Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Denise Howel is a leading biostatistician and trial methodologist whose work has profoundly shaped evidence-based rehabilitation after stroke. Her primary research areas center on the design, conduct, and analysis of large-scale, pragmatic randomised controlled trials, with a particular focus on upper limb recovery and complex interventions. Howel’s most defining contribution is her leadership in the RATULS (Robot Assisted Training for the Upper Limb after Stroke) programme, the largest and most rigorous trial of its kind. The primary RATULS paper, published in 2019, has amassed over 477 citations, providing definitive evidence that robot-assisted training using the MIT-Manus gym was no more effective than enhanced upper limb therapy for improving arm function. This landmark finding directly challenged prevailing assumptions and redirected clinical practice and research priorities. Beyond this headline result, Howel’s work on the trial’s protocol and detailed evaluation of intervention fidelity and goal achievement (with 40 and 18 citations, respectively) set a new standard for transparency and methodological rigor in complex rehabilitation research. Her meticulous approach has made her a trusted voice in stroke rehabilitation, ensuring that costly technologies are rigorously tested before widespread adoption.