Alison McGregor

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Alison McGregor
Alma mater University of Surrey
King's College London
Scientific career
Institutions Imperial College London
Thesis The assessment of spinal motion and its relevance to low back pain  (1997)

Alison Hazel McGregor is a British physiotherapist and biomedical engineer who is a professor at Imperial College London. Her research is focused on the musculoskeletal system and the mechanisms/impacts of injury. She has previously served as the President and Secretary of the Society for Back Pain Research.

Contents

Early life and education

McGregor studied physiotherapy at King's College London. [1] She graduated with a diploma in physiotherapy in 1989, then moved to the University of Surrey for her graduate studies. Her doctorate in bioengineering concentrated on human biomechanics. [2]

Research and career

In 1997, McGregor started working at Imperial College London, where she started to study back pain. [3] She is a leading member of the MSk Lab, where she develops better diagnostic tools, surgical interventions and understanding of human movement on the musculoskeletal system. [4] She has previously served as the President and Secretary of the Society for Back Pain Research. [1]

McGregor joined an interdisciplinary research team providing physiotherapy to the rowers of Imperial's Boat Club. [5] In particular, McGregor was interested in identifying the 'perfect' technique that could minimise the risk of injury. [5] [6] Through the Imperial College Boat Club, McGregor became involved with British International Rowing. [7] She has shown that the hip position is critical for rowing, and that a slumped position can limit transfer of power. [8] [9]

In 2012, McGregor and two students were chosen as Imperial College London Olympic flame torchbearers in the build-up to the London Olympic Games. [10] She was selected because of her contributions to the Imperial Boat Club. [10] In 2017, the Imperial College Boat Club recognised her twenty-year dedication to the club with an honorary party, where they named a boat after her. [7]

Personal life

McGregor is interested in sports and photography. [2]

Selected publications

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References

  1. 1 2 "Alison McGregor, PhD MSc MCSP". profiles.imperial.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Professor Alison McGregor". Imperial College London. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  3. Rowing, British (15 June 2015). "Improving Performance Naturally". British Rowing. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  4. "Major donation will advance research into musculoskeletal disorders | Imperial News | Imperial College London". Imperial News. 25 October 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  5. 1 2 "How rowing can be a pain in the back". 22 July 2001. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  6. "BMC Series blog The science of rowing: improving performance naturally". blogs.biomedcentral.com. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Imperial Boat Club honours academic's 20 years of dedication to the sport | Imperial News | Imperial College London". Imperial News. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  8. Williams, Robin (11 March 2024). "Using your hips for good technique – British Rowing Plus" . Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  9. Gough, Martin (1 December 2016). "The science behind a safe, strong rowing technique – British Rowing Plus" . Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  10. 1 2 Lab, MSk (30 July 2012). "Professor Alison McGregor on carrying the Olympic Torch "I hope I don't drop it!"". MSk Lab. Retrieved 15 July 2024.