Contact

• workMedical School
  Royal Derby Hospital
  Uttoxeter Road
  Derby
  DE22 3DT
  UK
• Laura.Edwards@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

I am a clinical academic in rehabilitation medicine at the University of Nottingham, with clinical and research interests including neurorehabilitation, neurology, and integrative approaches to patient care. My work combines hands-on clinical practice in NHS neurorehabilitation with a broad portfolio of research exploring social, psychological, and environmental determinants of recovery. I am passionate about developing holistic interventions to improve outcomes for patients with multiple sclerosis, acquired brain injury, and other neurological conditions. My experience spans inpatient and outpatient care, multidisciplinary team leadership, and engagement in patient and public involvement initiatives.

Expertise Summary

• Clinical: Multiple sclerosis, neurorehabilitation, spasticity management, neuromuscular disorders, brain injury, frailty assessment, non-pharmacological interventions.

• Research: Human-animal interactions and animal-assisted therapy, psychosocial determinants of recovery, hospital environments and soundscapes, virtual reality and sensory interventions, medication optimization, longitudinal outcomes following brain injury.

• Methods: Quantitative and mixed-methods studies, large-scale observational cohorts, clinical trials, survey research, and routine healthcare data (UKROC) analysis.

• Leadership & Collaboration: Experienced in multi-disciplinary team coordination, project management, and cross-institutional research collaborations; active in mentoring and supervising students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Teaching Summary

I deliver undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in rehabilitation medicine, neurology, and allied health topics, including problem-based learning, lectures, and clinical skills sessions. I… read more

Research Summary

My research portfolio explores how social, psychological, and environmental factors influence recovery and quality of life in neurological conditions. Current projects include:

• Investigating the role of visiting, loneliness, and social support in recovery after acquired brain injury.

• Studying human-animal interactions and animal-assisted therapy in neurorehabilitation.

• Evaluating non-pharmaceutical interventions such as virtual reality and sensory-based therapies to improve patient outcomes.

• Optimizing medication use and deprescribing in multiple sclerosis.

• Understanding the impact of hospital environments and soundscapes on staff and patient wellbeing.

My approach integrates clinical insight with interdisciplinary collaboration, aiming to generate evidence that informs practical interventions, policy, and person-centred care.

Recent Publications

• M D WILES, I BENSON, L EDWARDS, I MILLER and F TAIT, 2024. Management of acute cervical spinal cord injury in the non‐specialist intensive care unit: a narrative review of current evidence Anaesthesia.
• EDWARDS L, 2023. Home-based virtual reality for help with symptoms of multiple sclerosis ISRCTN76033536
• CERUTTI C, EDWARDS LJ, DE VRIES HE, SHARRACK B, MALE DK and ROMERO IA, 2017. MiR-126 and miR-126* regulate shear-resistant firm leukocyte adhesion to human brain endothelium Sci Rep. 7, 45284
• EDWARDS LJ, 2016. The neurology of autoimmune pernicious anaemia (subacute combined degeneration). In: CONTANSTINESCU C, ARSENESCU R and ARSENESCU V, eds., Neuroimmunogastroenterology Springer Science and Business Media.

• View all publications

I deliver undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in rehabilitation medicine, neurology, and allied health topics, including problem-based learning, lectures, and clinical skills sessions. I supervise BMedSci, BSc, MRes, and PhD projects, act as an internal examiner, and contribute to regional and national teaching initiatives. I have completed formal educational supervision and teaching development training and regularly mentor junior doctors and graduate students.

Future Research

I am actively seeking opportunities to work across disciplines, bridging clinical rehabilitation, psychology, sociology, and allied health research. My work draws on routine clinical data, psychosocial assessments, and innovative interventions, creating natural points of intersection with colleagues in social sciences, engineering, human-animal interaction research, virtual reality, and health services research. I welcome collaborations that explore holistic approaches to patient care, from improving inpatient experiences to supporting long-term community reintegration. I am particularly interested in projects that combine clinical insight with methodological rigor and translational impact, and I aim to foster partnerships that generate practical, patient-centred solutions while advancing interdisciplinary scholarship.

• M D WILES, I BENSON, L EDWARDS, I MILLER and F TAIT, 2024. Management of acute cervical spinal cord injury in the non‐specialist intensive care unit: a narrative review of current evidence Anaesthesia.
• EDWARDS L, 2023. Home-based virtual reality for help with symptoms of multiple sclerosis ISRCTN76033536
• CERUTTI C, EDWARDS LJ, DE VRIES HE, SHARRACK B, MALE DK and ROMERO IA, 2017. MiR-126 and miR-126* regulate shear-resistant firm leukocyte adhesion to human brain endothelium Sci Rep. 7, 45284
• EDWARDS LJ, 2016. The neurology of autoimmune pernicious anaemia (subacute combined degeneration). In: CONTANSTINESCU C, ARSENESCU R and ARSENESCU V, eds., Neuroimmunogastroenterology Springer Science and Business Media.
• EDWARDS L and PHILLIPS M, 2016. Review of British Society for Rehabilitation/Royal College of Physicians meeting "Neuromusuclar conditions for physicians: what you need to know" Clin Med (Lond). 16(3), 259-261
• JEAN-GILLES L, BRAITCH M, LATIF ML, ARAM J, FAHEY AJ, EDWARDS LJ, ROBINS RA, TANASESCU R, TIGHE PJ, GRAN B, SHOWE LC, ALEXANDER SP, CHAPMAN V, KENDALL DA and CONSTANTINESCU CS, 2015. Effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines on cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors in immune cells Acta Physiol (Oxf). 214(1), 63-74
• NEGM OH, HAMED MR, DILNOT EM, SHONE CC, MARSZALOWSKA I, LYNCH M, LOSCHER CE, EDWARDS LJ, TIGHE PJ, WILCOX MH and MONAGHAN TM, 2015. Profiling humoral immune responses to clostridium difficile-specific antigens by protein microarray analysis Clin Vaccine Immunol. 22(9), 1033-1039
• MANOUCHEHRINIA A, EDWARDS LJ, ROSHANISEFAT H and TENCH CR, 2015. Multiple sclerosis course and clinical outcomes in patients with comorbid asthma: a survey study BMJ Open. 5(5), e007806
• EDWARDS LJ, SHARRACK B, ISMAIL A, TENCH CR, GRAN B, DHUNGANA S, BRETTSCHNEIDER J, TUMANI H and CONSTANTINESCU CS, 2013. Increased levels of interleukin-2 and interleukin-17 in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Immunology. 2(3), 234-244
• EDWARDS LJ and CONSTANTINESCU CS, 2013. Disease modifying treatments for secondary progressive and progressive relapsing MS. In: WEINSTOCK-GUTTMAN B, RAMANATHAN M and ZIVADINOV R, eds., Personalised Management of Multiple Sclerosis Future Science Group.
• EDWARDS LJ, 2013. Review of Society for Rehabilitation Research Meeting ACNR. 13(5), 37
• WEINER HL and EDWARDS LJ, 2012. Future therapeutic approaches. In: WEINER HL and STANCIEWICZ JM, eds., Multiple Sclerosis: Diagnosis and Therapy Wiley-Blackewell. 283
• CONSTANTINESCU CS, NIEPEL G, PATTERSON M, JUDD A, BRAITCH M, FAHEY AJ, HARIKRISHNAN S, EDWARDS LJ, TENCH CR, BENNETT GW and GHATEI M, 2011. Orexin A (hypocretin-1) levels are not reduced while cocaine/amphetamine regulated transcript levels are increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis: no correlation with fatigue and sleepiness J Neurol Sci. 307(1-2), 127-131
• EDWARDS LJ, SHARRACK B, ISMAIL A, TUMANI H and CONSTANTINESCU CS, 2011. Central inflammation versus peripheral regulation in multiple sclerosis J Neurol. 258(8), 1518-1527
• EDWARDS LJ and CONSTANTINESCU CS, 2011. Disease-modifying therapy - effectiveness-safety balance. In: THORNHILL C, ed., Hospital Pharmacy Europe - Multiple Sclerosis Supplement
• EDWARDS LJ, ROBINS RA and CONSTANTINESCU CS, 2010. Th17/Th1 phenotype in demyelinating disease Cytokine. 50(1), 19-23
• EDWARDS L and CONSTANTINESCU C, 2010. Cytokines in idiopathic intracranial hypertension CSF Headache. 50(2), 323-235
• EDWARDS LJ and CONSTANTINESCU CS, 2009. Platelet activating factor/platelet activating factor receptor pathway as a potential therapeutic target in autoimmune diseases Inflamm Allergy Drug Targets. 8(3), 182-190
• EDWARDS LJ and CONSTANTINESCU CS, 2009. Parasite immunomodulation in autoimmune disease: focus on multiple sclerosis Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 5(5), 487-489
• BRAITCH, M., NUNAN, R., NIEPEL, G., EDWARDS, L.J. and CONSTANTINESCU, C.S., 2008. Increased osteopontin levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis JAMA Neurology. 65(5), 633-635
• EDWARDS, LJ, DUA, H and CONSTANTINESCU, CS, 2008. Symptomatic uveitis and multiple sclerosis Clinical Science. 32(2), 49-54
• EDWARDS LJ, ATHERTON JC, ZAITOUN AM and CONSTANTINESCU CS, 2008. A case of dysphagia with clinically isolated syndrome Mult Scler. 14(5), 716-717
• EDWARDS LJ, TALLANTYRE E, BOSLEY TM, GOTTLOB I and CONSTANTINESCU CS, 2008. Optic Neuritis. In: LEWIS BN and DAVIES CJ, eds., Optic Nerve Disease Research Perspectives Nova Publishers.
• EDWARDS LJ, TENCH CR, GILMORE CP, EVANGELOU N and CONSTANTINESCU CS, 2007. Multiple sclerosis findings in the spinal cord Expert Rev Neurother. 7(9), 1203-1211
• EDWARDS LJ and CONSTANTINESCU CS, 2004. A prospective study of conditions associated with multiple sclerosis in a cohort of 658 consecutive outpatients attending a multiple sclerosis clinic Mult Scler. 10(5), 575-581
• EDWARDS LJ, 2000. Exploring the Species BMJ Student. 8, 247
• JIMENEZ-LINAN LM, EDWARDS L, ABISHEK A and DOHERTY M, Online patient information resources on gout provide inadequate information and minimal emphasis on potentially curative urate lowering treatment Arthritis Care and Research. (In Press.)