Dr Jill Halstead-Rastrick

Profile

Coordinating mechanical and osteoarthritis foot research. Supporting inflammatory arthritis research. I first joined the Foot and Ankle Studies in Rheumatology (FASTER) in 2003 as a research intern examining the alteration of foot kinematics with an orthotic device. Since then I have worked with key members of the group to undertake my master’s thesis to explore the magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of osteoarthritis and neuroarthropathy.  In 2008, I joined the research team full time as an Arthritis Research Doctoral candidate. I submitted my PhD thesis titled the medication of bones stress with functional foot orthoses in 2013. Since then I have coordinated a large inflammatory arthritis cohort study, led a feasibility study of foot orthoses in the treatment of midfoot osteoarthritis and the Leeds osteoarthritis foot study. As part of the foot group and MSK:UK, I provide a wide range of professional courses and updates in the field of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

Research interests

My main research areas are prodromal and established midfoot OA examining the imaging biomarkers and mechanical phenotypes to understand disease progression and stratification of treatment response. I am interested in the mechanism of foot orthoses to modify foot function and potentially disease outcomes. I also have an interest in the lower limb multi-joint osteoarthritis, and work closely with the Leeds Experimental Osteoarthritis Treatment Centre and Leeds Biomedical Research Centre. 

Qualifications

• PhD
• MSc Health Research
• BSc Podiatry
• BSc Sport and Exercises Science

Research groups and institutes

• Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine
• Foot and Ankle Studies in Rheumatology (FASTER)