Liana Nagy

Dr Liana Nagy is a Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at Brunel University London, within the Department of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences. She joined Brunel in August 2023 after six years at Oxford Brookes University and continues clinical practice as a Specialist Occupational Therapist at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.

Education

• PhD Public Health, University of Bradford, 2019
• MSc Occupational Therapy, Teesside University, 2010
• BSc Kinetotherapy, University of Babeș-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 2003

Research Interests

Dr Nagy’s research centres on understanding and promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles among children and adults, with a strong emphasis on reducing ethnic disparities and disability stigma. Her work integrates quantitative and qualitative methods to explore:

• Ethnic differences in sedentary behaviour and physical activity among children
• Effectiveness of environmental interventions such as standing desks in classrooms
• Behaviour-change strategies to enhance wellbeing in clinical and community settings
• Reduction of disability-related discrimination in low- and middle-income countries

Publication Trends

Across her recent publications (2017-2020), Dr Nagy has consistently focused on paediatric populations, employing objective measurement tools like accelerometers and ActivPAL to quantify sedentary behaviour and physical activity. Her studies reveal pronounced ethnic differences in activity patterns and highlight feasible environmental modifications—such as standing desks—that can reduce sitting time in primary-school classrooms.

Professional Memberships & Scientific Awards

• Royal College of Occupational Therapists
• Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Romanian Association for Occupational Therapy

PhD Supervision & Grant Activity

Dr Nagy currently supervises three doctoral projects:

• Foteini Mavromati – Transcranial direct current stimulation to improve motor function in children with cerebral palsy
• Leanne Field – Positive risk-taking in adults with physical disabilities
• Jo Cossington – Standing Up to Cerebral Palsy 2: an exercise and lifestyle programme

She is also module leader for MSc Occupational Therapy units and serves as Year-1 lead for the MSc programme.

Laboratory & Clinical Teams

In addition to her academic role, Dr Nagy practices clinically as a Specialist Occupational Therapist for patients with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, bridging research and clinical care to enhance rehabilitation outcomes.