Professor Yeliz Prior

Current positions

Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation

Biography

Yeliz gained her BSc (Hons) in Occupational Therapy from the University of Salford, prior to her Ph.D. titled “An Epidemiological Study of Self-Care Restriction and Joint Pain in Community-Dwelling Older Adults” from the Keele University Medical School. Later, she has completed further postgraduate diplomas in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy, and Teaching in Academic Practice [PGCAP] to expand her clinical and academic skills. Yeliz’ leadership of clinical occupational therapy in rheumatology and connecting research evidence to practice is fuelled by her experience as someone living with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (RMD) from a young age. This provides her with a unique lens through which to see health issues, connect with research and clinical colleagues, and create relationships with service users to examine current policy to ensure research is increasingly informed by the voices of public and service users.

Yeliz’ current research spans from the management of long term-chronic conditions such as RMD, diabetes, foot and ankle rehabilitation, work rehabilitation and the use of digital health technologies and wearables to enable wider access to health information and self-management and health professionals’ continued education in rheumatology. To date, Yeliz has successfully delivered a number of multi-centred RCTs, large observational cohort studies and in-depth qualitative research projects both nationally and internationally, supported by funders such as the NIHR, Versus Arthritis, Medical Research Council, European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology, Public Health England and Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

Internally, Yeliz had delivered in key roles at the University of Salford as the Chair of the University level Research Governance Working Group, Academic Misconduct Lead, Member of the School Ethical Approval Panel and as a Postgraduate Director of the School of Health and Society. Currently, she is the Programme Lead for the taught element of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Prosthetics & Orthotics and leads a number of modules within the CDT, whilst supervising research students from wide variety of backgrounds such as rehabilitation, nursing, prosthetics and orthotics, public health and digital health technologies.

Externally, Yeliz holds an Honorary Clinical Academic Lead contract at the rheumatology department of the Mid Cheshire NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust and contributes to the field of Rheumatology as the elected Vice-President and Trustee of the British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) (with professional members >2,500) (2020-2023). Yeliz is also a partner and collaborator of the National Centre of Excellence for Musculoskeletal Health and Work a multidisciplinary research collaboration, funded by Versus Arthritis and the Medical Research Council. Additionally, Yeliz contributes to a number of peer review scientific journals and funding bodies as an article, studentship/fellowship and grant reviewer and a member of the Editorial Board of the Rheumatology Advances in Practice Journal published by the Oxford University Press.

Areas of research

Upper and Lower Limb Rehabilitation, Self-management, Patient education, Behaviour change, PROMs, Digital health technologies, CBT-led therapies