Una McConville, (PhD Researcher)

I am a physiotherapist and PhD researcher at Ulster University with interests in musculoskeletal pain, osteoarthritis, and rehabilitation. My academic and research work focuses on improving understanding of pain mechanisms and recovery in people with knee osteoarthritis and those undergoing total knee arthroplasty.

My background in physiotherapy has shaped my interest in clinically relevant research that can improve patient assessment, treatment, and outcomes.

My research interests include musculoskeletal pain, knee osteoarthritis, total knee arthroplasty, pain sensitisation, quantitative sensory testing (QST), pain mechanisms, sensory profiling, rehabilitation, and outcome prediction.

My PhD research focuses on understanding pain mechanisms in people with knee osteoarthritis, with a particular focus on pain sensitisation and its impact on outcomes following total knee arthroplasty.

My work explores how quantitative sensory testing (QST) can be used to assess sensory profiles and better understand pain variability in this population. Current research includes examining the reliability of QST measures in knee osteoarthritis and evaluating the feasibility of sensory profiling within clinical pathways for patients awaiting knee replacement surgery.