Universities are critical partners in the fight to protect the NHS
A new briefing from the Russell Group calls for universities to be at the heart of workplace planning
gaitQ: the Oxford spinout transforming the lives of people with Parkinson's
17 January 2025
University of Oxford spin-out gaitQ has developed a range of wearable mobility aids and medical technologies that are helping transform the lives of people living with Parkinson’s disease
gaitQ worked to commercialise research carried out by experts in engineering and physiology to address gait freezing, a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease. The gaitQ tempo device developed by the spin-out provides wearers with a vibrational prompt or “cue” which prompts the user to walk more fluidly and overcome freezing episodes.
The device has been shown to reduce the risk of falls for users, helping keep people safe and slowing disease progression by allowing individuals to maintain a higher degree of independence and activity while reducing costs for health and social care support.
In 2023, gaitQ announced a new collaboration with the University of Exeter, backed by a £1.4m NIHR award, which will explore the broader potential of the gaitQ tempo on various conditions affecting mobility, including post-stroke recovery and hip and knee replacements.
