Staff Profile

Ríona Mc Ardle is a Senior Research Fellow. Her programme of work aims to improve the understanding, measurement, and support of mobility in dementia and related conditions through novel digital health methodologies, participatory approaches, and partnerships with under-served groups.

Her research spans three core themes:

Embedding the many voices of lived experience into mobility research:

•Co-developing a research programme with patients, carers, and professionals from diverse backgrounds

•Exploring experiences of mobility in ageing, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease

Identifying what matters most to measure and support in everyday mobility

Characterising & understanding mobility impairment in dementia & related disorders

•Digital health & analytics to capture mobility-related impairment over time

•Mobility profiles across dementia subtypes & the spectrum of cognition & care

•Disease-related & socio-ecological influences on mobility to guide intervention design & safety support.

Developing & implementing digital & healthcare-based interventions for mobility support

•Identifying barriers & facilitators to mobility support in health & social care

•Co-developing intervention models with patients, carers, & professionals

•Using participatory methods to design self-management tools and plan for implementation

Evidence of Leadership

• Principal Investigator (PI) on multiple NIHR- and charity-funded studies, leading research programmes on digital health and mobility in dementia and ageing.
• Supervisor of three PhD students (and one completed PhD) and multiple MSc dissertations, supporting early career researchers in dementia and mobility research.
• Public Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Lead for the Digital Health, Ageing Innovation and Inclusion Theme in Newcastle's NIHR Biomedical Research Centre.
• Early Career Researcher Lead for the Ageing and Geroscience Research Theme, Newcastle University.
• Inequalities Lead on “Technology Empowered Dementia Independence (TEDI) EPSRC Network Plus.
• Member of national and international collaborations in digital health, mobility, and dementia care, with invited talks delivered across Europe and internationally.
• Recognised Emerging Leader in the field, awarded the Emerging Scientist Award (2022) by the International Society of Posture and Gait Research.

Researchgate profile

Google Scholar profile

Dr Ríona McArdle’s research spans the full spectrum of mobility research in ageing and neurodegeneration, with a focus on dementia and related disorders. She combines digital health technologies, advanced analytics, and mixed methods approaches (longitudinal quantitative analysis, qualitative inquiry, and participatory co-design) to understand mobility across disease and care contexts.

Her work characterises gait, turning, sedentary behaviour, and ambulatory activity to identify both disease-related mechanisms and socio-ecological influences on mobility. This evidence supports the development of clinical markers for earlier and more accurate dementia subtype diagnosis and informs post-diagnostic interventions and care models that promote independence, wellbeing, and equity for people living with dementia and their families.

Ríona's research has been published in leading journals including Alzheimer’s & Dementia. To date, she has secured over £1 million in research funding as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator, supported by NIHR, Alzheimer’s Research UK, and the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Grants as Principal Investigator

·NIHR Three Schools’ Dementia Research Programme 2025, Newcastle University: £488,188. Principal Investigator for the “Enhancing Mobility support for people with dementia: BRidging the gap between needs And CarE” (EMBraCe) study, March 2025 – March 2028

·NIHR Three Schools’ Dementia Research Programme Call for Dementia Career Development Awards 2024, Newcastle University: £54,939, Principal Investigator for the “Forging research leadership in digital mobility interventions for dementia: Building networks and co-producing future solutions” (DigiDem Future) study, March 2025 – July 2026.

·Neuroscience Accelerator Award, Newcastle University: £47,500, Principal Investigator for the “Measuring what matters: A cross cultural mapping of the meaningfulness of validated digital mobility outcomes in people with Parkinson’s disease in Ghana and Tanzania” study, January-December 2025

·National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre studentship: £89,288, Principal Investigator for the “Characterising sedentary behaviours across the spectrum of cognitive impairment using digital technology” studentship, October 2024-September 2027.

·National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre studentship: £112,008, Principal Investigator for the “Measuring what matters: a representative exploration of experiences of mobility loss in people with Parkinson’s disease and their carers to inform digital mobility assessment” studentship, October 2023-November 2027.

·Ageing Research Translation (ART) of Healthy Ageing Network, funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI): £12,500, Principal Investigator on “Investigating social and environmental influences on physical ACTIVity in older adult DYADs” (ActivDyad) study. January 2023-October 2023.

·National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Advanced Fellowship: £426,994. Three-year research fellowship, leading the “Identifying modifiable psychosocial outcomes to maintain physical ACTIVity and promote independence in DEMentia” (ActivDem) study. November 2021 – March 2025.

·National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Research Capability Funding, £21,190.50, via North East Commissioning Services Unit (September 2020-March 2021): Six months’ full time salary funded to support development of research, collaboration with the Ageing, Health and Society Research Group (Newcastle University), and the acquisition of new research skills. 

Grants as co-investigator

·NIHR Three Schools’ Dementia Research Programme 2025: £ 499,311. “DETERMIND-LS-Y3: DETERMinants of quality of life, care and costs, and consequences of INequalities in people with Dementia and their carers: Long term followup with Seldom heard group enhancement - Year 3 assessment”, March 2025 – March 2026. PI: S Banerjee. Co-I’s: R Mc Ardle, B.Hicks, L.Robinson, A. Thomas, P. Donaghy, Y. Birks, R. Wittenberg, E. Miles, M. Knapp, M. Dangoor, S. Read, D. King, B. Hu, J. Dixon, K. Gridley, J. Hammond, C. Mueller, R. Oakley, M. A. Rauf, C. Cooper.

·EPSRC Network Plus: £1,998,824, Inequalities Lead on “Technology Empowered Dementia Independence (TEDI) Network Plus”, 2025-2028. PI: Prof. Arlene Astell, Co-I’s: D Kirk, K. Brittain, L Robinson, D Craig, D Jackson, H Collingham, P McMeekin, R Wilson, W Lok Woo, P Joddrell, A Taylor-Beswick. September 2025-September 2028.

· Alzheimer’s Research UK: £70,000, Co-applicant and Newcastle site Lead on “Characterising digital mobility signatures of atypical dementia”. PI: Dr Keir Yong, UCL. May 2024-June 2025.

·Michael J Fox Foundation: $250,000, Co-applicant on the “Measuring what matters – in whom it matters – ensuring diversity and equity in Parkinson’s disease research and care” study, PI: Professor Katie Brittain. January 2023 – January 2025.

·National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre Funding: £4,000. Co-applicant on the “Developing novel tools to accurately identify dementia subtypes: application of wearable-based gait analysis and machine learning approaches” project, PI: Dr Rana Rehman. April 2021-April 2022 

PhD students

• Sarah Wilson - "Strategies to promote digital health equity". Funded by Alzheimer's Research UK. Co-supervised with Professor Sarah Slight, Dr Clare Tolley and Mr Bob Slight. (Passed July 2025).
• Megan Hanrahan - "Measuring what matters: a representative exploration of experiences with mobility loss in people with Parkinson's disease and their carers to inform digital mobility assessment". Jointly funded by Newcastle's NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and MJ Fox Foundation. Co-supervised with Professor Katie Brittain. 2023-present
• Jenny Wales - “Characterising sedentary behaviours across the spectrum of cognitive impairment using digital technology”. Funded by Newcastle NIHR Biomedical Research Centre. Co-supervised by Dr Silvia Del Din, Professor Alison Yarnall, and Dr Chloe Hinchcliffe. 2024-present.
• Jack Lumsdon - "Cross-contextual comparison of physical activity in people with Parkinson’s in the UK and Ghana: Exploring the influence of disease related and socioecological factors." Funded by ESRC Nine DTP. Co-supervised by Professor Katie Brittain and Dr Tash Fothergill-Misbah. 2025-present.

Current Teaching

• Guest lecturer for Newcastle University's Postgraduate Development Programme on topics relating to public engagement, scientific communication and conducting systematic reviews.
• Supervisor for MRes in Neuroscience and BScs in Biomedical Sciences, Sports Science and Physiology, Psychology, Newcastle University

Past Teaching

• Essay Supervisor and marker for “PSY1001: Psychological Inquiry” module, BSc Psychology, Newcastle University. Module leader: Dr. Amy Fielden.
• Mentor for the NIHR BRC Doctoral Trainees.

PhD Tutor for the Brilliant Club.  Designed and delivered the following courses for high school students:

1. "Mind your step: what can walking tell us about the brain?" (KS4; March-May 2016)
2. "Dementia: One size doesn't fit all" (KS4, June -September 2016)
3. "Watch your step: How does the brain influence walking?" (KS4; March - May 2017)
4. "Walking and the brain" (KS5; October 2017 - January 2018)

"Watch your step: How does the brain influence walking?" (KS4; October 2017 - January 2018)

• Articles

  • Tangen GG, Engedal K, Persson K, Selbaek G, Dakhil S, Mc Ardle R, Mjorud M, Rosvik J, Mengshoel AM, Knapskog AB. Validation of Spatial Orientation Screening questionnaire for use in memory clinic patients. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2025, 103(4), 1013-1022.
  • Mc Ardle R, Ryan LJ, Rehman RZU, Dignan E, Thompson A, Del Din S, Galna B, Thomas A, Rochester L, Alcock L. Validation of an algorithm for detecting turning in people with cognitive impairment, considering dementia disease subtype. Gait & Posture 2025, 118, 141-147.
  • Walter S, McArdle R, Largent EA, Edelmayer R, Sexton C, Loyola Sandoval S, Medsger H, Meserve N, Samaroo R, Sierra C, Smeitink M, Gibson A, Gregory S, Karamacoska D, Leroi I, Molina Henry D, Suarez Gonzalez A, Glover C. Public and Participant Involvement as a Pathway to Inclusive Dementia Research. Alzheimers & Dementia 2025, 21(1), e14350.
  • Hanrahan M, Wilson C, Keogh A, Barker S, Rochester L, Brittain K, Lumsdon J, McArdle R. How can patients shape digital medicine? A rapid review of Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement in the development of digital health technologies for neurological conditions. Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research 2025, 25(2), 137-154.
  • Kim,SW,Kim,DH,Hong,JY,Mun,KR,Jung,D,Hong,I,Mc Ardle,R,Seong,JK,Baek,MS. Gait impairment associated with neuroimaging biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease. Scientific reports 2025.
  • Mc Ardle R, Dsouza A, Hagan A, Al-Oraibi A, Hanjari M, Stephan BCM, Brayne C, Lafortune L, Bains M, Qureshi N, Robinson L. Attitudes and preferences towards screening for dementia from the perspectives of healthcare professionals: an updated systematic review. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2025, 40(2), e70057.
  • Connolly EM, Mc Ardle R, Bimpong KAA, Slight SP. What impact does the diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment have on the wellbeing, everyday behaviour and healthcare utilisation of people and their carers? A systematic review. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2024, 101(3), 715-729.
  • Farina,N,Niazi,U,Mc Ardle,R,Eronen,J,Lowry,R,Banerjee,S. Psychosocial factors associated with physical activity in people with dementia: a pilot cross-sectional study. Aging Medicine 2024. In Press.
  • Farina N, Mc Ardle R, Lowry R, Banerjee S. Physical activity patterns within dementia care dyads. Journal of Ageing and Physical Activity 2024, 32(4), 480-487.
  • Mc Ardle R, Taylor L, Cavadino A, Rochester L, Del Din S, Kerse N. Characterising walking behaviours in aged residential care using accelerometery: a cross-sectional comparison of care level, cognitive status and physical function. JMIR Aging 2024, 7, e53020.
  • Brar M, Mc Ardle R, Hagan A, Al-Orabi A, Hanjari M, Stephan B, Brayne C, Lafortune L, Bains M, Qureshi N, Robinson L. Attitudes and Preferences Towards Screening for Dementia with a Focus on Ethnic Minority and Low Socio-Economic Groups: A Systematic Review of Research Studies Written in the English Language. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2024, 100(4), 1315-1331.
  • Hicks B, Gridley K, Dixon J, Baxter K, Birks Y, Colclough C, Karim A, Perach R, Moseley E, Russell A, Sondh H, Storey B, Tipping E, Mc Ardle R, Donaghy P, Dangoor M, Miles E, Robinson L, Rusted J, Waine H, Wheatley K, Banerjee S. Using digital technologies to facilitate social inclusion during the COVID-19 pandemic: Experiences of co-resident and non-co-resident family carers of people with dementia from DETERMIND-C19. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2023, 38(2), e5886.
  • Jabbar KA, Mc Ardle R, Lord S, Kerse N, Del Din S, Teh R. Physical activity in community-dwelling older adults: which real-world accelerometry measures are robust? A systematic review. Sensors 2023, 23(17), 7615.
  • Keogh A, Mc Ardle R, Diaconu MG, Ammour N, Arnera V, Blazani F, Brittain G, Buckley E, Buttery S, Cantu A, Corriol-Rohou S, Delgado-Ortiz L, Duysens J, Forman-Hardy T, Gur-Arieh T, Hamerlijnck D, Linnell J, Leocani L, McQuillan T, Neatrour I, Polhemus A, Remmele W, Saraiva I, Scott K, Sutton N, van de Brade K, Vereijken B, Wohlrab M, Rochester L. Mobilizing Patient and Public Involvement in the Development of Real-World Digital Technology Solutions: Tutorial. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2023, 25, e44206.
  • Wilson S, Tolley C, Mc Ardle R, Beswick E, Slight SP. Key Considerations When Developing and Implementing Digital Technology for Early Detection of Dementia-Causing Diseases Among Health Care Professionals: Qualitative Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2023, 25, e46711.
  • Debelle H, Packer E, Beales E, Bailey HGB, Mc Ardle R, Brown P, Hunter H, Ciravegna F, Ireson N, Evers J, Niessen M, SHI JQ, Yarnall AJ, Rochester L, Alcock L, Del Din S. Feasibility and usability of a digital health technology system to monitor mobility and assess medication adherence in mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease. Frontiers in Neurology 2023, 14, 1111260.
  • Lawson L, Mc Ardle R, Wilson S, Beswick E, Karimi R, Slight S. Digital Endpoints for Assessing Instrumental Activities of Daily Living in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2023, 25, e45658.
  • Mc Ardle R, Hamilton C, Del Din S, Kingston A, Robinson L, Galna B, Thomas AJ, Rochester L. Associations between local area deprivation and physical activity participation in people with cognitive impairment in the North East of England. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2023, 95(1), 265-273.
  • Wilson S, McArdle R, Tolley C, Slight S. Usability and acceptability of wearable technology in the early detection of dementia. Alzheimer's & Dementia 2022, 18(S2), e059820.
  • Mc Ardle R, Del Din S, Morris R, Alcock L, Yarnall AJ, Burn DJ, Rochester L, Lawson RA. Factors Influencing Habitual Physical Activity in Parkinson’s Disease: Considering the Psychosocial State and Wellbeing of People with Parkinson’s and Their Carers. Sensors 2022, 22(3), 871.
  • Mc Ardle R, Del Din S, Donaghy P, Galna B, Thomas A, Rochester L. The Impact of Environment on Gait Assessment: Considerations from Real-World Gait Analysis in Dementia Subtypes. Sensors 2021, 21(3), 813.
  • Yemm H, Robinson L, Paddick SM, Dotchin C, Goodson ML, Narytnyk A, Poole M, Mc Ardle R. Instrumental activities of daily living scales to detect cognitive impairment and dementia in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2021, 83(1), 451-474.
  • Ardle RM, Jabbar KA, Din SD, Kerse N, Rochester L, Callisaya ML. Digital mobility outcomes to assess habitual physical activity in people with cognitive impairment: A systematic review. Alzheimer's & Dementia: The journal of the Alzheimer's Association 2021, 17(S11), e055547.
  • Mc Ardle R, Pratt S, Buckley C, Del Din S, Galna B, Thomas A, Rochester L, Alcock L. Balance Impairments as Differential Markers of Dementia Disease Subtype. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 2021, 9, 639337.
  • Mc Ardle R, Del Din S, Donaghy P, Galna B, Thomas A, Rochester L. Factors that influence habitual activity in mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Gerontology 2020, 66, 197-208.
  • Mc Ardle R, Del Din S, Galna B, Thomas A, Rochester L. Differentiating dementia disease subtypes with gait analysis: feasibility of wearable sensors? . Gait & Posture 2020, 76, 372-376.
  • Quinn TJ, Elliott E, Hietamies TM, Martinez G, Tieges Z, Mc Ardle R. Diagnostic test accuracy of remote, multidomain cognitive assessment (telephone and video call) for dementia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2020, 2020(9), CD013724.
  • Mc Ardle R, Galna B, Donaghy P, Thomas A, Rochester L. Do Alzheimer’s and Lewy body disease have discrete pathological signatures of gait?. Alzheimer's and Dementia 2019, 15(10), 1367-1377.
  • Mc Ardle R, Morris R, Hickey A, Del Din S, Koychev I, Gunn RN, Lawson J, Zamboni G, Ridha B, Sahakian BJ, Rowe JB, Thomas A, Zetterberg H, MacKay C, Lovestone S, Rochester L. Gait in Mild Alzheimer’s Disease: Feasibility of Multi-Center Measurement in the Clinic and Home with Body-Worn Sensors: A Pilot Study. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2018, 63(1), 331-341.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Dhillon G, Hassan N, Wilson S, McArdle R, Su L, Slight S. Outdoor air pollution as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review. In: Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC 2024). 2024, Philadelphia: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Rawi AA, Hassan N, Mc Ardle R, Slight S. Using artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the conversion of cognitively unimpaired individuals to mild cognitive impairment. In: Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC 2023). 2023, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: AAIC.
  • Wilson S, Tolley C, Mc Ardle R, Beswick E, Lawson L, Slight R, Slight S, Hassan N. Strategies to develop, design, implement and support digital health equity in key underserved groups: protocol for a systematic review. In: Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC 2023). 2023, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: AAIC.
  • Buckley C, Mc Ardle R, Galna B, Thomas A, Rochester L, Del Din S. Evaluation of daily walking activity and gait profiles: a novel application of a time series analysis framework. In: 41st Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. 2019, Berlin: IEEE.

• Editorial

  • Mc Ardle R, Del Din S, Yarnall A. Gait analysis as a clinical tool for dementia: current perspectives and future challenges. Advances in Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation (ACNR) 2021.

• Notes

  • Connolly EM, Slight S, Mc Ardle R. How does a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment impact everyday behaviours, quality of life and healthcare utilisation? A systematic review of people with MCI and their carers. Alzheimer's and Dementia 2022, 18(S8), e062834.
  • Mc Ardle R, Hamilton C, Del Din S, Kingston A, Robinson L, Galna B, Thomas AJ, Rochester L. Associations between local area deprivation and physical activity in cognitively impaired people: an accelerometry study. Alzheimer's and Dementia 2022, 18(S2), e066878.

• Reviews

  • Wilson S, Tolley C, Mc Ardle R, Lawson L, Beswick E, Hassan N, Slight R, Slight S. Recommendations to advance digital health equity: a systematic review of qualitative studies. npj Digital Medicine 2024, 7(1), 173.
  • Mc Ardle R, Jabbar KA, Del Din S, Thomas AJ, Robinson L, Kerse N, Rochester L, Callisaya M. Using digital technology to quantify habitual physical activity in community-dwellers with cognitive impairment: A systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2023, 25, e44352.
  • Lyall D, Kormilitzin A, Lancaster C, Sousa J, Petermann-Rocha F, Buckley C, Harshfield E, Iveson M, Madan C, Mc Ardle R, Newby D, Orgeta V, Tang E, Tamburin S, Thakur L, Lourida I, Deep Dementia Phenotyping Network The, Llewellyn D, Ranson J. Artificial Intelligence for Dementia - Applied Models and Digital Health. Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association 2023, 19(12), 5872-5884.
  • Beishon LC, Elliott E, Hietamies TM, Mc Ardle R, O'Mahony A, Elliott AR, Quinn TJ. Diagnostic test accuracy of remote, multidomain cognitive assessment (telephone and video call) for dementia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2022, (4), CD013724.
  • Mc Ardle R, Sverdrup K, Del Din S, Lord S, Kerse N, Rochester L, Taylor L. Quantifying physical activity in aged residential care facilities: A structured review. Ageing Research Reviews 2021, 67, 101298.
  • Buckley C, Alcock L, Mc Ardle R, Rehman RZU, Del Din S, Mazzà C, Yarnall A, Rochester L. The role of movement analysis in diagnosing and monitoring neurodegenerative conditions: Insights from gait and postural control. Brain Sciences 2019, 9(2), 34.
  • Wilson J, Allcock L, Mc Ardle R, Taylor JP, Rochester L. The neural correlates of discrete gait characteristics in ageing: A Structured Review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 2019, 100, 344-369.
  • Mc Ardle R, Morris R, Wilson J, Galna B, Thomas AJ, Rochester L. What Can Quantitative Gait Analysis Tell Us about Dementia and Its Subtypes? A Structured Review. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2017, 60(4), 1295-1312.