Our team

Dr David Wright

School of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University

David obtained his PhD from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2012. He has been researching the neurophysiological and behavioural effects of observing and imagining movements since 2014, and has focused his research on applying these techniques to help dyspraxic children since 2020. David was the principal investigator who obtained funding from the Waterloo Foundation to conduct research into the effects of movement demonstrations and motor imagery techniques on skill learning in dyspraxic children and to develop this website. 

Dr Greg Wood

Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University

Greg obtained his PhD from the University of Exeter in 2011. His research has a strong focus on understanding the neurological mechanisms underpinning dyspraxia, particularly examining muscle and brain dynamics during motor tasks in both child and adult populations. He has published studies assessing the efficacy of various interventions such as eye-movement training, balance exercises, and action observation combined with motor imagery techniques. These interventions are designed to enhance coordination and motor skills in individuals with dyspraxia, offering valuable insights into the development of tailored therapeutic strategies.

Dr Sally Payne

Occupational therapist and Dyspraxia Foundation Trustee

Sally obtained her PhD from Coventry University in 2015. Her research explored the lived experience of teenagers with dyspraxia, an interest that grew from her work as a children’s occupational therapist and her voluntary role with the Dyspraxia Foundation. Sally is keen to support the transfer of motor imagery and action observation research into clinical practice so that children, young people, families and others benefit. 

Professor Paul Holmes

Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University

Paul is an internationally-recognised researcher in motor cognition, especially optimising motor imagery and action observation. He is fascinated by the way actions are thought, planned, intended, perceived, understood, learned, and imitated. He works with the team to use evidenced motor simulation techniques such as those in the ‘Watch Me Do It’ programme to help young people with dyspraxia address challenging tasks of everyday living. He has been at the forefront of thought leadership in the field for over 25 years working with both international athletes and clinical populations to improve movement skill. 

Dr Matthew Scott

School of Kinesiology/Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia

Matthew obtained his PhD from Teesside University in 2021, investigating imitation in children with dyspraxia. After completing his PhD, he was appointed as a post-doctoral researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University to collect data for a project funded by the Waterloo Foundation examining the effectiveness of video demonstrations and motor imagery techniques on motor skill learning in dyspraxic children. Matthew now works at the University of British Columbia, exploring how previous motor and perceptual experiences influence motor learning and motor imagery processes.

Dr Ben Marshall

Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University

Ben obtained his PhD from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2019. As part of his PhD, Ben conducted research showing that combined action observation and motor imagery techniques could help dyspraxic children acquire movement skills more quickly than physical practice alone. These research findings provided a platform for the team’s subsequent research into the effectiveness of action observation and motor imagery for helping dyspraxic children learn everyday movement skills.