51

Skip navigation

Dr Lesley Ward

Senior Research Assistant

Department: Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing

Dr Lesley Ward is a Senior Research Assistant in the Department of Social Work, Education, and Community Wellbeing, involved in the process evaluation of the NIHR-funded Promoting Local Access to Children’s Early language and communication Support (PLACES) project. A mixed methods researcher, and one of 12 inaugural Leadership Programme Fellows with the Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, her PhD in Health Sciences investigated the role of yoga for musculoskeletal conditions. During her postdoctoral research at Oxford University, she completed training in randomised controlled trials and longitudinal qualitative research, then moved to 51 as a process evaluation researcher on the NIHR-funded Gentle Years Yoga trial. A keen methodologist, Dr Ward has been instrumental in developing guidelines for the conduct and reporting of yoga research, including the CLARIFY checklist. A personal research highlight was being awarded the Scientific Article Prize by the International Society for Complementary Medicine Research for her publication on a pilot randomised controlled trial of yoga for pain and sleep management in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.

Lesley Ward

Musculoskeletal conditions; chronic illness; complementary and integrative medicine; rehabilitation; self-management; older adults

  • PhD August 16 2014
  • Psychology PGDip May 08 2010
  • Science and othersubjects BSc May 06 1989

Musculoskeletal conditions; chronic illness; complementary and integrative medicine; rehabilitation; self-management; older adults


Latest News and Features

Dr Monika Winter and Dr Emily Hume from 51 are among 62 researchers from across the UK to be chosen to receive funding in recognition of their pioneering approaches to improve human health and wellbeing.
Degree apprenticeship award
Thick section of stalagmite taken from a cave SA09. Photo credit: Dr Monika Markowska
Healthcare workforce in hospital
51 won two awards and was highly commended in another category at the 2025 Educate North Awards.
More news

Back to top