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
  • School of Sport Exercise and Rehabilitation 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. She developed the KEEP MOVING community exercise programme for people living with limb loss in Hull. https://www.hull.ac.uk/work-with-us/research/case-studies/rehabilitation-for-amputees. She also led on the STEPFORWARD trial, investigating a self-aligning prosthetic ankle-foot vs. a non-self-aligning ankle-foot for older adults with a transtibial amputation.

Recent outputs

View more outputs

Journal Article

Biomechanical differences between ablebodied and spinal cord injured individuals walking in an overground robotic exoskeleton

Hayes, S. C., White, M., Wilcox, C. R. J., White, H. S. F., & Vanicek, N. (2022). Biomechanical differences between ablebodied and spinal cord injured individuals walking in an overground robotic exoskeleton. PLoS ONE, 17(1), Article e0262915. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262915

Modeling and control of anterior–posterior and medial–lateral sways in standing posture

Hou, M., Fagan, M., Vanicek, N., & Dobson, C. A. (2022). Modeling and control of anterior–posterior and medial–lateral sways in standing posture. Journal of biomechanics, 134, Article 110930. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110930

Michael Fagan

Through-knee versus above-knee amputation for vascular and non-vascular major lower limb amputations

Crane, H., Boam, G., Carradice, D., Vanicek, N., Twiddy, M., & Smith, G. E. (2021). Through-knee versus above-knee amputation for vascular and non-vascular major lower limb amputations. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2021(12), CD013839. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013839.pub2

Maureen Twiddy

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), Article e045195. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045195

Through-knee versus above-knee amputation for vascular and non-vascular major lower limb amputations (Protocol)

Crane, H., Boam, G., Carradice, D., Vanicek, N., Twiddy, M., & Smith, G. E. (2021). Through-knee versus above-knee amputation for vascular and non-vascular major lower limb amputations (Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2021(1), Article CD013839. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013839

Maureen Twiddy

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

Ongoing

Project

Ideas Fund - Menopause 'hull support network

Funder

Wellcome Trust

Grant

£3,768.00

Started

1 September 2021

Status

Ongoing

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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