David Stephensen

David is a Professor of Applied Clinical Research in the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Social Care at Canterbury Christ Church University.

I am a Professor of Applied Clinical Research in the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Social Care at Canterbury Christ Church University and a Physiotherapist with more than 30 years’ experience in Australia and the United Kingdom including 20 years clinical and laboratory research. I am also Deputy Director of Research & Innovation and the Clinical Trials Unit at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust. I am passionate about increasing research capacity of the allied health professions and have supervised over 10 NIHR clinical academic training awards for allied health professionals. I have a strong track record in training researchers and post graduate students and mentoring early career researchers. I have a strong track record of National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and commercial grant funding and am a senior chief investigator and trialist leading a programme of clinical translational research. I have built a comprehensive programme of research spanning clinical practice, rehabilitation and implementation with coproduction of research and evidence-based interventions at the heart of this research. I lead a programme of clinical translational research that focuses on the problems experienced by children and young people with haemophilia. The work has informed local, national and international clinical practice and has been described as ‘world leading’ by the Quality Review Service peer review of UK haemophilia centres as well as receiving national and international awards. I am the Associate Editor of the journal Haemophilia and invited to join the NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Programme (RfPB) Advisory Committee in 2021.

Research interests & Supervison

Do you want to do a research degree? Are you interested in Medicine, Health and Social Care or related topics? Then I would be pleased to hear from you.

My team have a particular interest in the impact of disease on the biomechanical and neuromuscular aspects of physical performance in children and young people, in particular, the effects of exercise, clinical use of wearable technology, pain rehabilitation, point-of-care ultrasound imaging to detect early joint disease, as well as incorporating functional performance as part of routine monitoring of health. My current research has two main themes: evaluating the benefits of exercise and muscle strengthening programmes; and use of wearable technology to remotely monitor joint health and exercise. This work has been highly recognised with awards at several international conferences. Collectively, my research activities and clinical expertise have enabled me to develop and sustain rigorous scientific standards in research for the Allied Health Professions with an extensive track record in all aspects of clinical research methodology and training including: Systematic reviews and meta-analysis, Feasibility and pilot study design, Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods design, Cohort, case-control and randomised controlled trial, including adaptive clinical trial design and trials of medical devices, UK Medical Research Council (MRC) framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions, Evaluation of psychometric/ measurement properties or outcome tools, analysis of registry data utilising epidemiological and predictive modelling approaches, evaluation of technology readiness levels (TRL) for understanding the maturity of a technology, ranging from observation of basic principles to proven in the operational environment.

Research Projects

Development and feasibility of a swimming programme as a rehabilitation modality for people with chronic low back pain: A mixed methods project.. Researcher(s): Mrs Helen Oakes. Supervisor(s): Dr Marlize DeVivo, Dr Hayley Mills, Professor David Stephensen. [Postgraduate Research Project]
The development of a self-assessment clinical algorithm to enable patients with haemophilia (PWH) to detect and manage acute musculoskeletal bleeding events utilising ultrasound technology. Researcher(s): Mr David Hopper. Supervisor(s): Professor David Stephensen, Professor Kate Springett. [Postgraduate Research Project]

NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Programme (RfPB) South East & Central Regional Advisory Committee

NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (ARC) Kent, Surrey, Sussex (KSS) Mentor

Associate Editor, HaemophiliaThe International Prophylaxis Study Group (IPSG) Musculoskeletal Health Expert Working Group

UK Haemophilia Centre Directors Organisation (UKHCDO) Data Management Group and Data Analysis Group

Great Foundations Scientific Committee Member

A clinical practice guideline for primary care physiotherapy in patients with haemophilia Blokzijl, J., Pisters, Martijn F., Aspdahl, M., de Boer, Wypke, Dybvik Matlary, Ruth Elise, Douma-van Riet, Danielle, de Kleijn, Piet, Lobet, Sébastien, Loughnane, Paula, McLaughlin, P., Bladen, M., Roche, Sheila, Stephensen, D., van Vlimmeren, Leo, van Vulpen, L., Timmer, M., (10 Jul 2024): Wiley. [Journal article]
CSP2023: 217 Barriers, enablers, and preferences to swimming for people with chronic low back pain Oakes, H., de Vivo, M., Mills, H., Stephensen, D., (18 Jun 2024): Elsevier. [Journal article]
CSP2023: 379 The development of a swimming programme for people with chronic low back pain using a modified Delphi technique de Vivo, M., Stephensen, D., Mills, H., (18 Jun 2024): Elsevier. [Journal article]
Exercise-based telerehabilitation for the management of chronic pain in people with severe haemophilia: a mixed-methods feasibility study. McLaughlin, P., Chowdary, P., Khair, K., Smith, C., Stephensen, D., Hurley, M., (08 Oct 2024): BMC. [Journal article]
Expert United Kingdom consensus on the preservation of joint health in people with moderate and severe haemophilia A: A modified Delphi panel Laffan, M., McLaughlin, P., Motwani, J., Alamelu, J., Austin, S. Classey, S., Dolan, G., Eales, M., Gooding, R., Grainger, J., Harrison, C., Jones, A., Kelly, A., Oyesiku, L., Rodgers, R., Stephensen, D., Talks, K., Sonecha, S., Danquah, A., (19 Jan 2024): Wiley. [Journal article]
Survey of the barriers, enablers and preferences to swimming for people with chronic lower back pain Oakes, H., DeVivo, M., Stephensen, D., Mills, H., (11 Jul 2024): Wolters Kluwer, APTA Aquatic Physical Therapy. [Journal article]
Using evidence-based co-design to develop a hybrid delivered exercise intervention that aims to increase confidence to exercise in people with haemophilia Taylor, S., Barker, Karen, Stephensen, D., Williamson, Esther, (10 Mar 2024): Wiley. [Journal article]
A multidisciplinary approach to optimising the virtual management of haemophilia: a roundtable meeting of UK experts Benson, G., Bhandari, T., Gomez, K., Holder, K.A., Stephensen, D., Wilkinson, A., Mangles, S., (29 Dec 2023, Jan 2024): Sciendo. [Journal article]
Accreditation model of European Haemophilia centres in the era of novel treatments and gene therapy Stephensen, D., Boban, A., Baghaei, F., Fijnvandraat, K., Klamroth, R., Miesbach, W., Kavanagh, M., Noone, D., Crato, M., Peyvandi, F., (11 Oct 2023): Wiley. [Journal article]
Educational needs of patients, families, and healthcare professionals to support the patient journey in haemophilia gene therapy in the UK Boyse, S., Fletcher, S., Jones, A., Kohli, R., Mangles, S., Ong, M., Pollard, D., Sivasubramaniyam, S., Stephensen, D., Stoner, N., Kazmi, R., (25 Nov 2023): BMC. [Journal article]
How to assess, detect, and manage joint involvement in the era of transformational therapies: Role of point-of-care ultrasound Stephensen, D., DiMinno, M. N. D., Martinoli, C., Pasta, G., DelaCorte-Rodriguez, H., Samy, I., Timmer, M., Winburn, I., (26 Sep 2022): Wiley. [Journal article]
Identifying performance-based outcome measures of physical function in people with haemophilia (IPOP) Melanie Bladen, Hannah Harbidge, Wendy Drechsler, Gaetan Duport, Ryan Mahaffey, Janjap van der Net, Sofía Pérez-Alenda, Fionnuala Sayers, Karen Strike, Merel Timmer, David Stephensen, (15 Oct 2023): Wiley. [Journal article]
Using theory of change to co-create a programme theory for a telerehabilitation intervention for pain management in people with haemophilia McLaughlin, P., Hurley, M., Chowdary, P., Khair, K., Smith, C., Stephensen, D., (01 Dec 2023): Springer Nature. [Journal article]
Wearable activity trackers in young people with haemophilia: What needs to be considered? Stephensen, D., Dodd, C., Hashem, F., (16 May 2023): Wiley. [Journal article]
European principles of care for physiotherapy provision for persons with inherited bleeding disorders: Perspectives of physiotherapists and patients de Kleijn, P, Duport, G., Jansone, K., Marinic, M., McLaughlin, P., Noone, D., Ramishvili, L., Tollwé, A., Stephensen, D., (04 May 2022): Wiley. [Journal article]
How does a lifetime of painful experiences influence sensations and beliefs about pain in adults with severe haemophilia? A qualitative study Stephensen, D., McLaughlin, P., Hurley, M., Chowdary, P., Khair, K.: Taylor & Francis. [Journal article]
Pain memories: A new concept to consider in the management of chronic pain in people with haemophilia Stephensen, D., Wells, A. J., Whitaker, S., Gray, D., Mangles, S., Hislop-Lennie, K.: Wiley. [Journal article]
The experiences and beliefs of people with severe haemophilia and healthcare professionals on pain management, and their views of using exercise as an aspect of intervention: a qualitative study Stephensen, D., McLaughlin, P., Hurley, M., Chowdary, P., Khair, K., (09 Dec 2021): Taylor & Francis. [Journal article]
Twelve-month prevalence of haemarthrosis and joint disease using the Haemophilia Joint Health score: evaluation of the UK National Haemophilia Database and Haemtrack patient reported data: an observational study Wilkins, R., Stephensen, D., Siddle, H., Scott, M. J.,, Xiang, H., Horn, E., Palmer, B., Chapman, G. J., Richards, M., Walwyn, R., Redmond, A.: BMJ Publishing Group. [Journal article]
Haemophilia Berntorp, E., Fischer, K., Hart, D.P., Mancuso, M.E., Stephensen, D., Shapiro, A.D., Blanchette, V., (24 Jun 2021): Springer Nature. [Journal article]
Managing flare-ups: The experience of a group of swimmers with persistent low back pain Oakes, H., DeVivo, M., Stephensen, D., Mills, H., (01 Feb 2022): Elsevier. [Journal article]
Pool closures during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on low back pain management Oakes, H., DeVivo, M., Stephensen, D., Mills, H., BritSpine. [Conference poster]
The role of physiotherapy in the new treatment landscape for haemophilia Sébastien Lobet, Merel Timmer, Christoph Königs, David Stephensen, Paul McLaughlin, Gaetan Duport, Cédric Hermans, Maria Elisa Mancuso, (26 Jun 2021): MDPI. [Journal article]
Acceptability and feasibility of an isometric resistance exercise program for abdominal cancer surgery: An embedded qualitative study Stephensen, D., Hashem, F., Bates, A., Pellatt-Higgins, T., Hobbs, R.P., Hopkins, M., Woodward, H., Stavropoulou, C., Swaine, I.L., Ali, H.: SAGE. [Journal article]
Comprehensive care on paper only? The challenge for physiotherapy provision in day to day haemophilia practice McLaughlin, P., Aspdahl, M., Matlary, R. E. D., Grinda, N., Katzerova, M., O'Mahony, B., Stephensen, D., Lobet, S., (04 Oct 2020): Wiley. [Journal article]
Do people with long-term pain swim? Understanding participation using the active lives survey Oakes, H., Physiotherapy UK. [Lecture]
Muscle strengthening intervention for boys with haemophilia: Developing and evaluating a best-practice exercise programme with boys, families and health-care professionals Hashem, F., Stephensen, D., Drechsler, W.I., Bladen, M., Carroll, L., Pellatt-Higgins, T., Saloniki, E.C., (17 Aug 2020): Wiley. [Journal article]
Natural history of radiographic first metatarsophalangeal joint osteoarthritis: A nineteen-year population-based cohort study Bowen, C., Gates, Lucy, McQueen, Peter, Daniels, Maxine, Delmestri, Antonella, Drechsler, Wendy, Stephensen, David, Doherty, Michael, Arden, Nigel, (31 Aug 2020): Wiley. [Journal article]
Physiotherapy interventions for pain management in haemophilia: A systematic review Hurley, M., Chowdary, P., Khair, K., McLaughlin, P., Stephensen, D., (02 Aug 2020): Wiley. [Journal article]
Results of feasibility and safety of randomised controlled trial of a musculoskeletal exercise intervention versus usual care for children with haemophilia Bladen, M., Carroll, L., Dodd, C., Drechsler, W., Hashem, F., Patel, V., Pellatt-Higgins, T., Saloniki, I., Stephensen, D., (06 May 2020): Wiley. [Journal article]
Scoping review: should physiotherapists recommend swimming to patients with low back pain and is further research indicated Oakes, H., Mills, H., DeVivo, M., Stephensen, D., (01 May 2020, 19 Jun 2020): Elsevier. [Journal article]
Telephone or video? A review of telemedicine consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic in a spinal MSK service Oakes, H., Hussey, J, Stephensen, D., Oakes, A, Advanced Practice - Taking Centre Stage. [Conference poster]
The importance of cancer patients' functional recollections to explore the acceptability of an isometric-resistance exercise intervention: A qualitative study Hashem, F., Corbett, K., Stephensen, D., Swaine, I.L., Ali, H., Hutchins, I., (08 Sep 2020): Wiley. [Journal article]
Postural stability is affected in older males with Haemophilia—a matched control study Digby-Bowl, C., Brown, M., Stephensen, D., (31 Jan 2018): MDPI. [Journal article]
Treatment regimens and outcomes in severe and moderate haemophilia A in the UK: The THUNDER study Scott M.J., Xiang, H., Hart, D.P., Palmer, B., Collins, P.W., Stephensen, D., Sima, C.S., Hay, C.R.M., (08 Nov 2018): Wiley. [Journal article]
Clinical outcome measures for monitoring physical function in pediatric obesity: An integrative review Mahaffey, R., Morrison, S.C., Stephensen, D., Drechsler, W.I., (07 Apr 2016): Wiley. [Journal article]

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Professor David Stephensen

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