Research
My main research interest is in the biomechanics of the human foot. More specifically, I am interested in the complex interaction between the foot, footwear and the substrate. Whereas most research has focussed on sports and clinical cases, my focus is on a fundamental understanding of the foot during walking. I have a major interest in healthy ageing and in human variation - I work not just in the lab but also outside of the lab, in Europe, India and Africa. Lab work guarantees access to state-of-the-art techniques. Field work adds ecological relevance and allows to work with under-studied and under-involved (in the scientific process) populations.
Mechanically, the foot is one of the least understood structures in our body. Improving our insight will help us select the best footwear and interventions to conserve our locomotor autonomy, a major factor for quality of life.
My work has been supported by UK-based and international funders, including Innovate UK, the Medical Research Council, the Research Council of Norway, industrial partner vivobarefoot ltd. and though PhD funding from the Engineering and Physics Research Council, the University of Liverpool and the Future Footwear Foundation.
In addition to my foot(wear) biomechanics work, I have a very broad interest ranging from fundamental evolutionary biology (e.g. how did we become bipedal apes?) to clinical applications (e.g. how can we better track gait in Parkinson's patients?)
Laboratory-based biomechanics of gait
I use a range of techniques to study the function of the foot and whole-body functioning in the lab. This includes motion capture, force recordings, electromyography, plantar pressure measurements, inertial measurements, biplanar X-Ray videography, and MRI-based shape reconstruction.
Field-based biomechanics of gait
In the field, I study gait and foot function using portable equipment which includes a high-frequency ultrasound scanner, wireless IMUs (inertial measurement units) and plantar pressure plates. In many cases, this is supplemented by surveys and anthropometric measurements. We always work in a reciprocal relationship with local collaborators and volunteers.
Research groups
Research grants
In vivo thickness and dynamic behaviour of the heel fat pad during ageing: biomechanical and anthropological impact of footwear
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
September 2023 - October 2025
Preventing falls in older people by an innovative connected shoe: development & biomechanics study
INNOVATE UK (UK)
March 2018 - February 2020
Bones in motion: A new integrated experimental-computational approach to understanding the evolution of human locomotion
LEVERHULME TRUST (UK)
March 2018 - August 2021
Influence of sole properties on the biomechanics of walking on hard and soft terrains
GHENT UNIVERSITY
November 2016 - October 2019