Dr Christopher Seenan

Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy

Sport Stirling

Dr Christopher Seenan

Contact details

About me

Chris Seenan is a Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy whose research centres on improving the lives of people with long-term conditions through evidence-based, person-centred intervention development. His work focuses on Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), Intermittent Claudication (IC), Diabetes, and Chronic Pain, with a particular interest in the lived experience of these conditions and how this understanding can inform better care and self-management.

Chris specialises in the design, adaptation, and evaluation of complex interventions that promote optimal lifestyle management for people with non-communicable diseases. He has a strong methodological interest in participatory and co-creation approaches, working alongside patients, clinicians, and community partners to collaboratively shape interventions that are relevant, feasible, and equitable in real-world settings.

His current research portfolio includes:

  • Co-creating behaviour change interventions to support lifestyle modification in people with PAD and IC (OPTIMA and CREATE).
  • Evaluating the feasibility of TENS and motivational interviewing to increase physical activity in PAD and IC (MAvERIC trial).
  • Exploring acceptance and adjustment in chronic pain, with a focus on equity-oriented approaches.
  • Developing public health and educational resources to support lifestyle management in people with cardiovascular disease (PrEPAID trial).

Chris is Co-Editor-in-Chief of Pain and Rehabilitation: the Journal of the Physiotherapy Pain Association, and serves as Scottish Consortium Chair for the Council for Allied Health Professions Research (CAHPR), supporting capacity building and research leadership across the AHP workforce.

He welcomes enquiries from motivated and suitably qualified applicants from around the world who are interested in pursuing a PhD in physiotherapy, long-term conditions, behaviour change, or intervention development.

To view his full list of publications, please visit his ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4379-7913

Research Interests:

Development, evaluation, and implementation of complex interventions to help people to manage long term conditions and multimorbidity, particularly vascular, cardiovascular, and respiratory conditions and chronic pain.

Using participatory methods to facilitate healthcare professionals and service users to create and deliver services and social innovation that addresses health inequities and promotes healthy ageing.

Allied health professional education and development of research culture, capability and capacity.

Community Contribution

Chair: Undergraduate Pain Education Working Group, sub-group of the Scottish Government National Chronic Pain Improvement Group

Elected Executive Committee Member: British Pain Society- Pain Education Specialist Interest Group

Advisory Board Member: Movement for Health, a coalition of Scotland’s leading health charities

Chair: Community for Allied Health Profession Research (CAHPR) - Scotland Consortium

Co-Editor in Chief: Pain and Rehabilitation, Journal of the Physiotherapy Pain Association

Co-Lead: Scottish intermittent Claudication Interest Group

Elected Executive Committee Member: Physiotherapy Pain Association (PPA)

Funding Panel Member: Arthritis UK- Living Well Panel 2025

Funding Panel Member: Chief Scientist Office for the Scottish Government- NMAHP Clinical Academic Fellowships Scheme

External Examiners and Validations

BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy Programme, University of Worcester

MSc in the Clinical Management of Pain, University of Edinburgh

External Examiner PhD Grace Mukoka

External Examiner PhD Leanne Ahern

External Examiner PhD Lorna Sams

External Examiner PhD Mary Anne Jess

External Examiner PhD Trevor Wynter

MSc (pre-reg) Physiotherapy, Leeds Beckett University

Professional membership

British Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Amputee Rehabilitation (BACPAR)

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

European Society of Cardiology

Health and Care Professions Council

Physiotherapy Pain Association

Physiotherapy Research Society (PRS)

Vascular Medicine: VAS European Independent Foundation

Professional qualification

Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy

Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy

Outputs (26)

Article

The effectiveness of co-created lifestyle interventions in improving health behaviour, physical and mental health in adults with non-communicable diseases: A systematic review with meta-analysis

Anieto EM, Dall PM, Abaraogu U, Chastin S, Anieto IB, Longworth GR, Adandom II, Onyeso OK, Iwuagwu AO, Smith N, Francis K, Ndubuaku M, Odom MC & Seenan C (2025) The effectiveness of co-created lifestyle interventions in improving health behaviour, physical and mental health in adults with non-communicable diseases: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Public Health, 248, Art. No.: 105929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2025.105929

Article

Pain management and patient education interventions to increase physical activity in people with intermittent claudication (PrEPAID): a feasibility randomised controlled trial in the UK

Seenan C, Abaraogu U, Dall P, Gilmour L, Tew GA, Stuart W, Elders A & Brittenden J (2025) Pain management and patient education interventions to increase physical activity in people with intermittent claudication (PrEPAID): a feasibility randomised controlled trial in the UK. BMJ Open, 15. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-105563

Article

Behaviour change interventions to promote physical activity in people with intermittent claudication: the OPTIMA systematic review

Abaraogu UO, Dall P, Seenan C, Rhodes S, Gorely T, McParland J, Brittenden J, Anieto EM, Booth L, Gormal C, Dearling J, Fenton C, Audsley S, Fairer K, Bearne L & Skelton DA (2025) Behaviour change interventions to promote physical activity in people with intermittent claudication: the OPTIMA systematic review. Health Technology Assessment, 29 (18). https://doi.org/10.3310/zbng5240

Article

Effect of Behavior-Change Interventions on Daily Physical Activity in Patients with Intermittent Claudication: The OPTIMA Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abaraogu UO, Dall P, Seenan C, Rhodes S, Gorely T, McParland J, Brittenden J, Anieto EM, Booth L, Gormal C, Dearling J, Fenton C, Audsley S, Fairer K, Bearne L & Skelton DA (2025) Effect of Behavior-Change Interventions on Daily Physical Activity in Patients with Intermittent Claudication: The OPTIMA Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 32 (2), pp. 156-168. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwae296

Article

Exercise therapy for chronic symptomatic peripheral artery disease

Mazzolai L, Belch J, Venermo M, Aboyans V, Brodmann M, Bura-Rivière A, Debus S, Espinola-Klein C, Harwood AE, Hawley JA, Lanzi S, Madarič J, Mahé G, Malatesta D & Seenan C (2024) Exercise therapy for chronic symptomatic peripheral artery disease. European Heart Journal, 45 (15), pp. 1303-1321. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehad734

Article

Editor's Choice -- Exercise Therapy for Chronic Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease: A Clinical Consensus Document of the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Aorta and Peripheral Vascular Diseases in Collaboration With the European Society of Vascular Medicine and the European Society for Vascular Surgery

Mazzolai L, Belch J, Venermo M, Aboyans V, Brodmann M, Bura-Rivière A, Debus S, Espinola-Klein C, Harwood AE, Hawley JA, Lanzi S, Madarič J, Mahé G, Malatesta D & Seenan C (2024) Editor's Choice -- Exercise Therapy for Chronic Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease: A Clinical Consensus Document of the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Aorta and Peripheral Vascular Diseases in Collaboration With the European Society of Vascular Medicine and the European Society for Vascular Surgery. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, 67 (3), pp. 373-392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejvs.2024.01.009

Article

Cocreators’ experiences and effectiveness of cocreated interventions in improving health behaviours of adults with non-communicable diseases: a systematic review protocol

Anieto EM, Abaraogu U, Dall PM, Anieto IB, Ogbueche CM & Seenan C (2023) Cocreators’ experiences and effectiveness of cocreated interventions in improving health behaviours of adults with non-communicable diseases: a systematic review protocol. BMJ Open, 13 (10). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073153

Article

International, multi-disciplinary, cross-section study of pain knowledge and attitudes in nursing, midwifery and allied health professions students

Mankelow J, Ryan CG, Taylor PC, Casey M, Naisby J, Thompson K, McVeigh JG, Seenan C, Cooper K, Hendrick P, Brown D, Gibson W, Travers M, Kennedy N, O’Riordan C & Martin D (2022) International, multi-disciplinary, cross-section study of pain knowledge and attitudes in nursing, midwifery and allied health professions students. BMC Medical Education, 22, Art. No.: 547. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03488-3

Article

Charting physiotherapy students’ attitudes toward people with chronic pain as they progress through their undergraduate programme: An observational study

Mankelow J, Ryan CG, Morris H, Lauchlan D, Seenan C, Taylor P & Martin D (2022) Charting physiotherapy students’ attitudes toward people with chronic pain as they progress through their undergraduate programme: An observational study. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 38 (13), pp. 2658-2664. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593985.2021.1976890

Article

Credibility, Accuracy, and Comprehensiveness of Readily Available Internet-Based Information on Treatment and Management of Peripheral Artery Disease and Intermittent Claudication: Review

Alexander S & Seenan C (2022) Credibility, Accuracy, and Comprehensiveness of Readily Available Internet-Based Information on Treatment and Management of Peripheral Artery Disease and Intermittent Claudication: Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24 (10), p. e39555. https://doi.org/10.2196/39555

Article

How do the attitudes, confidence, knowledge and understanding differ in pre-registration healthcare students towards treating people with chronic pain: an observational, cross-sectional study

Carroll SP, Augeard N, Tennant J & Seenan C (2021) How do the attitudes, confidence, knowledge and understanding differ in pre-registration healthcare students towards treating people with chronic pain: an observational, cross-sectional study. European Journal of Physiotherapy, 23 (5), pp. 311-318. https://doi.org/10.1080/21679169.2020.1746830

Article

Infographic. Exercise for intermittent claudication

Tew GA, Allen L, Askew CD, Chetter I, Cucato G, Doherty P, Garnham A, Harwood A, Ingle L, Jenkins M, Michaels J, Pittack S, Seenan C & Trender H (2020) Infographic. Exercise for intermittent claudication. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54 (23), pp. 1443-1444. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-101930

Article

Efficacy and Feasibility of Pain management and Patient Education for Physical Activity in Intermittent claudication (PrEPAID): protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Abaraogu UO, Dall PM, Brittenden J, Stuart W, Tew GA, Godwin J & Seenan CA (2019) Efficacy and Feasibility of Pain management and Patient Education for Physical Activity in Intermittent claudication (PrEPAID): protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials, 20, Art. No.: 222. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3307-6

Article

Barriers and enablers to walking in individuals with intermittent claudication: A systematic review to conceptualize a relevant and patient-centered program

Abaraogu U, Ezenwankwo E, Dall P, Tew G, Stuart W, Brittenden J & Seenan C (2018) Barriers and enablers to walking in individuals with intermittent claudication: A systematic review to conceptualize a relevant and patient-centered program. Harwood A (Editor) PLOS ONE, 13 (7), Art. No.: e0201095. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0201095

Article

The Effect of Structured Patient Education on Physical Activity in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease and Intermittent Claudication: A Systematic Review

Abaraogu UO, Dall PM & Seenan CA (2017) The Effect of Structured Patient Education on Physical Activity in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease and Intermittent Claudication: A Systematic Review. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, 54 (1), pp. 58-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejvs.2017.04.003

Research programmes

Research centres/groups

Research themes