Prof Maria Stokes

Maria is Professor of Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Southampton, where she leads the Active Living for Health Research Group.

She qualified as a physiotherapist at The London Hospital and undertook a PhD in Neuromuscular Physiology at the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Oxford. After a postdoctoral research post at the University of Liverpool, she spent four years as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland in Australia, before returning to London as Director of Research & Development at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability. She joined the University of Southampton in 2004.

Her research focuses on enabling physical activity for lifelong health through finding safe and effective ways of being physically active and maintaining activity in the long-term. Studies aim to prevent injuries and illness in healthy people and help those living with long-term conditions to have an active lifestyle.

She is an advocate of equality and diversity, particularly in supporting career development of health researchers.