Alison McGregor

Alison Hazel McGregor is a physiotherapist, biomedical engineering and professor at Imperial College London. Her research is focused on the musculoskeletal system and the mechanisms/impacts of injury. She has previously served as the President and Secretary of the Society for Back Pain Research.

Early life and education
McGregor studied physiotherapy at King's College London. She graduated with a diploma in physiotherapy in 1989, then moved to the University of Surrey for her graduate studies. Her doctorate in bioengineering concentrated on human biomechanics.

Research and career
In 1997 McGregor started working at Imperial College London, where she started to study back pain. She is a leading member of the MSk Lab, where she develops better diagnostic tools, surgical interventions and understanding of human movement on the musculoskeletal system. She has previously served as the President and Secretary of the Society for Back Pain Research.

McGregor joined an interdisciplinary research team providing physiotherapy to the rowers of Imperial's Boat Club. In particular, McGregor was interested in identifying the 'perfect' technique that could minimise the risk of injury. Through the Imperial College Boat Club, McGregor became involved with British International Rowing. She has shown that the hip position is critical for rowing, and that a slumped position can limit transfer of power.

In 2012 her and two students were chosen as Imperial College London Olympic flame torchbearers in the build-up to the London Olympic Games. She was selected because of her contributions to the Imperial Boat Club. In 2017 the Imperial College Boat Club recognised her twenty-year dedication to the club with an honorary party, where they named a boat after her.

Personal life
Outside the lab McGregor is interested in sports and photography.