Professor Marian Brady (BSc Hons), PhD, FRCSLT

Professor Marian Brady is an internationally recognised leader in stroke rehabilitation research, renowned for her contributions to improving outcomes for people living with stroke and communication disorders. Based at Glasgow Caledonian University, her career is defined by a sustained commitment to advancing evidence‑based care that delivers real‑world impact through methodological innovation and leading global research collaborations.

Professor Brady was the founding Director of the multidisciplinary Stroke Rehabilitation Research Programme within the CSO-funded Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit [2000-2024]. Under her leadership the multidisciplinary group generated high‑quality evidence that bridged frontline clinical practice and cutting‑edge research, particularly in the development and evaluation of complex rehabilitation interventions.

Ranked among the top 2% most highly cited scientists in Neurology, she has published extensively and secured substantial competitive research funding and mentored a generation of multidisciplinary researchers.

A globally influential research leader, she has established major international collaborative infrastructures that advanced the field. She is the founding Chair of the Collaboration of Aphasia Trialists [2013-2024], a network of multidisciplinary researchers across 43 countries, coordinating efforts to improve outcomes for people with aphasia. She also founded the Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive for Rehabilitation (VISTA‑Rehab), which brings together data from more than 12,000 trial participants to accelerate clinical advancement and reduce research waste.

Her methodological expertise spans complex intervention design and evaluation, randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews and advanced meta‑analysis. Through this work, she has advanced the use of data to address key global uncertainties in rehabilitation, including rehabilitation intensity, outcome measurement and recovery. She has systematically investigated optimal therapeutic approaches for different patient subgroups, coining and pioneering the concept of “precision rehabilitation” to advance a more personalised, data‑driven, rehabilitation intervention to optimise recovery potential.

She has also been instrumental in improving access to research participation for people with communication impairments, developing inclusive approaches to information provision and consent.

A specialised speech and language therapist with extensive clinical experience across the UK and Ireland, Professor Brady brings an integrated clinical-academic perspective has informed national and international clinical guidelines and professional education across more than 20 countries. Her influence extends to global leadership and policy, including chairing significant guideline development groups for the European Stroke Organisation, the Royal College of Nursing while her research has informed the World Health Organisation’s Rehabilitation Packages for stroke and Parkinson’s.

She serves as a Trustee for Research for the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, UK and holds editorial roles with the National Institute for Health Research Journals [HTA and Global Health] and the Cochrane Collaboration. She is a past-Chair of the International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders Aphasia Committee [2019-2024] and continues to contribute to global health initiatives such as the World Health Organization’s World Rehabilitation Alliance and the Cochrane Rehabilitation Advisory Group.

Professor Brady is a Programme Lead for GCU’s cross-institutional, multidisciplinary Master of Research programme, which also supports applied research methods training for PhD candidates. Her work is distinguished by its scale, rigour, reduction of research waste, supporting the development of the next generation of clinical-researchers and unwavering focus on improving the lives of stroke survivors across the world.