معرفی
Professor Denis Martin serves as Professor of Rehabilitation and Director of the Centre for Rehabilitation, Lifestyle Medicine, and Human Performance at Teesside University's School of Health and Life Sciences within the Allied Health Professions department. An active researcher accepting PhD students, he holds significant leadership positions including Vice Chair of the XR4Rehab Network and leads the Integrating Physical Health, Mental Health, and Social Care theme in the ARC NENC.
Professor Martin earned his BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy from the University of Ulster in 1988, followed by a DPhil from the same institution in 1993, and an MSc Applied Statistics from Napier University in 2000. Prior to joining Teesside University in 2006, he was a Principal Research Fellow at Sheffield Hallam University, Director of the Scottish Network for Chronic Pain Research, and Award Coordinator of the MSc Pain at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. During his Scottish tenure, he chaired Pain Association Scotland and served as Vice-chair of the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Chronic Pain.
His research focuses on assessing and managing pain and disability impacts, with particular expertise in chronic pain conditions, rehabilitation techniques, and XR/digital technology applications in rehabilitation. His work spans respiratory medicine, musculoskeletal health, and health literacy, securing over £25 million in external funding from prestigious bodies including the EU, Research Councils, NIHR, and various charities.
Recent research demonstrates a clear trend toward integrating virtual reality and digital technologies into pain management and rehabilitation, especially for COPD and persistent pain conditions. His publications reveal a methodological shift toward mixed-methods approaches combining systematic reviews with innovative technology implementation studies, addressing both clinical effectiveness and user experience in digital health interventions.
Professor Martin's work has received media attention including features on 'cutting-edge technology as a game changer for pain management' and coverage related to William Shatner's AI technology applications. His research has been highlighted by multiple media outlets focusing on Teesside University's development of AI agents for pain management and long Covid rehabilitation solutions.
As an experienced supervisor, Professor Martin has overseen 28 doctoral completions with current supervision of additional students. His active research portfolio includes the STOP project (Studies into the Treatment Of Phantom limb pain, 2021-2026), Virtual Reality for Rehabilitation: VR4LongCovid Rehab, and the EU NWE Interreg funded Scale-Up4Rehab project, demonstrating his commitment to innovative rehabilitation approaches across diverse conditions.
Professor Martin leads multidisciplinary research teams focused on integrating physical health, mental health, and social care. His current work includes developing AI agents for pain management support and exploring virtual reality solutions for long Covid rehabilitation through multiple funded projects with clinical partners across the UK.
