Ali Aries

Biography

Ali has extensive experience working as a physiotherapist in the United Kingdom developing specialised neurological skills and leadership abilities. She is an experienced academic, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Allied Health Professions and Pharmacy (2003 to date). In addition, Ali works as the Allied Health Professions (AHP) Research Lead in the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, leading a team who actively seek opportunities to drive research skills and capacity within the allied health professions. In this role, Ali leads the regional Neurological Critical Appraisal Topic (CAT) group.

Ali’s PhD ‘Somatosensory stimulation to improve lower-limb recovery after stroke’ was undertaken as part of an NIHR Clinical Academic Doctoral Fellowship (2015-18) https://www.fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/CDRF-2014-05-065 and her pilot and feasibility study was published in 2021 (Frontiers of Neurology – Stroke). Ali’s research interests include neurorehabilitation, with a particular focus on people post-stroke as well as patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE).  Ali is lead supervisor for three PhD students.  

Ali is currently an NIHR Senior Clinical and Practitioner Research Awardee (SCPRA), which is supporting international work. She chairs one of the four current International Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Alliance (ISRRA) Roundtables (https://strokerecoveryalliance.com/current-roundtable ), exploring somatosensation after stroke with 18 other experts from nine countries across the world. The SCPRA is also supporting the development of the Patient and Lived Experience Advisory Team in Research (PLEATeR) in Walsall and Wolverhampton and development of a future neurorehabilitation research programme.

Ali is also Chief Investigator for an NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) study: Teaching carers to deliver physical therapy for the upper limb post Stroke (TaPpS): a feasibility study (https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR207153).

Ali collaborates internationally and is advisor for a study based at the University of Queensland. Sensory shoe insoles to improve balance in people with multiple sclerosis:  https://www.msaustralia.org.au/project/sensory-shoe-insoles-to-improve-balance-in-people-with-multiple-sclerosis/

Ali chaired the Physiotherapy Research (National) Society (2020 to 2024) and was a member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Professional Awards Panel from 2021-2023.

Research and scholarship

As part of a prestigious NIHR Clinical Academic Doctoral fellowship (completed between April 2015 and March 2018) Ali successfully developed standardised protocols and then set up and ran a mixed-methods, randomized, blinded feasibility study exploring sensory stimulation to the foot post-stroke. Details of this study can be found at: ISRCTN - ISRCTN13676183: Sensory stimulation of the foot and ankle early post-stroke,  published in Frontiers of Neurology – Stroke 

Ali’s three-year doctoral fellowship enabled further development of her clinical and leadership skills and opportunities to build international collaborations working with Professor Susan Hillier (University of South Australia) and Associate Professor Ingvars Birznieks (Neuroscience Research Australia). In preparation for the fellowship, she worked as a blinded assessor for the FAST INdiCATE trial: “Clinical efficacy of functional strength training for upper limb motor recovery early after stroke: neural correlates and prognostic indicators”. This multi-centre, randomised, controlled, observer-blind trial was funded by the NIHR/MRC Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) programme, and sponsored by University of East Anglia, Norwich.  

Following her PhD, Ali completed a West Midlands Post-Doctoral Bridging Fellowship and an NIHR CRN Research Scholarship, both of which have facilitated Ali to move forward with her research to benefit stroke survivors in the future.

Research interests

• Somatosensory stimulation to improve lower-limb recovery, balance and gait post-stroke 
• Somatosensory interventions for the upper limb post stroke
• Carer-led interventions post stroke
• Neuroplasticity and rehabilitation of stroke patients
• Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE)

Ali is lead supervisor for three students:

(i) An occupational therapist exploring parents’ and clinicians’ perceptions of wheelchair services for children with neurological disorders in the UK and Kuwait.

(ii) Mobilization and tactile stimulation as a somatosensory intervention for people post stroke with unilateral neglect.

(iii) A PhD embedded within the TaPpS study exploring carer burden

Teaching

As a Senior Lecturer, I have many years of experience teaching at all levels, undergraduate and postgraduate, mainly within the fields of neurology or research. I have supervised undergraduate, postgraduate taught (PGT) student projects and postgraduate research (PGR) students (approximately 40 to completion). I have significant module leadership experience at both post-graduate and undergraduate levels.

I have successfully undertaken many roles and responsibilities within the School of Allied Health Professions and Pharmacy (SAHPP): Chair of the Health and Conduct Committee; Senior Tutor; Programme Lead for the MSc Neurological Rehabilitation; Year Head; Disability Liaison Officer; SAHPP lead for Patient and Public Involvement; SAHPP link for the Impact Accelerator Unit; Deputy Academic Conduct Officer; SAHPP representative for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences User and Carer Liaison Group, and been a  member of the admissions team.

Collaborations and grants awards

I collaborate locally, regionally nationally, and internationally:

International:

• International Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Alliance (ISRRA), leading the 2024-26 Somatosensory Roundtable.

• University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, working with Dr Anna Hatton and her team. I am advisor for a this study: Sensory shoe insoles to improve balance in people with multiple sclerosis:  https://www.msaustralia.org.au/project/sensory-shoe-insoles-to-improve-balance-in-people-with-multiple-sclerosis/. I was also a co-investigator for an application for a Medical Research Future Fund - Incorporating Patient Data in Health Technology Assessment Decision Making in 2025, which was unfortunately not successful.

National

• Somatosensory stimulation of the lower limb to improve balance and gait post-stroke: a feasibility study, (also known as the MoTaStim-Foot study), a funded NIHR Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship for me, supervised by Dr Sue Hunter, Professor Val Pomeroy, Professor Julius Sim and Emeritus Professor Sue Read.
• Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Professor Heather Illes-Smith, joint Chair of Nursing at the University of Salford and Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA), and Director of the NCA Centre for Clinical and care Research (CCR) and her team of researchers. 
• STROKESTRA® Stoke in collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust Community Stroke Team, New Vic Borderlines (Stoke-on-Trent) with funding support from Goodwins PLC (Stoke)
• FAST-INdiCATE trial: Clinical efficacy of functional strength training for upper limb motor recovery early after stroke: neural correlates and prognostic indicators – randomized controlled trial, funded by NIHR / MRC Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) project grant, working as a blinded assessor on the trial. Research team: Pomeroy V, Ward N, Johansen-Berg H, van Vliet P, Burridge J, Hunter SM, Lemon R, Rothwell J, Weir C, Wing A, Walker A, Kennedy N, Barton G, Greenwood R, Chandler E, Grey M, Leavey N, Havis C
• Conducting a qualitative documentary review of public involvement reports of NIHR Centralised Commissioning Facility (CCF)-managed infrastructure organisations to identify best practice, working with the Impact Accelerator Unit at Keele University. Research team: Dr A Moult, Dr S Blackburn, Dr T Kingstone, Dereth Baker and Dr Z Paskins.
• Systematic Review Workshops funded by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy network funding stream. Team: Dr A Benham (University of Huddersfield), Caroline Coulthard (Ashford and St Peter’s hospitals NHS trust), Jayanti Rai (Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust), Dr Caroline Belchamber (AECC University College, Bournemouth).
• Promoting Research Engagement and Skills for Students (PRESS) funded by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy network funding stream. Team: Caroline Coulthard (University of Hertfordshire), Dr Caroline Belchamber (AECC University College, Bournemouth), Dr A Benham (University of Huddersfield/ Keele University).