Dr Marietta van der Linden

Over the past 10 years, I have attracted research funding from different sources which includes commercial funding and funding from a range of  international (La Fondation Mortrice), national (MS Society UK) and  local (Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation, James and Grace Anderson trust fund) charities.  Most recently, as part of a research group led by Kings College London,  our MS  research group is involved in a systematic review into the evidence of non-pharmacological interventions to treat fatigue in people with MS. Funded by the MS Society.

Active Research Interests:

• Multiple Sclerosis: Gait analysis, Functional Electrical Stimulation, Ankle Foot Orthosis, Exercise, fatigue and fatigability
• Cerebral Palsy: Gait analysis, Functional Electrical Stimulation, Ankle Foot Orthosis, Physical Activity, and Exercise, RaceRunning (BikeRunning), transition from paediatric to adult services

Research Methods:

• Instrumented gait analysis (3D gait analysis, electrogoniometry), accelerometry to assess daily physical activity
• Systematic review of evidence of psychometric properties of outcome measures of physical function

Please see my research publications in eResearch – Queen Margaret University’s repository

Research Grants & Contracts Funding:

ML van der Linden, F Coutts (QMU) , J Yirrell, J Herman (RHSC). Centre for Integrated Health Care Research, 2006 (one year) Orthotic management for children with cerebral palsy: tuning of the Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) foot wear combination using objective assessment aids. Amount: £14,280

LG Salisbury (Edinburgh University), J Shiels (Astley Ainslie Hospital), ML van der Linden (QMU) Centre for Integrated Health Care Research. 2006  (one year). An exploratory pilot study to investigate the clinical effect of functional electrical stimulation (FES) in the acute phase of in-patient stroke rehabilitation. Amount : £9,160

ML van der Linden, RW Nutton, F Wade, JF Keating (orthopaedic surgeons, Royal Infirmary Edinburgh), FJ Coutts, PA Roche (QMU) DePuy UK Ltd. 2007 (three years),

A randomised controlled trial to compare the functional outcome between the PFC Sigma fixed bearing Posterior Cruciate Ligament preserving implant with the PFC Sigma posterior stabilised mobile bearing implant. Randomised controlled trial to compare the speed of recovery and functional outcome following total knee replacement (TKR) using a Quadriceps Sparing (minimally invasive) approach to the knee against a standard medial parapatellar surgical exposure'. Prospective, double blind randomised controlled trial to compare an uncemented (Corail, DePuy) with a cemented (Exeter, Stryker) Total Knee Arthroplasty for displaced subcapital hip fractures.  £266,502

TH Mercer, ML van der Linden (QMU) J Hooper, P Cowan (NHS Lothian)Multiple Sclerosis Society, PhD studentship :2009- (three years). The effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES) on walking performance, fatigue, activity of daily living (ADL) and quality of life in people with MS. £94,005.

ML van der Linden, TH Mercer   2009-(one year). The impacts of core stability exercise (Pilates) on posture, pain, function and quality of life in wheelchair-users with Multiple Sclerosis, a feasibility study.Amount £ 37,987

ML van der Linden, T Mercer (QMU), J Robb, A Richardson (NHS Lothian) La Fondation Mortrice (France) 2010 (one year) Title: The effects of a pragmatic, community-based, exercise therapy intervention on physical fitness, habitual physical activity, self-esteem and Quality of Life in young people with Cerebral Palsy. Amount: €35,000 (approx. £29,725)

ML van der Linden, T Mercer (QMU), J Robb, A Richardson (NHS Lothian). James and Grace Anderson Trust Fund.2010 (one year) The effects of a pragmatic, community-based, exercise therapy intervention on physical fitness, habitual physical activity, self-esteem and Quality of Life in young people with Cerebral Palsy. £29,147

ML van der Linden, Julie Hooper (NHS Lothian). Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation

2013 (one year) Provision of Functional Electrical Stimulation for people with MS who experience foot drop £7969

ML van der Linden, Mairi McCrae, Cathleen Hunter (NHS Lothian). Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation  2015 (one year) Physical Activity for young people with Cerebral Palsy. : £13,642.00

R Moss-Morris (King’s College London), T Mercer (QMU), ML van der Linden, S Thomas (University of Bournemouth), Claire White (King’s College London)MS Society (UK) : October 2015 (one year) Which treatments are effective for fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS): A systemic review with process and meta-analyses.  £79,964

I contribute to the teaching at QMU by supervising pre-reg and post reg MSc Physiotherapy