Meet the Researchers

Project Management Team

Professor Priscilla Harries

Professor Priscilla Harries brings clinical knowledge and the driver rehabilitation expertise to the project. [See Brunel University Profile]

Professor Carolyn Unsworth

Professor Carolyn Unsworth brings clinical knowledge and the driver rehabilitation expertise to the project. [See Central Queensland University Profile]

Dr Farnaz Nickpour

Dr Farnaz Nickpour brings to the projects the inclusive design and psychosocial design expertise. [See Brunel University Profile]

Dr Will Young

Dr Will Young brings to the project his insight into the tools, physical technology and psychology of mobility and falls prevention. [See Brunel University Profile]

Dr Gail Boniface

Dr Gail Boniface has expertise in research approaches that can be used to establish research priorities as well as the experience of researching the lived experience of disabilities. [See Cardiff University Profile]

Professor Joseph Giacomin

Professor Joseph Giacomin has extensive automotive, human centred design and perception enhancement expertise. [See Brunel University Profile]

Graduate Researchers

Elizabeth Belsey

Elizabeth Belsey completed a BA and MA in Media and Cultural Studies, where her interests focused around gender studies and bodies in space, then worked in various social sector roles, providing support for refugees and asylum seekers, assisting in research for the housing, care and support sector and providing care and support to adults with learning disabilities. Whilst currently completing my MSC in Occupational Therapy, She is interested in the research of adaption of environment and technology to assist individuals in space.

Megan Goth

Megan Goth is an MSc (pre-reg) Occupational Therapy student at Brunel University London. She has a BA in Anthropology with a Minor in African Studies from Missouri State University in the United States. She has worked as a paraprofessional in a special education class for children with autism and Down’s syndrome. She also has experience as a volunteer coordinator for projects in Nepal and Tanzania.

Jessica Rourke

Jessica Rourke started life as a Human Geographer, interested in the relationship between people and spaces as well as the impact of societal stigma on mental health.
She has since worked in education and disability services and is now bringing her interest in the impact of technologies, spaces and inclusivity to this research project as an MSc Occupational Therapy
student.

Lucy Van Hoorn

Currently an MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-Reg) student at Brunel University Lucy Van Hoorn has a keen interest in research into clinical practice as well as getting hands on. She has a strong working relationship with Combat Stress, the veteran’s mental health charity, for whom she assists with research. This was fostered by previous work life as a research assistant at the King’s Centre for Military Health Research, screening serving personnel on their return from Afghanistan. She is interested in developing a career working with those affected by life changing circumstances. Helping them to develop strategies to continue living a life they choose to lead both in the UK and overseas.

Susan Windeatt

Having trained in Architecture, Computer Animation and Psychology Susan Windeatt has an interest in modelling how people move through space.
She has worked in professional roles across a range of industries including NHS provision to support independence in the community and is able to draw on this to inform her MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-Reg) studies at Brunel University London.
As such she is interested in the technology available to enhance people’s lives and in potential visions for future mobility.

Cara O’Sullivan

Cara O’Sullivan has a background in inclusive design and human factors. After working at the [Medical Engineering Resource Unit] focus turned to design for mobility rehabilitation.  During the last year of her degree in Industrial Design and Technology she worked closely with charities in Peru and Africa to invent a low cost evolvable walking aid for children in developing regions of the world. Cara’s ethnographic research experiences and thorough design process brings a fresh perspective to the research team

Other Members of the Research Team

Deborah Morgan

Research Fellow, Occupational Therapy Division, Cardiff University, Wales

Luke Harries

Self-employed researcher on disability issues. Developed educational resources for health and educational professionals. Previously worked with St. John ambulance, care homes and homeless cooking projects – self-employed and currently studying as a medical student

Yonghun Lim

Research Assistant, PhD Candidate, Inclusive Design Research Group, College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences, Brunel University London

Hulya Gokalp

Research Fellow, Occupational Therapy Division, Brunel University London