Nadine Foster is a Chartered Physiotherapist and the President Elect of the Society of Back Pain Research in the UK.
Following an undergraduate four year degree in Physiotherapy (University of Ulster), Nadine obtained a Doctorate in Philosophy (Faculty of Science, University of Ulster) in 1998, after which she went to Keele University in September 2000 to a lectureship in the Department of Physiotherapy Studies.
Nadine moved full time into the Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre, Research Institute of Primary Care and Health Sciences in December 2004, supported by a five year Primary Care Career Scientist Award. She was promoted to Senior Lecturer in Pain Management (Therapies) in March 2005, and Professor of Musculoskeletal Health in Primary Care in March 2010. In 2012 she was awarded a five-year NIHR Research Professorship to support a large programme of translational research focused on improving outcomes for patients in primary care with common musculoskeletal pain.
Nadine serves on the International Organising Committee for the International Forum for Back Pain Research in Primary Care, and is the Deputy Chair of the HEE/NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic programme (previously CAT) panel for nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and pharmacists and an NIHR-approved Mentor. She is also the lead NIHR Academic Training Advocate for physiotherapy. The Advocates are a cohort of passionate and proactive researchers working both individually and as a group to act as ambassadors for health research careers, promoting the NIHR training and career opportunities, supporting and advocating for non-medical professions, and for individuals who wish to begin or continue a research career.
Nadine has led and contributed to over a hundred peer reviewed publications, supervised over fifteen Masters and ten PhD students, with four PhD students currently in progress. She supports post-doctoral staff within the Musculoskeletal Health and Pain research theme in the Research Institute of Primary Care and Health Sciences at Keele.