Dr Peter Worsley
BSc, FHEA, PhD
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Peter is an Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences, at the University of Southampton. He is a qualified physiotherapist with a PhD in bioengineering, where he developed his interest in medical device innovation.
He leads Southampton's Skin Health Research Group based in the Clinical Academic Facility at Southampton General Hospital. The group has access to specialist laboratory and clinical research facilities, working with an inter-disciplinary team to evaluate new medical device technologies. His work is funded through UKRI, NIHR, industry, charity and EU projects, with a focus on co-development and clinical evaluation of novel sensors and device interfaces.
Landmark publications:
1. Chopra J, Abiakam N, Kim H, Metcalf C, Worsley P, Cheong Y. The influence of gender and ethnicity on facemasks and respiratory protective equipment fit: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Glob Health. 2021 Nov;6(11):e005537. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-005537.
2. Gefen A, Alves P, Ciprandi G, Coyer F, Milne CT, Ousey K, Ohura N, Waters N, Worsley P. Device-related pressure ulcers: SECURE prevention. J Wound Care. 2020 Feb 1;29(Sup2a):S1-S52. doi: 10.12968/jowc.2020.29.Sup2a.S1.
3. Steer JW, Worsley PR, Browne M, Dickinson AS. Predictive prosthetic socket design: part 1-population-based evaluation of transtibial prosthetic sockets by FEA-driven surrogate modelling. Biomech Model Mechanobiol. 2020 Aug;19(4):1331-1346. doi: 10.1007/s10237-019-01195-5. Epub 2019 Jun 29.
4. Alex Dickinson, Maggie Donovan-Hall, Sisary Kheng, Stefanie Wiegand, Gary Wills, Chantel Ostler, Samedy Srors, Auntouch Tech, Malcolm Granat, Laurence Kenney, Pathik Pathak, Carson Harte, Peter Worsley, Cheryl Metcalf (2019) Technologies to Enhance Quality and Access to Prosthetics & Orthotics: the importance of a multidisciplinary, user-centred approach. Global Report on Assistive Technology (GReAT) Consultation.
5. J.F.J. Soetens, P.R. Worsley, J.M. Herniman, G.J. Langley, D.L. Bader, C.W.J. Oomens. The expression of anaerobic metabolites in sweat and sebum from human skin subjected to intermittent and continuous mechanical loading. Journal of Tissue Viability 2019,28:4; 186-193, doi.org/10.1016/j.jtv.2019.10.001.
6. Worsley P, Warner M, Mottram S, Gadola S, Veeger HE, Hermens H, Morrissey D, Little P, Cooper C, Carr A, Stokes M. Motor control retraining exercises for shoulder impingement: effects on function, muscle activation, and biomechanics in young adults. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2013 Apr;22(4):e11-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2012.06.010. Epub 2012 Sep 1. PMID: 22947240; PMCID: PMC3654498.
7. Galloway F, Kahnt M, Ramm H, Worsley P, Zachow S, Nair P, Taylor M. A large scale finite element study of a cementless osseointegrated tibial tray. J Biomech. 2013 Jul 26;46(11):1900-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2013.04.021. Epub 2013 Jun 10. PMID: 23764172.
Major grants:
Innovate UK Biomedical catalyst 2021: early and late stage awards: 'Data-driven fitting for the next generation of prosthetic sockets' for the competition £498k (2021-23, co-I)
EPSRC Intelligent Sensing to Promote Self-management of Posture and Mobility in Community dwelling Individuals’ (EP/W031558/1) £940k (2022-25 PI)
UKRI COVD Rapid Response call: A BioEngineering approach for the SAFE design and fitting of Respiratory Protective Equipment (BE-SAFE RPE, EP/V045563/1) 2020-22 (£440,985 PI)
The Swedish Research Council: Identification of biomarkers and optical indicators for early detection and prevention of pressure ulcer formation in vulnerable patient populations. 9.9M SEK Co-I (2021)
EU Integrated Training Network STINTS £528k (2019 co-I) https://www.stints.eu/ £3.2M
NIHR HTA PREVENTion and treatment of Incontinence-Associated Dermatitis (IAD) through optimising care: development and feasibility of the IAD Manual (PREVENT-IAD, NIHR128865) £589,908 (2019 co-I)
EPSRC Global Challenge Research Fund A Step Change in LMIC Prosthetics Provision through Computer Aided Design, Actimetry and Database Technologies (EP/R014213/1 ) £900k (2017 co-I)
The Health Foundation Scaling Up Pressure reduction through continuous monitoring in the community setting (PROMISE) £500k (2017 co-I)
EPSRC-NIHR Network Plus Medical Device and Vulnerable Skin Network (EP/N02723X/1) £500k, (2016 co-I).
Impact example:
The Skin Health Group at the University of Southampton has led a multidisciplinary consortium to evaluate and optimise cutting-edge technologies to improve the safety of interventional and therapeutic medical devices and minimise skin damage in vulnerable patients.
The resulting commercialised devices have had an impact on healthcare practice and patient care, leading to pressure ulcer prevention and effective wound healing; the research underpinning them has shaped new international clinical guidelines (NPIAP, EPUAP, PPPIA, 2019). Working with the NHS, the Group has pioneered the use of sensing technologies to reduce pressure ulcer risk, resulting in improved patient experience and adoption by four NHS trusts.
The economic impact of co-developed medical products is seen through the use of one mattress system in six NHS sites, generating revenues of £500,000 for a UK company, the sale of 20,000 therapeutic mattress products by a US company across 20 countries, and the creation of a spinout company that has created three jobs and attracted external investment.
The research has changed national policy – for the first time, device-related pressure ulcers are part of routine reporting practice across 200 NHS sites – and the team have influenced the design of new international device standards.