About
I'm a biomechanist with a zoology background (Antwerp University, Belgium), and with a long standing interest in human locomotion. I work in the Evolutionary Morphology & Biomechanics Group of the Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences of the University of Liverpool. I am equally interested in ultimate questions (how did walking on two legs evolve?) and in proximate questions (how do things work here-and-now). Currently my work focuses on taking human locomotion research beyond the simplified conditions we have usually focused on, i.e. walking in a straight line on a flat substrate. These are not the conditions in which we evolved and these are also not the conditions we encounter in day-to-day activities. I focus on the mechanical behaviour of the foot. I am also passionate about representing human diversity better in biomechanics. My projects include lab work on complex substrates and turning manoeuvres, the effect of footwear on walking, and field work with UK and various indigenous populations. I have a great interest in how gait is affected during healthy ageing as well as in disease.
Prizes or Honours
- Nike Research Award (Footwear Biomechanics Group (a technical group of the International Society of Biomechanics), Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2009)