Dr Maggie Lawrence has a background in neurological rehabilitation nursing and in information science. She has extensive experience of conducting quantitative and qualitative healthcare research in a range of healthcare settings, and with a range of stakeholders. Maggie’s research focus is on stroke, and in particular the role of lifestyle risk factor modification and stress management in the prevention of recurrent stroke. She has worked on a variety of projects including an investigation of the stressors faced by the carers of adults who have had a stroke and the experience of stroke from the perspective of young adults and their families. Her current programme of stroke research, Pathways for Healthy Living after Stroke, is concerned with the role of lifestyle factor modification and stress management in the secondary prevention of stroke. Drawing on her information science skills, Maggie has published many systematic review papers, using a variety or review methods.

 

Evidence synthesis and knowledge translation activities include participating as a member of the development group for SIGN guidelines 118 & 119.

 

Outputs from a Stroke Association Senior Research Training Fellowship (2012 -2016) include a stroke secondary prevention module, Keeping Well, part of Selfhelp4stroke (www.selfhelp4stroke.org), an online self-management resource. In current work, Maggie is focusing on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and yoga as means of self-managing psychosocial stress following stroke. HEADS: UP (Helping Ease Anxiety and Depression after Stroke), a stroke-specific Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course, is a Stroke Association funded feasibility and pilot study currently underway. In year 1 it will test the feasibility before piloting HEADS: UP in 2 UK locations. Maggie is founder and former Chair (2015-2020) of INSsPiRE, an international network of stroke secondary prevention researchers.