Wins for Biomechanics Researchers at CASES BIG25 Day

On 16 April 2025, over 150 delegates, speakers and presenters descended on the University of Gloucestershire for a day of expert, insightful presentations, networking and prize giving at this year's Biomechanics Interest Group (BIG25) event.

Judges had tough decisions to make as researchers presented high quality projects across a huge range of topics over the day, in and amongst talks from a lineup of high-profile keynote speakers.

The day was opened by CASES Biomechanics and Motor Behaviour Division Deputy Chair, Prof Athanassios Bissas who welcomed CASES members and non-members, professionals, graduates and students.

The day included a wide range of topics that were covered through oral and poster presentations at the Cheltenham-based campus. 

Speakers

Keynote speaker, Professor Andrea Cereatti flew in from Italy for the event. He is a Full Professor of Bioengineering at the Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Polytechnic University of Torino.

Andrea hosted a presentation titled, "To wear or not to wear? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Inertial Sensors…but were afraid to ask." which engaged the audience from the outset, who were not afraid to ask questions at the end.

The attendees were also treated to another two, experienced and high-profile main speakers. 

Scott Simpson is a world leading pole vault coach from Great Britain. He is currently the coach to four of the world's top-20 female pole vaulters, including 2024 World Indoor Champion - Molly Caudery (GBR) and 2016 Olympic Bronze medallist - Eliza McCartney (NZL). 

Scott presented on "The application of biomechanical data in performance coaching in the pole vault". 

Tom Cresswell is the Great Britain’s Basketball Men’s Head of Sports Science and Medicine. He is also a Physiotherapist and Performance Coach at Hintsa Performance. Tom took the audience through a typical day in his shoes, highlighting that the role for biomechanics in his work and influence on the roles and sporting environment he works within and the decisions that are made.

Tom said, "Biomechanics dominates every conversation I have at work, from director to coach to athlete to staff to parent!"

Prizes and awards

The day concluded with prizes being awarded to reward outstanding research contributions to biomechanics from the researchers who had presented through the day. 

The Division Membership Representative, Dr Theodoros Bampouras explained that the high quality of the presentations had made the judges' work challenging. 

"The presentations were of high quality and the presenters themselves did a great job in conveying the  key messages and conclusions they had reached. With such a wide range of topics, it became really difficult to pick clear winners, which is nice problem to have!"

The submissions were judged on structure, visual aids and rigour of the study. The following researchers were congratulated and presented with their prizes by Division Chair Dr Andrew Mitchell HonFCASES: 

Best Oral Presentation award (£100 voucher sponsored by Human Kinetics) 

Mason Stolicya, Leeds Beckett University 

In-vivo Achilles tendon displacement during hinged controlled ankle motion boot wear 

The panel felt that, the study communicated a strong, clear message about the application of the research as well as fully answering any questions.

Best Poster Presentation award (£100 voucher sponsored by Human Kinetics)

Dr Diana Soares, University of Bedfordshire

The effect of footwear midsole thickness on healthy older adults’ walking gait and footwear perceptions

The panel felt that the presenter was exceptional in conveying the implications of the research.

Beyond the Lab award (£100 voucher sponsored by Human Kinetics)

Joanna Wootton, Liverpool John Moores University

Interventions to reduce falls and improve safety on stairs: a systematic review of the evidence

The panel felt that the study presented a contemporary topic with clear identification of the stage of impact and the future directions of the study.

Diversity in Research award (£100 sponsored by the Division of Biomechanics and Motor Behaviour)

Dr Simon Briley, University of Derby

Mood, gait biomechanics, and cognitive load: investigating the influence of cognitive demands on the mood-motor relationship in young adults

The panel felt that the study expanded the applicability of research findings across a wider population, enabling to explore assumptions that may otherwise go unnoticed.

The day was supported by commercial sponsors, who spoke with delegates about the latest updates in their products and services. With thanks to: Danu, Delsys Europe, Gait and Motion Technology, HaB Direct, Human Kinetics, Qualisys, Simi Reality Motion Systems, Summit Medical and Scientific, Theia and Vicon.

If you are interested in joining the Biomechanics and Motor Behaviour mailing list, please update your preferences in the Members Area of the CASES website. 

If you would like to become a CASES member to enjoy the benefits of events such as BIG25 and other Division Days as  part of your membership fee, join here or send us an enquiry here enquiries@cases.org.uk.