Verity Longley

Dr. Verity Longley is a Senior Lecturer and Department Disability Coordinator at the School of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University. She holds a PhD in Psychology (2018) from the University of Manchester, alongside BSc degrees in Occupational Therapy (2012) and Psychology (2006). Her expertise spans stroke rehabilitation, health inequalities, and dementia research, with a focus on inclusive education and healthcare access equity. She leads the school’s disability and neurodiversity peer support group and participates in committees such as the Psychology Equality and Diversity Committee. Dr. Longley has been recognized with multiple teaching awards, including nominations for Outstanding Commitment to Inclusive Teaching and Equality Champion honors. She serves as an honorary research associate at the University of Manchester and reviews for journals like Clinical Rehabilitation and the Stroke Association. Her research integrates qualitative and quantitative methods, addressing gaps in stroke rehabilitation for patients with pre-existing cognitive impairments and advancing health equity. She currently supervises one PhD student and has supported two successful completions.

• Education:
• PhD Psychology, University of Manchester (2018)
• BSc Occupational Therapy, University of the West of England (2012)
• BSc Psychology, University of Birmingham (2006)

Research Interests: Dr. Longley’s work focuses on optimizing stroke rehabilitation, reducing healthcare disparities, and enhancing dementia care. She investigates interventions for spatial neglect post-stroke, health inequalities in stroke outcomes, and the use of digital tools for cognitive assessment. Her interdisciplinary approach combines clinical trials, qualitative interviews, and data analysis to improve patient outcomes.

Awards and Recognition:

• 2025: Nominated for Outstanding Commitment to Inclusive Teaching
• 2023: Four-time Equality Champion nominee
• 2018: British Stroke Research Group Oral Prize and Verna Wright Prize

Advising and Grants: Dr. Longley has supervised two successful PhD candidates and currently mentors one student. She secured an NIHR Development and Skills Enhancement Award (2020–2022) focused on clinical trials for complex interventions. Her research has been funded by the Stroke Association and NIHR CLAHRC Greater Manchester.

Labs and Teams: She collaborates with the Stroke Association, the Society for Research in Rehabilitation (SRR), and the Organisation for Psychological Research in Stroke (OPSYRIS). She co-leads neurodiversity seminars and chairs the Disability and Neurodiversity peer support group.