Each Spring UL’s Biomechanics Research Unit works to create a public lecture series that tries to bridge the gap between research and practice in biomechanics. Coinciding with the BSc Sport and Exercise Sciences final year biomechanics module SS4318, we try to inform the students and the attending public and UL community how and why biomechanics is used in sports and non-sporting environments. Typically the talk topics range from sports medicine, to player development S&C, to motion analysis equipment, and gait and functional movement. To show the range of careers that our BSc Sport and Exercise Sciences graduates enter, many of our speakers are PESS graduates welcomed back to share their experiences of daily practice and research. This year is no different from others, in that the very diverse range of careers that incorporate biomechanics is evident from our five speakers, and the synergy with other sport sciences disciplines is common in their work.
Wearable Sports Performance Analytics
Monday 3rd February, 10.00-11.00
Venue: Lonsdale Building, LG-011, University of Limerick
Dr Darragh Whelan and Dr Martin O’Reilly are sports medicine and sports engineering scientists with the Insight Centre for Data Analytics, and https://www.outputsports.com/ . Output Sports system has been developed to test and track multiple components of athlete performance with a single wearable motion sensor. Darragh and Martin discussed the test engineering, product prototyping and company development.
Player Monitoring
Monday 17th February, 10.00-11.00
Venue: Lonsdale Building, LG-011, University of Limerick
Patrick Hogan is a Sport Scientist at STATSports https://statsports.com/ . STATSports provides sports science and performance analysis service within the elite sporting industry and its growing client list has included: Juventus, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bulls. Patrick previously worked with Redback Biotek providing GPS analysis to various teams. Patrick graduated with a BSc in Sport and Exercise Sciences (UL) in 2016.
Sports Medicine
Wednesday 4th March, 11.00-12.00
Venue: Schrodinger Building, SR3-008, University of Limerick
Dr Pierre Viviers (MD, MBChB, MMedSc, MSc) is a South Africa Sports Medicine Association (SASMA) accredited Sports Physician and Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). He practices, lectures and researches Sports and Exercise Medicine at the Stellenbosch University where he is a Senior Director of the Campus Health Service. He is the past-President of the South African Sports Medicine Association (SASMA) and certified Medical Educator for World Rugby. His academic interest lies in the prevention of illness and injuries in athletes especially participating on collegiate and community level (including concussion). Pierre is a longstanding member of the South African Rugby Union (SARU) Medical Committee and concussion consultant for SARU. His extensive experience in Rugby medicine stretches from that of team physician for senior club level teams through to various national and international teams over a period of 26 years. Pierre still participates in pitch side emergency medicine as Match Day Doctor (MDD), live video monitoring for suspected head injuries, head injury assessments (HIA) and on toward panels for the advanced management of concussion for national and international matches.
Data analytics for understanding sports injuries
Monday 9th March, 10.00-11.00
Venue: Lonsdale Building, LG-011, University of Limerick
Dr Chris Richter is a Senior Researcher and Head of Research and Innovation at the Sports Surgery Clinic in Dublin, which sees over 500 Post ACL reconstruction patients and 800 athletic groin pain patients each year. Chris completed a Master in Sports and Sports Engineering at the Technical University Chemnitz Germany and a PhD in biomechanics / signal procession entitled ‘The Search for Performance Related Factors in Countermovement Jumps’ from Dublin City University. In recent years Chris has worked extensively with motion analysis systems (optical camera and inertia solutions) to analyse movement tasks within a lab and real life situations – to give feedback to athletes and coaches in respect to training, rehabilitation and prevention programs. One of Chris’ major interests is the use of advanced data analytics to account for different movement strategies which can help to better understand and explain mechanism of injury or performance.
Chris’ talk will cover possible limitations in current clinical studies that seek to explain underlying injury mechanism, his vision on how to overcome limitations, and present data solutions to identify and model risk of injury.
Movement Performance and Physiotherapy
Monday 30th March, 10.00-11.00
Venue: Lonsdale Building, LG-011, University of Limerick
Mr Donnacha Ryan BSc, MSc, MISCP is a chartered physiotherapist who specialises in occupational and sports-related injuries. As practice director at Mid West Physiotherapy in the Castletroy area of Limerick, Donnacha has worked extensively with several high-profile teams, including UCD soccer, Limerick FC soccer and Tipperary Senior hurlers. Donnacha will draw upon several case-studies to discuss injury trends and the importance of biomechanics in physiotherapy.
Dr Ian Kenny is a Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics and his current research interests include the effects of equipment parameters on the golf swing. Sport and human performance. Musculoskeletal modelling and computer simulation of movement. Contact Ian via email at Ian.Kenny@ul.ie or view his research profile on Researchgate
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