Dr Will Young

About me:

I gained my BSc (2004) and PhD (2009) qualifications from The School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at The University of Birmingham. I then worked as a post-doctoral researcher in fields of Psychology (Queen’s University Belfast), Neurology/Neurorehabilitation (Stanford University), and Sports Psychology (Brunel University London) before taking a Lectureship in Rehabilitation Psychology in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Brunel University London (2015). In 2019 I joined the School of Sport and Health Sciences at The University of Exeter as a Senior Lecturer in Rehabilitation Psychology and was promoted to Associate Profession in 2023.

My research relates to the topic of falls prediction and prevention, both in older adults and people with neurological conditions, such as Parkinson's. I am especilly interested in examining how anxiety (about falling) can influence the control of balance/walking. I conduct this research both in the laboratory (using virtual reality, eye tracking and biomechanical analyses) and in the community (working with Physiotherapists and clinicans specialising in neurological rehabilitation) with the goal of developing practical and low-cost strategies to help prevent falls and improve mobility.

Interests:

- Ageing and falls (prediction & prevention)

- Influence of anxiety (fear of falling) on balance and gait

- Developing strategies for improving mobility in people with Parkinson's (especially related to freezing of gait)

- Developing low-cost fall-prevention therapies for use in the health service

Qualifications:

Doctor of Philosophy

Chartered Psychologist (British Psychological Society)

Career:

2023 - current: Associate Professor in Rehabilitation Psychology, University of Exeter

2019 - 2023: Senior Lecturer in Rehabilitation Psychology, University of Exeter

2015 – 2018: Senior Lecturer in Rehabilitation Psychology, Division of Physiotherapy, Brunel University.

2013 – 2015: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London.

2008 – 2013: Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast (periodically based at the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University)

2005 – 2009: PhD. School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham.