IRENE CORTÉS PÉREZ

Irene Cortés Pérez serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiotherapy at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Spain. Her academic work centers on innovative rehabilitation methodologies with a focus on virtual reality applications across diverse clinical populations.

She earned her PhD from the University of Jaén in 2022 with the thesis "Virtual reality: a new therapeutic approach in the management of neurologically based pathologies and chronic course analysis of the available scientific evidence," supervised by Dr. M. Catalina Osuna Pérez and Dr. Esteban Obrero Gaitán. Her research is conducted through the Study Group on Physical Activity, Physiotherapy and Health, where she investigates evidence-based interventions for chronic conditions.

Her primary research interests span virtual reality rehabilitation, chronic pain management (particularly fibromyalgia), neurological rehabilitation for cerebral palsy and Parkinson's disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and cardiovascular rehabilitation. She has pioneered studies examining geographical disparities in fibromyalgia impact and VR applications in anatomy education. Her work consistently emphasizes functional outcomes including balance improvement, pain reduction, and quality-of-life enhancement.

Analysis of her 2024-2025 publications reveals a dominant focus on systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluating virtual reality interventions across neurological, musculoskeletal, and chronic pain conditions. Key trends include VR's efficacy for balance rehabilitation in developmental disorders, pain management in fibromyalgia and endometriosis, and cardiovascular risk reduction through immersive technology. Her research demonstrates strong translational potential with immediate clinical applications.

As leader of the Study Group on Physical Activity, Physiotherapy and Health, she directs collaborative research initiatives examining evidence-based physiotherapy practices. Her work bridges clinical practice and academic research, with notable contributions to understanding Spanish physiotherapy approaches to chronic pain management and geographical health disparities.