Lesley Ward

I graduated from the University of Otago (New Zealand) in 2009 with a Post Graduate Diploma in Science (Distinction), majoring in Psychology. I was subsequently awarded a three year PhD scholarship, in which I investigated the role of yoga for the management of musculoskeletal conditions. My mixed-methods research included an international Delphi survey to establish key components of clinical yoga interventions for musculoskeletal conditions, and a pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating the feasibility and safety of a relaxation-based yoga intervention for adults with rheumatoid arthritis. My PhD, recognised as Exceptional by the University of Otago, was awarded in 2014.

I then worked as a Post-Doctoral researcher in the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago. My research projects included qualitative work investigating the lived experience of people with arthritis, psychometric testing of a quality of life measure for adults with ankylosing spondylitis, and a 360 degree assessment of an ambulatory medical teaching programme for 5th year medical students.
In 2014 I was competitively awarded one of 12 inaugural international Fellowships for emerging researchers in complementary medicine, from the Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology (UTS), Sydney. This three-year Fellowship aims to establish and foster research collaborations and publications between the 12 international ARCCIM Fellows.

Current Research
I joined the Centre for Rehabilitation Research in Oxford, in 2015, where I work as the post-doctoral researcher for the BOOST (Better Outcomes for Older People with Spinal Trouble) study, evaluating the effectiveness of a physiotherapy programme for older adults with neurogenic claudication.