Paris 6-/-0/20096-/-0/2009Movement Disorders Society 68-68 Publisher Site
2008 'Vestibular processing for balance control in cerebellar disease' 5th International Posture Symposium Smolenice Castle, Slovakia 9-/-0/20089-/-0/2008Slovakia Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology Slovak Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewiczova 1, 81371 Bratislava Publisher Site
Reports
2016 Royal College of Physicians 2016 National clinical guideline for stroke. Royal College of Physicians, NICE accredited Online RCP Open access
2011 Ataxia UK Summary of Final Report: Investigating balance therapies in cerebellar ataxia: Evaluating therapeutic outcome measures and feasibility testing of a novel intervention. Ataxia UK Ataxia UK webpages Ataxia UK Publisher Site
Posters
'Clinical CPD in Devon and Cornwall: Surveying current constraints to accessing activities and scoping the potential for web-based CPD delivery for clinicians' Open access
'E-Survey of current international physiotherapy practice for children with ataxia following surgical resection of posterior fossa tumour' Open access
'Investigating feasibility of use of an Android Smart Phone Application (MoveIt) as a clinical outcome measure' Open access
'Investigating feasibility of use of an Android Smart Phone Application (MoveIt) as a clinical outcome measure' Open access
'Is there an association between visual tracking and eye-hand coordination? A ´mobile laboratory methods´ based pilot study' Open access
'Physiotherapy management of the ataxias towards best clinical practice: 2016 guideline update' Open access
'Wee-Wii-validation: Investigating the validity and reliability of the Nintendo Wii Balance Board for assessment of standing balance in young children' Open access
Other Publications
Reports & invited lectures
Online: Expert point of view "Rehabilitating rehab? The changing landscape of neurorehabilitation following COVID-19
Other academic activities
Journal manuscript reviewer:
The Cerebellum
Physiotherapy
BMC Geriatrics
Funding reviewer:
NIHR Heath Technology Assessment funding
The Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong
The Stroke Association
Ataxia UK
Action for AT
The CSP Physiotherapy Research Foundation
CSP ACPIN travel bursaries and studentships