Author: cdt-students

I started studying at the University of Liverpool studying Human Biology and Anatomy. I then took a gap year where I worked as an international sailing coach followed by an attempted ski season before Covid happened. I have recently graduated from the University of Strathclyde with an MSc in Biomedical Engineering. I enjoy doing lots of sports such as sailing, surfing, mountain biking, climbing and skiing.

My research area is surrounding lower limb thermal discomfort in prosthetic users and the validity of permeable prosthetic liner usage.

I was born and raised in Stockport and I am 23 years old. I studied Physics at the University of York and completed a project in medical physics, before undertaking a masters degree in biomedical engineering at the university of Warwick, where I worked on an assistive communications device. My hobbies include making digital art, animations and videos, as well as playing squash and surfing.

I will be based at the university of Strathclyde.

My current project title is roughly: ‘To research and design an in vitro gait simulator to evaluate foot and ankle kinematics and kinetics’

My supervisor is: Dr Angela Kedgley

Other hobbies and interests: Play piano, Indie Music and I am a fan of Strongman.

My project is to optimise the design and device-skin interface of cervical collars used in emergency and rehabilitation settings. I will be using various bioengineering approaches to investigate the conditions that put patients at most risk of getting secondary injuries from cervical collars.

I complete my MEng in Mechanical Engineering with Biomechanics at the University of Sheffield in 2020. I focussed on the use of computational modelling in bioengineering applications.

My interests mostly revolve around sport; I am currently training for the Brighton marathon 2022 and I am playing for the university of Salford volleyball and ultimate frisbee teams. I also enjoy music and play the alto sax, clarinet, and viola de gamba.

I have had a specific interest in prosthetics from a young age, particularly through its ability to make a meaningful impact on peoples lives whilst utilising my engineering training. I recently completed an undergraduate master’s degree at the University of Birmingham in Mechanical Engineering which included a year in industry at an osseo-integrated prosthetic company, Integrum, in Gothenburg, Sweden. For my PhD project, I will be designing and evaluating a design for a trans-radial socket for use in low and middle income countries. My hobbies include playing hockey, playing guitar, reading, hiking, cycling and being the bassist for a band.

I completed my undergraduate degree with The Open University, combining Natural Sciences and Engineering.

After suffering from complications following a knee operation, I decided I wanted to help people with serious injuries or illnesses become more active. This led me to undertake an MSc in Exercise Medicine at University Centre Shrewsbury before joining the CDT.

In my spare time I enjoy sports, hiking and video games.

Title: Understanding how growth affects children with lower limb loss and the subsequent prosthetic limb design choices for use in low to middle income countries. 

Supervisor: Professor Anthony Bull 

Originally from Scotland, I spent the last 4 years in London and I recently graduated from Imperial College London with a Masters in Biomedical Engineering. My focus going forward is on providing prosthetics for children in low to middle income countries and I can’t wait to start the first stage in Salford! My other passions are sport, especially hockey as well as travel, I was incredibly lucky to spend my summer in Canada hiking and camping!    

Originally from Lincolnshire, I moved to Sheffield to study Sports Technology (BSc). Following which I worked as a designer in the automotive industry for 8 years before returning to complete an MSc in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nottingham. I am now excited to get stuck into my PhD research here at the CDT!

My project is on the evaluation of adjustable lower limb prosthetic socket approaches through functional property relationships of the design, adjustment and residuum limb. My Supervisors are Dave Howard and Sam Curtin.

My hobbies are Cycling, climbing and Hockey, also enjoy going to see live music.

I am Eunice Kombe. A Tanzanian born in Kenya but raised in Tanzania. I did an undergraduate in P&O at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCo) in Tanzania, a postgraduate in P&O at Strathclyde. I have been teaching P&O at KCMUCo for the past 7 years. My ultimate career goal is to help change (even slightly) the narrative surrounding disability in developing  countries through teaching. I love travelling (especially to beaches in Zanzibar), dancing and reading novels (fiction and non fiction). Excited to begin my PhD journey at Salford.

I am currently in the second year of the CDT, having joined as part of Cohort 2, and have successfully completed the MSc in prosthetic and orthotic science and my first year PhD assessment. Previously, I studied at the University of Sheffield, completing an integrated MEng in Bioengineering with tissue regeneration and biomaterials. Outside of work I enjoy playing most sports, particularly football, and have developed an interest in cooking during lockdown.

Project Title:

The effects on gait of the mechanistic properties and alignment of AFOs, used in the rehabilitation
of children with cerebral palsy.

Supervisors:

Richard Jones, Julie Reay, Elaine Owen

Abstract:

Cerebral palsy is the leading cause of childhood disability with a prevalence of 2 to 3 per 1000 live births. It leads to primary neurological pathologies including loss of selective motor control, weakness, motor disorders and impaired balance. In turn these result in secondary musculoskeletal defects and tertiary abnormal gait patterns. Ankle foot orthoses (AFO) are the preferred treatment option when aiming to restore the characteristics of typical gait, however there are reoccurring issues with current research, including poor study design and a tendency to study the AFO as a whole device, ignoring the contribution of specific design characteristics. These factors can be divided into two domains. Mechanical properties, including material type and trimline design, dictate the rigidity of the device at the ankle and metatarsal-phalangeal joint, whilst factors associated with alignment, including the ankle angle and shank to vertical angle, manipulate the ground reaction force. Collective they modify the existing system of forces and moments acting on the lower limbs, producing more typical kinematics and kinetics. During prescription, if appropriate consideration for these characteristics is given, it is possible to tailor an AFO to the individual’s needs, through a process known as biomechanical optimisation. However, evidence supporting this process is limited and clinical uptake has been poor. Consequently, this thesis aims to investigate the biomechanical effects of AFO design characteristics on the gait of children with cerebral palsy. In turn, this should provide a body of quantitative evidence, that can be used to influence clinical practice surrounding biomechanical optimisation.

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