Dr. Fiona Wilson

I have over 30 years of clinical and research experience Sports and Exercise Medicine; my research answers clinically relevant questions and has influenced practice in coaching and sports medicine. I aim to understand athletes' pain and injury, to support their performance, welfare and safety in the short term, and their health and wellbeing through their life trajectory. I do this by exploring injury prevention, early recognition and optimal management strategies (injury treatment). My research focus is the role of sport and exercise on low back pain (LBP) and on brain health. I explore: i) epidemiology to identify injury risk factors, and ii) biomechanics to explain mechanisms associated with risk. ii) Knowledge translation (through evidence synthesis) for end users (clinicians, athletes and sport support staff). I explore and apply exercise medicine principles in the management of chronic disease and pain across populations, beyond athletes. My particular focus is on management of arthritis and low back pain using exercise and activity approaches. I used a shared decision making methodology to empower people to self-manage long term conditions with exercise and activity, which is appropriate and meaningful to their lifestyle. I have an interest in knowledge translation; ensuring that research I publish is clinically meaningful, and I create outputs to support clinicians. I had a long clinical career culminating in senior hospital appointments and as lead physiotherapist for Rowing Ireland for 10 years. I still treat patients to ensure that my research outputs are relevant. The impact of my research is demonstrated in the following: . My appointment as a policy advisor and knowledge translator to international sporting bodies. I am representing leadership from Ireland in these appointments: o World Rowing (governing body of international rowing) as the first physiotherapist and Irish person to be appointed to the Sports Medicine Commission. From 2018-2020 I led an international consortium (14 experts) to create global policy for managing rowing back pain. This published 2021 Low Back Pain (LBP) Consensus Statement is the gold standard reference document for rowers. I created policies for return to training following Covid and was part of a committee creating policies for rowing to facilitate safe running of the 2020 Olympic Games. o World Rugby appointed me as part of Brain Health Scotland to create education materials on athlete brain health; webinars and MOOCs. o The international rugby boards in Ireland (IRFU) and England (RPA) appointed me to advise on player welfare and research strategies. o The International Olympic Committee (IOC) invited me to give seminars on their Sports Medicine Diploma. o I was invited by a consortium of international experts on athlete brain health (the Global Athlete Brain Health Foundation) to chair their subgroup 'Prevention' and am leading research with this international expert consortium. o Appointment to the International Parkrun Research Board as a Sports Medicine expert. I am a Deputy Editor of the British Journal of Sports Medicine; the highest ranking sports and exercise medicine journal globally. I am also Deputy Editor of the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, leading their Injury Prevention subsection. I am on the editorial board of the Journal of Sport Sciences and the German Journal of Sports Medicine.

  ARTHRITIS   ATHLETE   athlete brain health   Concussion   Exercise Medicine   junior soccer injury epidemiology   LOW BACK PAIN   lumbar spine injury and low back pain   ROWING   rowing injury epidemiology   rugby

My research interests falls under three key themes: 1. Athlete low back pain I have published widely in this area since my original research in 1995. My focus has been on rowing related low back pain and has expanded to inform all sports. From 2018-2021, I led an international collaboration of global experts to create a consensus statement on rowing related back pain. This was underpinned by five supporting studies which were all published in the highest ranking journal in my field, the BJSM. It is represented on the World Rowing website and an infographic summarising recommendations is in rowing clubs across the world. These publications are now influencing practice across sports. My future objectives are to develop my research with a specific focus on exploring the experience of female and junior athletes. I will build on the outputs of our international consortium and I am leading them to define our strategy with an aim to develop statements for other sports. I have an ongoing junior athlete programme in collaboration with Boston Children's Hospital/ Micheli Sports Medicine Center. 2. Rugby health and wellbeing My focus to date has been on aspects of injury including hip health and tendinopathies and I have published in these areas in collaboration with Leinster Rugby and the IRFU. I have an ongoing study of concussion biomarkers and am leading a longitudinal programme of retired athlete brain health in collaboration with Rugby Players Ireland. I aim to continue my rugby health and wellbeing research. I will develop my current focus on the women's game exploring preparation and safety components and have an ongoing studies exploring kicking and tackling in women's' rugby. I will expand and develop the longitudinal retired athlete programme that I lead to specifically explore cardiovascular risk factors for dementia. Our concussion biomarkers programme will continue and we will publish the next phase to add to previous publications. I am working with Brain Health Scotland and the GBHI to create informations resources (webinars and MOOCS) to educate athletes on brain health. 3. Arthritis I have an ongoing research programme exploring the role of exercise and activity in managing symptoms and improving health and wellbeing in inflammatory arthritis. I have completed a number of studies exploring barriers to exercise and optimal modes of exercise and activity programmes for different subgroups of arthritis. These publications have influenced current practice and I have engaged in knowledge translation using platforms such as podcasts and webinars to support this. A current focus is on the experience of women with Axial Spondyloarthritis; exploring pregnancy experience and barriers to employment. My recent focus is working with public health policy to design large scale social prescription; specifically with Parkrun. I will also develop smaller scale research, building on the current female arthritis research at St James's Hospital which I am co-supervising. Within arthritis my focus will be on the disease experience in women and I have ongoing studies in this area.