Madeleine Grealy

Madeleine Grealy is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Strathclyde, where she has been based since 2000. A Chartered Psychologist and HCPC registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist, she leads research in stroke rehabilitation and perceptuo-motor control across the lifespan. Her work integrates clinical practice with engineering approaches to develop accessible rehabilitation solutions.

Her primary research focuses on stroke rehabilitation, developing low-cost interventions to improve upper limb function, physical activity, and cognitive abilities in stroke survivors. She also investigates age-related changes in perceptuo-motor control and how movement perception influences older adults' activity engagement. A significant contribution is her work on the tau-guide model for timing motor actions, bridging theoretical and applied movement science.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trend toward technology-enhanced rehabilitation, particularly virtual reality and biomechanical analysis. Her work consistently addresses practical implementation challenges in clinical settings while maintaining rigorous scientific methodology across neuroscience, psychology, and engineering disciplines.

Scientific Recognition:

• DESIGN Conference Outstanding Contribution Award (2018)

Professor Grealy has secured substantial research funding totaling over £1.5 million as PI or co-investigator, including grants from EPSRC, Chief Scientist Office, and The Dunhill Medical Trust. Her collaborative approach spans psychology, engineering, and clinical practice, with notable projects on community-based cycling for stroke survivors and virtual reality exercise systems for older adults. She actively supervises PhD students through the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership.

Her laboratory utilizes advanced equipment including Berkelbike virtual reality systems and Qualysis ProReflex motion capture technology to conduct biomechanical analyses of movement in stroke rehabilitation and ageing populations.