Funded PhD Studentship exploring the walking gait, risk of falls and muscular strength in older adults - University of Huddersfield, UK

[Sean Hudson]

Outline & focus
This scholarship will build on research currently underway within the Division of Sport, Exercise and Public Health and will investigate the risk of falls for older adults when negotiating outdoor terrain and produce strategies to mitigate those risks. Areas of investigation may include but are not limited to one or more of the following:

• Comparison of healthy young adults and older adults for balance and fall risk when traversing different terrains, using appropriate outcome measures.
• Balance demands and fall risk for older adults when carrying additional load and traversing uneven real-world terrains.
• A randomised control trial (RCT) to assess the effect of an intervention delivered to healthy older adults on balance fall risk on different terrains. An example of an intervention could be a resistance and balance training programme.

There is also potential for this research to focus on specific health conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, lower limb osteoarthritis, and/or visual impairments. The developed intervention might inform the fall prevention programmes provided by leisure centres or guide policies on urban designs. Therefore, there is some flexibility, but it is important not to include too many areas within research proposals.

Application deadline - Friday 26th May 2023
Start date - October 2023
Funding amount - Stipend matched to UKRI rates

You can find more information about the position and how to apply by clicking on the Gait Biomechanics PhD Studentship at https://www.hud.ac.uk/postgraduate/r...nd-healthcare/

Please email Dr Sean Hudson (s.hudson@hud.ac.uk) if you have any questions.