ProfSuzanne McDonough

Suzanne is expert in the development and evaluation of rehabilitation interventions in clinical populations with movement challenges (e.g. due to pain, neurological injury, ageing etc.). She is interested in the use of technology to enhance rehabilitation adherence, and promote general health and wellbeing. Examples of technology she has developed and/or tested in clinical trials are virtual reality in stroke; and pedometers/wearables as motivational tools to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour e.g. low back pain, respiratory disease, stroke, mental health and cancer. Suzanne has used behaviour change theory (COM-B and TDF) to design interventions, and to understand intervention characteristics in systematic reviews. Given the breadth of clinical areas that Suzanne has worked in she is interested in how we best manage people with multiple health conditions. She has published widely in her area of expertise (170 papers; H-index=49), presented at international conferences; and has obtained funding from a variety of national and international sources.

Suzanne has excellent links with international rehabilitation researchers and is actively working with colleagues from UK, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. Suzanne was Chair of the Scientific Panel for the UK Chartered Society of Physiotherapy for two years; was a member of the Swedish Medical and Health Council funding review panel for three years; and regularly reviews grants and papers for national and international research organisations and journals.

Suzanne’s research objectives are:
1. Develop technology/interventions that encourage people to engage with them and are easy for a non-expert to use
2. Develop technology/interventions that are fit for purpose-so helps solve a real problem and can reinforce the advice/education and treatment provided by clinicians
3. Develop technology/interventions that are based on best evidence

Recent Grants
1. Sustaining activity with arthritis (SAWA) following an Arthritis Ireland Be active with arthritis (BAWA) exercise programme (PI). HRCI/HRB Funding Arthritis Ireland, €232,570.31, April 23 to Sept 2025.
2. Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a peer-led walking programme to increase physical activity in inactive older adults: Walk With Me Study (Co-I). NIHR (NIHR131550) £1,115,754.81 (£8.5K to RCSI) March 22-Feb 25
3. McDonough SM (Co-PI) Digital and non-digital behaviour change interventions to support the maintenance of physical activity for adults with long term conditions’. Funding from Allied Research Collaboration (ARC) Wessex for a postdoc based in University of Southampton (~£45,000 GBP) to Sept 2023.
4. McDonough SM (PI), Murphy MH, Tully M, McDonough C, Dillon M, McArdle D, Clarke M, Williams J, Niven A, Brady J, McAuley J. The feasibility of a walking intervention to increase activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in people with serious mental illnessHorizon2020 INTERREG VA HSC R&D Division Cross-border Healthcare Intervention Trials in Ireland Network (CHITIN) funding. €353,962 to Ulster University. Dec 2019-Dec 2022