2021 speakers

Professor Anthony Bull

Professor Bull’s research is focused on the basic mechanics of joints (including the tissues of joints and the mechanics of joints within the whole musculoskeletal system) and the application of this knowledge and technologies developed to the diagnosis and treatment of pathologies and performance parameters. These are applied to Sport Biomechanics, Injury Biomechanics (focusing on Blast), and the Biomechanics of Ageing including Osteoarthritis. 

His main areas of expertise in sports biomechanics are in spinal mechanics in rowing and the biomechanics of the upper arm in cricket. This has been funded by GB Rowing, UK Sport, English Institute of Sport, MCC, and EPSRC. This has also led to the development of the Sports Innovation Challenge, a £1 million project that runs curriculum based projects for equipment for disabled athletes. 

Bull leads and is PI on the Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies that exists to improve the mitigation of injury, improve and advance treatment, rehabilitation and recovery thus increasing lifelong health and quality of life after blast injury. This has a strong biomechanics focus on lower limb and spinal injuries and he has extensive research activity in the area of ligament injuries due to sporting activities. 

Dr Carina Price

Dr Carina Price is a sport biomechanist by background and has been undertaking foot and footwear research for the past 12 years. She is a Research Fellow at the University of Salford and active within the Human Movement and Rehabilitation research group. She completed her PhD via publication in 2014 focusing on applying footwear biomechanics principles to retail footwear.

Her publications include a range of experimental designs relating to gait analysis and biomechanics including plantar pressure systems, 3D/4D scanners, ultrasound, 3D motion capture and electromyography. Currently she splits her time between collaborative footwear projects with industry partners (including Clarks Kids) and a 5-year collaborative research programme investigating children’s foot health and development at the on-set of walking (Great Foundations).

She is committed to the integration of biomechanics research into product and the development of novel methodologies for quantitative research. Other themes relating to her work in footwear include the exploration of wearers in terms of footwear customisation, fitting advice and their footwear preferences. 

Associate Professor Cylie Williams

Associate Professor Cylie Williams is a health services researcher and podiatrist at Monash University and Peninsula Health. She is a podiatrist with extensive paediatric clinical experience, and worked as a clinician in public hospitals, community health and private practice settings. Cylie is the international leader in idiopathic toe walking gait, publishing more on this topic than any other researcher.  

Cylie has over 100 peer reviewed publications, in addition to over $2 Million in research funding. Her ongoing research is focused on collaborative care, communication, and developing a better understanding of the impact of strength and gait aids on mobility and foot problems in children.  

Mr David Buchanan

David originally trained as an aircraft engineer but requalified as a Prosthetist and Orthotist in 1999. He is a Fellow of Podiatric Medicine in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, an Executive Committee Member of BAPO and a Board Member for Human Study e.V.; an international school that facilitates qualification to ISPO, level 1.  

He also  undertakes research and development, where time allows and teaches globally, sometimes constantly, within his professional and commercial spheres. 

In his 40s, believe it or not, he set British and World Records in ultra-endurance Mountain Biking. 

Linkedin Profile.

Dr Dominic Farris

Dominic is a Senior Lecturer in neuromuscular biomechanics within Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Exeter. From 2013-2018 Dominic worked as Research Fellow in the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences at The University of Queensland (Australia), and before that as a post-doctoral researcher in Biomedical Engineering at North Carolina State University (USA). He was awarded his PhD in Biomechanics from the University of Bath (UK) in 2010.

Broadly, Dominic’s research interests are in understanding how human muscle structure and function dictate the way we move and how we are able to adapt movement, with particular focus on the foot and ankle. These adaptations may be in response to a changing environment, changing footwear, assistive robotics, altered neuromuscular capacity, and exercise. He uses a range of techniques including ultrasound imaging, fine-wire electromyography, gait analysis, and musculoskeletal simulation to examine the neuromechanics of movement across different levels of musculoskeletal organisation. His work typically aims to provide underlying mechanistic insight that has broad application across applied fields in human movement science. Most recently Dominic’s work has focused on the role of intrinsic foot muscles in human movement.

Professor Natalie Vanicek

Natalie is a Professor of Clinical Biomechanics at the University of Hull and an Associate Editor in Sports Medicine and Biomechanics for the Journal of Sports Sciences. She is also an Allied Associate member of the British Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Amputee Rehabilitation (BACPAR). Natalie has worked at the University of Hull since 2004, but spent two years at the University of Sydney (2012-2013).  

Natalie’s research is focused on reducing falls and improving functional mobility in people with altered lower limb mechanics, as a result of ageing, disease or trauma. She has worked most closely with individuals who have had a major lower limb amputation and aims to improve their mobility through exercise and prosthetic components. Natalie founded Keep Moving, a unique community exercise programme for anyone with a lower limb amputation (also being delivered virtually in partnership with the Limbless Association). She led on the STEPFORWARD feasibility trial investigating a self-aligning prosthetic ankle-foot for older people with vascular-related transtibial amputations. Natalie is a member of the BACPAR Guidelines Update Group, producing the 3rd edition (2020) of the Clinical guidelines for the pre- and post-operative physiotherapy management of adults with lower limb amputations.  

Professor Neil Reeves

Neil Reeves is Professor of Musculoskeletal Biomechanics and Faculty Head of Research and Knowledge Exchange in Science and Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University. Neil’s research is in clinical movement disorders with a focus on diabetic foot ulcer prevention and gait impairment in diabetes. In diabetic foot research, he has a strong track-record of working with medical devices and novel digital technologies.

His research applies other interventions including exercise for reducing diabetic foot ulcer risk and improving gait and balance in diabetes. Neil has published over 120 papers and has an H-Index of 37 (SciVal). He has led externally-funded research projects supported by a range of European and UK funding bodies. He co-leads a workstream on diabetes within the Manchester ‘Cities Changing Diabetes’ programme led by Health Innovation Manchester and Novo Nordisk. Neil’s research has featured across a range of BBC and other media outlets. He is an expert grant reviewer for major UK and international funding bodies and Editorial Board member for the journal Gerontology and Section Editor (Biomechanics/Motor Control) for the European Journal of Sport Science.

Mr Simon Bartold

Simon Bartold holds Fellowships in Sports Podiatry with the Australian Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, in Sport Sciences with Sports Medicine Australia, and in the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine with the Royal college of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasgow). Simon has been an executive board member of the Australian Sports Medicine Federation and Past President of the Australian Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, and remains the only podiatrist worldwide to ever hold a commission position with the International Sports Medicine Federation (F.I.M.S.). 

He has been the consultant podiatrist to the Australian Institute of Sport Cricket Academy, The British Cricket Academy and the Indian cricket Team, as well as a number of state and national sporting teams. He was the Deputy Director of Podiatry Services at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. He attended his 4th Olympic Games working in London in 2012. Simon is a Visiting Fellow of the University of Melbourne at the Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine (CHESM) and a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Technologies, Staffordshire University. He has published several papers in high impact peer-reviewed scientific journals, has authored or contributed chapters to various books. 

Dr Ulisses Tirollo Taddei

Dr Ulisses Tirollo Taddei received a Bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy from the School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo in 2010. He is a specialist in Functional Rehabilitation of Posture and Movement by the Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo in 2011.

Earning his PhD degree in Biomechanics from the University of São Paulo in 2020, he is experienced in the field of rehabilitation of the foot and ankle complex, design and development of foot orthosis for orthopedic disorders and diabetic foot management. Research fields include running biomechanics, mechanisms of running related injuries, survival analysis and kinematic function data analysis.