July 24, 2014

Biomechanics Professor elected to prestigious global council

Professor Julie Steele has been elected to the World Council of Biomechanics and accepted the honour during a recent World Congress of Biomechanics in Boston.

Professor Steele, who is the Director of UOW’s Biomechanics Research Laboratory, said it was a "great honour" to be elected to the Council, which consists of 40 members from across the world and aims to lead international debate and raise the profile of biomechanics.

Her research focuses predominantly on developing innovative strategies, based on rigorous applied biomechanics, to decrease injury potential and optimise the quality of life for individuals across the age spectrum.  This includes specific research interests in breast health biomechanics and bra design, intelligent textiles as biofeedback systems, mechanisms of lower extremity injury in sport, safe footwear for elderly women for falls prevention, and the effects of obesity on musculoskeletal structure and function.

At the World Congress, Professor Steele delivered a keynote address on biomechanical innovation in sport and also gave an invited presentation on the biomechanics of breast health.  Earlier this month, Professor Steele also attended the ESM Conference, in Cambridge Massachusetts, and was a finalist for the ‘Art in Science award’ with Dr Karen Mickle, while PhD student Jessica Dobson presented research on investigating better boots for underground coal miners.