My expertise in sport and exercise biomechanics bridges the gap between Sport Science and Sport Medicine. I analyse the movement mechanisms and apply the understanding to enhance the rehabilitation of two key populations – athletes who are rehabilitating from a lower limb injury and people who have a lower limb amputation. Collaborating with industrial partners (Sport Surgery Clinic, Dublin; Blatchford Prosthetics Basingstoke) and charities (Limbpower) our research has led to significantly improved rehabilitation for elite and non-elite athleses, reducing the personal consequences and financial costs of these debilitating injuries and enhanced participation in physical activity for health for people with lower limb amputation. I teach on various courses including anatomy and human movement and biomechanics.

Positions Held

Deputy Head of Department and Reader in Sport and Exercise Biomechanics

My main research interest is pathomechanics, mechanisms and compentatory movement. Using motion and forceplate analysis I determine the mechanisms of altered performance in order to understand the  compensatory mechanisms to achieve a movement task. My research focusses on injury diagnosis and rehabilitation (ACL and Athletic Groin Pain) and exercise therapy and prosthetic design with lower limb amputees. I explore novel data analysis methods to further our mechanical understanding of the highly multivariate musculoskeletal system. 

PhD Completions:

• 2002 David Cook Sport Biomechanics (Throwing)
• 2007 Matt Taylor Clinical Biomechanics (Amputee mechanics)
• 2010 Natalie Vanicek Clinical Biomechanics (Amputee mobility) 
• 2011 Marlene Schoeman Sport Biomechanics (Amputee mechanics)
• 2013 Michael Orendurff, PhD by Published Works (Clinical Biomechanics)
• 2013 Dafne Morgado Clinical Biomechanics (Spine mechanics)
• 2014 Marco Freddolini Clinical Biomechanics (Spine mechanics)
• 2019 Enda King Clinical Biomechanics (Injury)
• 2019 Sarah Moudy Clinical Biomechanics (Amputee  mobility)
• 2020 Amy Sibley VC Scholarship Neuromuscular Function (Amputee  mobility)
• 2021 Miranda Asher (Amputee mobility)
• Ciaran McFadden (Biomechanical methods)

Research Expertise

Musculoskeletal health and fitness;Three-dimensional gait analysis;
Biomechanical analysis for disability sport;
Development and evaluation of equipment for amputees and other disabled sport;
Biomechanical analysis for able-bodied sport.
Other Expertise:
Short courses on the use of biomechanics in sport and rehabilitation
Physical Education

International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics
International Society of Biomechanics
British Assoc. of Sport and Exercise Sciences

Ph.D., University of Ulster, Biomechanics, 1997
Title: The evaluation and development of a lower limb prosthesis.
B.A., Univeristy of Limerick, Physical Education and Mathematics, 1992

Gait Analysis

My undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, including PhD supervision is in the area of Biomechanics, enhancing performance and recovering from injury. My expertise in gait and motion capture analysis allowes me to take an 'applied learning' approach and my teaching philosophy is based on Active Learning. I use digital technologies to enahnce the student experience.