Alison McGregor
{{Short description|Physiotherapist and biomedical engineer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Alison McGregor
| workplaces = Imperial College London
| alma_mater = University of Surrey
King's College London
| thesis_title = The assessment of spinal motion and its relevance to low back pain
| thesis_url = https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/841924745
| thesis_year = 1997
}}
Alison Hazel McGregor is a British physiotherapist and biomedical engineer who is a professor at Imperial College London. Her research is focused on the musculoskeletal system and the mechanisms/impacts of injury. She has previously served as the President and Secretary of the Society for Back Pain Research.
Early life and education
McGregor studied physiotherapy at King's College London.{{Cite web |title=Alison McGregor, PhD MSc MCSP |url=https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/a.mcgregor |access-date=15 July 2024 |website=profiles.imperial.ac.uk}} She graduated with a diploma in physiotherapy in 1989, then moved to the University of Surrey for her graduate studies. Her doctorate in bioengineering concentrated on human biomechanics.{{Cite web |title=Professor Alison McGregor |url=https://www.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/departments/department-surgery-cancer/old-our-people-and-culture/leading-lights/our-role-models/professor-alison-mcgregor/ |access-date=15 July 2024 |website=Imperial College London |language=en-GB}}
Research and career
In 1997, McGregor started working at Imperial College London, where she started to study back pain.{{Cite web |last=Rowing |first=British |date=15 June 2015 |title=Improving Performance Naturally |url=https://www.britishrowing.org/2015/06/improving-performance-naturally/ |access-date=15 July 2024 |website=British Rowing |language=en-GB}} She is a leading member of the MSk Lab, where she develops better diagnostic tools, surgical interventions and understanding of human movement on the musculoskeletal system.{{Cite web |date=25 October 2018 |title=Major donation will advance research into musculoskeletal disorders {{!}} Imperial News {{!}} Imperial College London |url=https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/188750/major-donation-will-advance-research-into/ |access-date=15 July 2024 |website=Imperial News |language=en}} She has previously served as the President and Secretary of the Society for Back Pain Research.
McGregor joined an interdisciplinary research team providing physiotherapy to the rowers of Imperial's Boat Club.{{Cite news |date=22 July 2001 |title=How rowing can be a pain in the back |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1448420.stm |access-date=15 July 2024 |language=en-GB}} In particular, McGregor was interested in identifying the ideal technique that could minimise the risk of injury.{{Cite web |date=14 August 2015 |title=BMC Series blog The science of rowing: improving performance naturally |url=https://blogs.biomedcentral.com/bmcseriesblog/2015/08/14/science-rowing-improving-performance-naturally/ |access-date=15 July 2024 |website=blogs.biomedcentral.com |language=en-GB}} Through the Imperial College Boat Club, McGregor became involved with British International Rowing.{{Cite web |date=12 July 2017 |title=Imperial Boat Club honours academic's 20 years of dedication to the sport {{!}} Imperial News {{!}} Imperial College London |url=https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/180530/imperial-boat-club-honours-academics-20/ |access-date=15 July 2024 |website=Imperial News |language=en}} She has shown that the hip position is critical for rowing, and that a slumped position can limit transfer of power.{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Robin |date=11 March 2024 |title=Using your hips for good technique – British Rowing Plus |url=https://plus.britishrowing.org/2024/03/11/using-your-hips-for-good-technique/,%20https://plus.britishrowing.org/2024/03/11/using-your-hips-for-good-technique/ |access-date=15 July 2024 |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Gough |first=Martin |date=1 December 2016 |title=The science behind a safe, strong rowing technique – British Rowing Plus |url=https://plus.britishrowing.org/2016/12/01/the-science-behind-a-safe-strong-rowing-technique/,%20https://plus.britishrowing.org/2016/12/01/the-science-behind-a-safe-strong-rowing-technique/ |access-date=15 July 2024 |language=en-GB}}
In 2012, McGregor and two students were chosen as Imperial College London Olympic flame torchbearers in the build-up to the London Olympic Games.{{Cite web |last=Lab |first=MSk |date=30 July 2012 |title=Professor Alison McGregor on carrying the Olympic Torch "I hope I don't drop it!" |url=https://blogs.imperial.ac.uk/msklab/2012/07/30/professor-alison-mcgregor-on-carrying-the-olympic-torch-i-hope-i-dont-drop-it/ |access-date=15 July 2024 |website=MSk Lab |language=en-US}} She was selected because of her contributions to the Imperial Boat Club. In 2017, the Imperial College Boat Club recognised her twenty-year dedication to the club with an honorary party, where they named a boat after her.
Personal life
Selected publications
- {{Cite Q|Q92863721}}
- {{Cite Q|Q37889717}}
- {{Cite Q|Q64087279|doi-access=free}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGregor, Alison}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Alumni of the University of Surrey
Category:Alumni of King's College London
Category:Academics of Imperial College London