Research

At the NRC, research and innovation and education and training will be fully integrated with clinical practice, putting academic staff and postgraduate students at the heart of pioneering international research into clinical rehabilitation and rehabilitation products and technologies.

A research strategy for the NRC is currently being developed. The research strategy aims to:

  • Establish a national centre of excellence for research in rehabilitation
  • Strengthen the national and international rehabilitation research community and improve the translation of research
  • Nurture researchers and empower research leaders
  • Deliver better rehabilitation and improved outcomes for patients

The strategy focuses on three core research themes: prehabilitation and prevention, acute rehabilitation and rehabilitation for longer-term conditions. There are also three cross-cutting themes: applied health research, technology and innovation, and health systems, policy and economic impact.

NRC research themes
Diagram showing the NRC research themes. These themes are described in the paragraph of text above.

Research at Loughborough

Find out more about the innovative rehabilitation research being undertaken by academic staff at Loughborough University below.

Revolutionising Rehabilitation at NRC

Pioneering science and technology hold the key to personalised rehabilitation. Scientists and clinicians at Loughborough University are working with our partners at the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) to pioneer new technologies and treatments to restore hope to millions of people.

Lab-grown tissues for development of personalised therapies

Researchers at Loughborough University are bio-engineering musculoskeletal tissues to develop personalised therapies, allow ethical testing of new drugs and supplements, and provide a method of replacing injured or diseased tissues with healthy tissue derived from a patient’s own cells.

Decoding how the brain talks to muscles to help regain mobility

Our scientists are using sensors to record when muscles fire and find the code that the brain sends to muscles to produce movement. This research has the potential to advance understanding of movement impaired diseases, aide rehabilitation and develop prosthesis and man-machine interfaces.

Self-powered bionic bandages for rehabilitation

We are developing super-smart textiles that remotely monitor the movements and health information of patients and transmit that data to health professionals. This could pave the way for bionic bandages, smart t-shirts and trousers which will monitor and support rehabilitation.

Brain model

Research projects

Rehabilitation work with elderly gentleman

Our people

A robotics lab

Revolutionising Rehabilitation