From Discs to Brains - an interdisciplinary look at low back pain

Inaugural lecture: Professor Neil Fowler

Low back pain affects more than half the adult population, having a substantial impact upon the care system, lost productivity, as well as a significant human cost. In this lecture, Professor Neil Fowler will draw on 20 years of interdisciplinary research investigating various aspects of low back pain, from its cause to its management. Beginning with early studies into the behaviour of intervertebral discs, the lecture will explore a research journey that concludes with studies into aspects of how personality impacts responses to chronic back pain.

In addition to offering insights into the fascinating world of back pain, Professor Fowler will unpack a narrative about the value of curiosity and the importance of interdisciplinarity. The lecture will cast a light on how it is the questions as much as the answers that matter in research. Finally, Professor Fowler will also demonstrate how his research journey has impacted his approach to learning and teaching, and how these lessons could be employed to enrich the ways we design and deliver programmes.

Professor Neil Fowler

Professor Neil Fowler joined the University of Derby in January 2022 as Associate Provost - Learning and Teaching, becoming the Interim Provost in November 2024. He completed both his undergraduate degree and PhD in Sport Science at Liverpool Poly, before joining MMU where he became Head of Exercise & Sport Science and Associate Dean - Learning and Teaching. From 2017, Neil was Dean of Students at the University of Salford.