Dr Christopher Seenan

Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy

Sport Stirling

Dr Christopher Seenan

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.

Outputs (12)

Article

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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