Dr Nick Preston

Profile

My roles

I am the Centre Manager of the Cancer Research UK Radiation Research Centre of Excellence Leeds (RadNet Leeds) and a postdoctoral researcher with a background in adult and paediatric physiotherapy (Neuro-Development, Musculoskeletal, Orthopaedics, Neurological Wards and  Respiratory Care (ICU, Cardiac ICU, Neonatal Intensive Care and Surgery) and in the community (schools, homes and clinics)). I lecture medical students in the Management of Tendinopathy, and I am a tutor to medical students in the ENQUIRE 2 programme (statistics and research methodology).

My background

I have worked across the University of Leeds and Bradford Institute for Health Research  in a number of roles as a postdoctoral researcher and as a Project Manager. I completed my PhD, funded through an NIHR Fellowship, in 2014. This involved the development of a new measure of upper limb activity limitation for children with cerebral palsy (the Children’s Arm Rehabilitation Measure) and the conduct of a pilot randomised controlled trial to investigate the benefits of home-based assistive computer gaming technology on upper limb arm activity limitation of children with cerebral palsy. 

The Children's Arm Rehabilitation Measure

In Bradford, the Motor Skills theme included the development and testing of a new measure for evaluating children’s fundamental motor skills, and a new evidence-based programme of activities to help children with poor motor skills. Up to six children in every classroom are profoundly affected by poor fundamental motor skills, which has a devastating impact on children's development and life chances. There is a large body of evidence showing how poor movement skills affect children's physical activity and their physical, emotional, social, psychological and educational development. Across the UK, few children (about 20%) meet government recommendations for levels of physical activity, and obesity is on the rise in school children – in Bradford, 10% of children are at risk of or have developed late-onset diabetes.  Our systematic review found three well-conducted trials investigating physiotherapy activities that produced large effect sizes in the outcome measures evaluating the children's movement skills; these activities are the basis for the new programme, which is designed to be delivered in schools by school staff. 

The Alps movement skills programme

As a Project Manager att PICANet, we expanded the collection of data from children admitted to Level 3 units (Paediatric Intensive Care) to Level 2 beds (High Dependency units and beds). Data from this ongoing audit has led to huge improvements in the care of the seriously ill children admitted to these units.

It is now my privilege to be the Centre Manager at RadNet Leeds, where I work with the most remarkable researchers, data scientists, statisticians, physicists and oncologists who are developing kinder, smarter radiotherapy treatment of cancer.

Qualifications

• PhD
• BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
• PG Diploma in Health Research
• BTEC Diploma in Electronic Engineering

Professional memberships

• Health Professions Council
• Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

Research groups and institutes

• Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine