Dr Jennifer Davies

Biography

I have worked in world-renowned research laboratories across the globe, including the Neurophysiology of Movement Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder, the Virtual Reality and Mobility Research Unit at the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital in Laval, Quebec, the Applied Neuromuscular Physiology Laboratory at the University of Colorado Denver, and the Whole-Body Sensorimotor Laboratory at the Institute of Neurology, University College London. Prior to my lectureship, I was a post-doctoral research associate within the Biomechanics and Bioengineering Research Centre Versus Arthritis here at Cardiff Unviersity and was coapplicant and worked on a research project titled Clinical acceptance of technology in remote rehabilitation assessment: addressing urgent COVID challenges to drive future technology transfer, funded by MRC Confidence in Concept and Ser Cymru Tackling Covid-19 scheme and held across the Schools of Engineering and Healthcare Sciences at Cardiff University.

Honours and awards

I have received two Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Awards

• Understanding spinal and suprapsinal mechanisms underlying the generation of muscle activity during gait
• COMSTIG: Motor Cortex Magnetic Stimulation during Gait

These projects are ongoing.

Academic positions

• Mar 2019 – present: Postdoctoral Research Associate (Part time, 0.6–0.8FTE), Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre Versus Arthritis, School of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University, Wales
• Apr 2018 – Mar 2019: Career break (maternity leave)
• Oct 2016 – Apr 2018: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Arthritis Research UK Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre, School of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University, Wales
• Oct 2015 – Sep 2016: Career break (maternity leave)
• Oct 2014 – Sep 2015:Site Coordinator (Part time, 0.1 FTE), ENGAGE-HD Randomised Clinical Trial, Cardiff University, Wales
• Jul 2014 – Sep 2015: Research Assistant (Part time, 0.5 FTE), School of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University, Wales
• Apr 2012 ­– Jun 2014: Career break*
• Oct 2010 – Mar 2012: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London, England
• Aug 2007 ­– Oct 2010:Graduate Research Assistant, The Applied Neuromuscular Physiology Laboratory, University of Colorado Denver, USA
• Jun 2005 – Aug 2007: Graduate Research Assistant, The Posture, Balance and Gait Research Unit, Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital, Laval, Canada
• Aug 2003 – Jul 2004:Research Assistant, Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, University of Colorado Boulder, CO, USA

Speaking engagements

• Mar 2017: Cardiff Institute of Tissue Engineering and Repair Workshop on Ageing, Cardiff, UK Ageing and osteoarthritis: The impact on our motor system and the way we move

Committees and reviewing

Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre Versus Arthritis Research Committee

Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre Versus Arthritis Patient and Public Involvement Committee

Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre Versus Arthritis Biomarkers Committee

Publications

We are currently unable to retrieve the list of publications. Visit our institutional repository.

Teaching

Current teaching profile

I teach on several modules across the MSc and BSc programmes. This includes

• Research Methods in Healthcare (MSc level)
• Applied Research (MSc level)
• Neurorehabilitation: A Theoretical Basis (MSc level)
• Clinical Kinesiology and Tissue Pathology (MSc level)
• Research Methods and Data Analysis in Healthcare (Msc level)
• Conducting Research in Physiotherapy (BSc level)

Previous teaching profile

I have previous also taught on the following modules within the  BSc programme

• Physiology, Pathology and Exercise (BSc level).

Dissertation supervision

I supervise final year dissertation projects of students on the Pre-Registration Physiotherapy (MSc) degree, Physiotherapy (MSc) degree, Sport and Exercise Physiotherapy (MSc) degree, and Physiotherapy (BSc) degree. I have also previously supervised and am available to supervise final year dissertation projects of students on the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (MSc) degree.

Current BSc project:

• The effect of dual-tasking on kinematics and muscle activity during a single-leg hop for distance in healthy adults

Current MSc projects:

• Spatial distribution of trapezius and erector spinae muscle activity during sustained computer work perform in conditions designed to simulate low and high-pressure work environments
• The effect of dual-tasking on muscle activity during a drop jump in health adults
• A comparison of muscle activity across a drop jump and a 180-degree pivot manoeuvre

Previous MSc projects

• The effect of psychosocial stress on mechanical pain sensitivity in individuals with and without chronic low back pain. This project was presented at the Society for Back Pain Annual General Meeting 2022. View the published abstract here. 
• Development of a system to maintain to allow delivery of transcranial magnetic stimulation during treadmill walking
• Landing biomechanics of the lower extremity during jump-landing tasks in populations following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A scoping review

Personal tutoring

I am a personal tutor to students across the Pre-Registration Physiotherapy (MSc), Physiotherapy (MSc), Advanced Clinical Practice (MSc) and Physiotherapy (BSc) degrees.

I study the spinal and supraspinal neural control of dynamic movements, and the impact of pain, stress or anxiety, and musculoskeletal or neurological disorders on this control. To do this I use techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex, surface electromyography (including high-density arrays), intramuscular electromyography, peripheral nerve stimulation and motion capture.

My current projects are using transcranial magnetic stimulation to evaluate the corticospinal pathway to the lower limbs, and peripheral nerve stimulation to study the modulation of spinal pathways during gait. I am working with industry to develop a system whereby transcranial magnetic stimulation can be delivered while an individual is performing dynamic movements such as walking.

I am also involved in translational projects, particularly around the use of technology in healthcare. I am co-applicant on a current project looking at Clinical acceptance of technology in remote rehabilitation assessment: addressing urgent COVID challenges to drive future technology transfer, funded by MRC Confidence in Concept and Ser Cymru Tackling Covid-19 scheme and held across the Schools of Engineering and Healthcare Sciences. Another current translational projects is testing a toolkit that myself and my colleagues have developed to enable quantitative motion analysis in the physiotherapy clinic.

I have extensive experience working with healthy and clinical populations, including stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington's disease, and chronic pain. Throughout my career I have focused on translational research, collaborating with basic scientists and clinicians to produce high-quality scientific work that is pertinent to real-life clinical problems.

I have a wide-ranging expertise in nerve and muscle stimulation techniques, electromyography, single neurone recordings, gait and balance analyses, three-dimensional motion capture, and brain stimulation and imaging. I am skilled at designing and writing analysis programmes (in Matlab) for large volumes of data, and I have a record of publication in high-quality scientific journals.

Supervision

I am interested in supervising PhD students in the areas of:

• Human movement
• Neural control of movement
• Psychophysiology
• Kinesiology
• Biomechanics
• Neuromechanics