Frederike van Wijck

Frederike is a human movement scientist with a qualification in physiotherapy from The Netherlands. She co-leads the Living with Stroke and other long term neurological conditions (LTNC) research group, together with Prof. Marian Brady.  The aim of this group is to improve the lives of people with a LTNC and their families by undertaking high quality research to improve the effectiveness, acceptability and meaningfulness of interventions and other support strategies that focus on their priorities. 

Frederike’s research interests focus on understanding functional recovery, physical activity, skill acquisition and behavioural change processes in people with stroke and other LTNC, to inform the design of novel strategies that enable people to meet their personal goals. The purpose is to develop a portfolio of evidence-based, person-centred strategies to support people with LTNC and their families to continue to optimise recovery, along the entire trajectory from the acute stage into the long-term.

Studies on arm function after stroke include bilateral arm training, task oriented training, robot-mediated therapy and music games.  Studies on physical activity and sedentary behaviour include goal setting, tailored fitness training for stroke survivors who are unable to walk, and behavioural change interventions to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour for those being discharged home from hospital.  Collaborative work on physical activity after stroke has led to the UK best practice guidelines for community-based exercise and fitness training after stroke, the first UK Exercise and Fitness Training after Stroke course and a published textbook.

Study methodologies include: systematic literature reviews, validation studies, modelling, feasibility and pilot studies, as well as definitive randomised controlled clinical trials. 

Frederike is president of the European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation, past secretary of the Society for Research in Rehabilitation and the research lead and one of the founding members of the Scottish Stroke Allied Health Professions Forum.