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Dr Laura Britten

Dr Laura Britten

  • Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  • Areas of expertise: Physical Activity; Interventions; Dance; Wellbeing; Behaviour Change; Spinal Cord Injury; Upper Limb; Rehabilitation.
  • Email: L.E.Britten@leeds.ac.uk
  • Phone: +44(0)113 343 4347
  • Location: 7.60a Garstang Building
  • Website: ORCID

Profile

I completed my BSc (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University in Leeds (2008-2011), following this I completed my PhD in Bimanual Coordination After Incomplete Cervical Spinal Cord Injury (School of Biomedical Sciences, 2011-2015). Since January 2015 I have been a Teaching Fellow in Sport and Exercise Psychology (and Motor Control) and since 2018 I have also taken on a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position.

 

 

Responsibilities

  • Study Year Abroad Tutor
  • Engagement Fellow
  • Teaching Fellow

Research interests

My PhD was based on Bimanual Coordination After Incomplete Cervical Spinal Cord Injury (cSCI). This research was primarily focused on fine motor control, in the form of reaching and grasping, following cSCI. Using Kinematics and surface EMG I examined how the control of reaching and grasping changes following cSCI when compared to non-injured control participants. This project involved collaboration with NHS staff and academic staff within the School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds.

My current research is based on the effects of dance based interventions on the physical and psychological well-being of older adults. From January 2015 to 2018 I was involved with a multidisciplinary team project (University of Leeds, Yorkshire Dance and Leeds Public Health) that aimed to determine the effects of an 8 week contemporary dance programme on reducing psychosocial risk factors for falls in community dwelling older adults across Leeds. As a follow on from this initial research further funding has been obtained to continue this research on a larger scale across Yorkshire. This research is in collaboration with Once Dance UK, Yorkshire Dance and Doncaster Community Arts and aims to evaluate if the Dance On programme (https://www.dance-on.org/) can improve the physical and psychological well-being of socio-economically deprived older adults across Yorkshire. We have produced a short film about the project which, is available to view here https://youtu.be/hsCZKN4WVQY .

 

<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://biologicalsciences.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

  • BSc Sport and Exercise Sciences
  • PhD Bimanual Coordination After Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

Student education

I teach across all levels of our BSc undergraduate courses in modules based on Sport and Exercise Psychology, Motor Control and Tutorial and Practical skills. I also act as Module Manager for various modules.

I am a Personal Tutor to undergraduates students at levels 1-3. I am also the Study Year Abroad Tutor for the Faculty of Biological Sciences.

My role also includes supervision of final year research projects. These are based on exploring the coach-athlete relationship, and investigating the benefits of physical activity for psychological health and well-being in undergraduate students and older adults.

I am also involved with different Public Engagement events such as providing different interactive activities at the Great Yorkshire Show and have recently graduated from the Engagement Excellence Scheme.

Research groups and institutes

  • Sport and Exercise Sciences
  • Sport and exercise sciences - Post doctorates