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

A 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. (in press). A self-aligning prosthetic device for older patients with vascular-related amputations: Protocol for a randomised feasibility study (the STEPFORWARD study). BMJ open, 9(9), https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032924

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

Relationships between walking speed, T-score and age with gait parameters in older post-menopausal women with low bone mineral density

Dostanpor, A., Dobson, C. A., & Vanicek, N. (2018). Relationships between walking speed, T-score and age with gait parameters in older post-menopausal women with low bone mineral density. Gait and Posture, 64, 230-237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2018.05.005

Catherine Dobson Ali Dostan

Do predictive relationships exist between postural control and falls efficacy in unilateral transtibial prosthesis users"

Barnett, C. T., Vanicek, N., & Rusaw, D. F. (2018). Do predictive relationships exist between postural control and falls efficacy in unilateral transtibial prosthesis users?. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 99(11), 2271-2278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2018.05.016

Association between somatosensory, visual and vestibular contributions to postural control, reactive balance capacity and healthy ageing in older women

Alcock, L., O’Brien, T. D., & Vanicek, N. (2018). Association between somatosensory, visual and vestibular contributions to postural control, reactive balance capacity and healthy ageing in older women. Health care for women international, 39(12), 1366-1380. https://doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2018.1499106

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 Dostanpor (PhD, 2019)

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