Matt Wragg

Digital Health and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Researcher

Hi, I'm Matt Wragg (he/him). I'm a postdoctoral researcher and fellow with the LEAP Digital Health Hub at the University of Bristol. My research interests span digital health and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), with a focus on immersive technologies, patient education, physical computing, and data visualisation. I apply mixed-methods approaches, including co-design, experimental studies, and ethnography, to explore how technology can support meaningful collaboration and improve our understanding of our health.

Throughout my work, I'm passionate about involving people with lived experience and healthcare professionals across all aspects of research, from study design through to dissemination and impact. This is crucial for ensuring that the design and implementation of healthcare technologies reflect the perspectives and preferences of those who will use them.

Experience

Researcher in Residence

LEAP Digital Health Hub, University of Bristol

June 2024 - Present

LEAP is an EPSRC-funded Digital Health Hub that aims to cultivate a multidisciplinary, entrepreneurial, cross-sector Digital Health community in South West England and Wales. The Hub is providing opportunities for training, research and collaboration through three core programmes and a wide partnership network. My role as a researcher in residence is to provide research consultancy services to LEAP-funded projects in areas such as HCI, study design, and software development.

Fellow

LEAP Digital Health Hub, University of Bristol

January 2025 - Present

My fellowship with LEAP at the University of Bristol, alongside the Royal United Hospitals (RUH) Bath NHS Trust, involves evaluating a newly implemented clinical dashboard for presenting and utilising patient-generated health data in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) care. This research aims to understand the successes and barriers surrounding the uptake and impact of the dashboard across the care pathway, and to co-design future versions of the platform with clinicians and people living with axSpA.

Scientific & Technical Sub-Editor

Journal of Visual Communication in Medicine

April 2023 - Present

The Journal of Visual Communication in Medicine is an international, peer-reviewed journal published on behalf of the Institute of Medical Illustrators (IMI) that promotes the effective use of communications media to improve healthcare. My position involves sending scientific and technical papers submitted to the journal out for review, collating reviewer feedback, and making recommendations to the editor in chief regarding acceptance.

PhD in Computer Science (Human-Computer Interaction)

University of Bath

September 2020 - December 2024

My PhD explored how augmented reality (AR) could be applied in the treatment and management of musculoskeletal conditions. I worked with patients and clinicians at the Royal United Hospitals Bath to develop and evaluate collaborative, educational, and tangible AR systems to support patients and healthcare providers in the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). During my PhD, I also explored how people utilise physical objects to collaborate in AR more generally. This involved the creation and observational study of a collaborative AR system in which people utilised physical globes to explore climate change visualisations.