Professor Natalie Vanicek

Professor Natalie Vanicek

Professor of Clinical Biomechanics

+44 (0)1482 463607 | N.Vanicek@hull.ac.uk

Faculty and Department

  • Faculty of Health Sciences
  • Department of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences

Related groups

  • Sport Health and Exercise Science (SHES)

Qualifications

  • BSc (University of Portsmouth)
  • MSc
  • PhD

Summary

Natalie Vanicek is a Professor of Clinical Biomechanics and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). She is Associate Editor in Sports Medicine and Biomechanics for the Journal of Sports Sciences and Associate Member of the British Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Amputee Rehabilitation (BACPAR).

Natalie moved to the University of Hull from Canada in 2004 and also spent time working at the University of Sydney. She is passionate about her research in clinical gait analysis and musculoskeletal biomechanics. Natalie’s work is aimed at reducing falls, improving function and attenuating musculoskeletal decline through exercise among individuals with limited mobility. Much of her focus has been on people with a lower limb amputation, and improving their mobility with specialised community exercise programmes and prosthetic prescription.

Recent outputs

View more outputs

Journal Article

STEPFORWARD study: a randomised controlled feasibility trial of a self-aligning prosthetic ankle-foot for older patients with vascular-related amputations

Vanicek, N., Coleman, E., Watson, J., Bell, K., Barnett, C., McDaid, C., …Mitchell, N. (2021). STEPFORWARD study: a randomised controlled feasibility trial of a self-aligning prosthetic ankle-foot for older patients with vascular-related amputations. BMJ open, 11(3), https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045195

A block randomised controlled trial investigating changes in postural control following a personalised 12-week exercise programme for individuals with lower limb amputation

Schafer, Z. A., & Vanicek, N. (2021). A block randomised controlled trial investigating changes in postural control following a personalised 12-week exercise programme for individuals with lower limb amputation. Gait and Posture, 84, 198-204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2020.12.001

The effects of exercise to promote quality of life in individuals with traumatic brain injuries: a systematic review

O'Caroll, G., King, S. L., Carroll, S., Perry, J., & Vanicek, N. (in press). The effects of exercise to promote quality of life in individuals with traumatic brain injuries: a systematic review. Brain Injury, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2020.1812117

Stephanie King Sean Carroll

A biomechanical comparison of powered robotic exoskeleton gait with normal and slow walking: An investigation with able-bodied individuals

Hayes, S. C., White, M., White, H. S. F., & Vanicek, N. (2020). A biomechanical comparison of powered robotic exoskeleton gait with normal and slow walking: An investigation with able-bodied individuals. Clinical biomechanics, 80, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2020.105133

Self-aligning prosthetic device for older patients with vascular-related amputations: protocol for a randomised feasibility study (the STEPFORWARD study)

Mitchell, N., Coleman, E., Watson, J., Bell, K., McDaid, C., Barnett, C., …Vanicek, N. (2019). Self-aligning prosthetic device for older patients with vascular-related amputations: protocol for a randomised feasibility study (the STEPFORWARD study). BMJ open, 9(9), e032924. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032924

Research interests

Using biomechanical tools of analysis, Natalie investigates movement patterns in individuals with altered lower limb mechanics as a result of ageing, disease and trauma. To date, her research has focused primarily on working with vascular-related lower limb amputees, people with intermittent claudication caused by peripheral arterial disease, and individuals with osteoporosis.

Natalie collaborates with colleagues from a variety of disciplines such as physiotherapists, vascular consultants, medical engineers and psychologists. This research has attracted external funding from the National Institute for Health Research, Circulation Foundation, British Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Amputee Rehabilitation (BACPAR), BUPA Foundation and Osteoporosis Research in East Yorkshire.

Project

Funder

Grant

Started

Status

Project

Patient acceptability to a novel prosthetic device: A randomised feasibility study in older patients with vascular-related amputations and multimorbidities

Funder

NIHR National Institute for Health Research

Grant

£59,560.00

Started

1 April 2018

Status

Complete

Project

Maximising musculoskeletal function for falls prevention in lower-limb amputees

Funder

British Assoc of Chartered Physiotherapists in Amputee Rehabilitation (BACPAR)

Grant

£3,250.00

Started

1 May 2015

Status

Complete

Postgraduate supervision

Prof Vanicek welcomes MSc/PhD applications in the areas of:

1) clinical gait analysis

2) falls prevention

3) evaluation of community exercise for people with limited mobility

Completed PhD students include:

1) Cleveland Barnett (PhD, 2011)

2) Lisa Alcock (PhD, 2013)

3) Stephanie King (PhD, 2015)

4) Amartya Ganguly (PhD, 2015)

5) Marnee McKay (PhD, 2017)

6) Ali Dostan (PhD, 2019)

7) Zoe Schafer (PhD, 2019)

8) Grace O'Carroll (PhD, 2019)

9) Stephen Hayes (PhD, 2020)

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