Dr Aleksandra Birn-Jeffery
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Email
a.birn-jeffery@essex.ac.uk -
Telephone
+44 (0) 1206 873821
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Location
ESA.3.14, Colchester Campus
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Academic support hours
By appointment
Profile
Biography
I am a biomechanist with a particular interest in the neuromechanical control of movement. In order to understand how we move in complex environments I have previously used a comparative approach, studying both human and animal locomotion, but my focus recently has moved into human movements. I use complex environments as a way to address the underlying control principles, as it is within these complex tasks that performance limitations will be reached and trade-offs occur due to changing mechanical demands. Determining the underlying control of movement has the potential to inform on clinical practice, rehabilitation strategies, legged robotics and assistive technologies.
Appointments
University of Essex
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Senior Lecturer, University of Essex (4/10/2021 - present)
Other academic
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Lecturer in Bioengineering, Queen Mary University of London (6/11/2017 - 30/9/2021)
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Lecturer in Sports & Exercise Medicine, Queen Mary University of London (5/9/2016 - 3/11/2017)
Research and professional activities
Research interests
Biomechanics
Neuromechanics
Teaching and supervision
Current teaching responsibilities
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Fundamentals of Human Movement (SE102)
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Professional Skills 2 (SE201)
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Movement Analysis (SE303)
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Research Project (SE309)
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Research Project (SE318)
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Biomechanics of Locomotion (SE732)
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Further Research Methods in Sport, Exercise and Health (SE738)
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Research Project (SE740)
Current supervision
Publications
Publications (1)
gulle, H., Birn-Jeffery, A., Prior, TD., Miller, S. and Morrissey, D., (2021). Online questionnaire, clinical and biomechanical measurements for outcome prediction of plantar heel pain: feasibility for a cohort study
Journal articles (24)
Liew, BXW., Rügamer, D. and Birn-Jeffery, AV., (2024). Neuromechanical stabilisation of the centre of mass during running. Gait and Posture. 108, 189-194
Hebda-Boon, A., Shortland, AP., Birn-Jeffery, A. and Morrissey, D., (2024). Can on-line gait training improve clinical practice? Study protocol for feasibility randomised controlled trial of an on-line educational intervention to improve clinician’s gait-related decision-making in ambulant children and young people with cerebral palsy. Pilot and Feasibility Studies. 10 (1), 76-
Gulle, H., Morrissey, D., Tayfur, A., Coskunsu, DK., Miller, S., Birn-Jeffery, A. and Prior, T., (2024). The association of demographic, psychological, social and activity factors with foot health in people with plantar heel pain. Journal of foot and ankle research open access. 17 (4)
Delen, M., Şendil, A., Kaux, J., Pedret, C., Le Sant, G., Pawson, J., Miller, SC., Birn-Jeffery, A. and Morrissey, D., (2023). Self‐reported bio‐psycho‐social factors partially distinguish rotator cuff tendinopathy from other shoulder problems and explain shoulder severity: A case‐control study. Musculoskeletal Care. 21 (1), 175-188
Gulle, H., Prior, T., Miller, S., Birn-Jeffery, AV. and Morrissey, D., (2021). Online questionnaire, clinical and biomechanical measurements for outcome prediction of plantar heel pain: feasibility for a cohort study. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research. 14 (1), 34-
Neal, BS., Lack, SD., Barton, CJ., Birn-Jeffery, A., Miller, S. and Morrissey, D., (2020). Is markerless, smart phone recorded two-dimensional video a clinically useful measure of relevant lower limb kinematics in runners with patellofemoral pain? A validity and reliability study. Physical Therapy in Sport. 43, 36-42
Neal, BS., Barton, CJ., Birn-Jeffery, A. and Morrissey, D., (2019). Increased hip adduction during running is associated with patellofemoral pain and differs between males and females: A case-control study. Journal of Biomechanics. 91, 133-139
Labonte, D., Struecker, M-Y., Birn-Jeffery, AV. and Federle, W., (2019). Shear-sensitive adhesion enables size-independent adhesive performance in stick insects. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 286 (1913), 20191327-20191327
Hinds, N., Angioi, M., Birn-Jeffery, A. and Twycross-Lewis, R., (2019). A systematic review of shoulder injury prevalence, proportion, rate, type, onset, severity, mechanism and risk factors in female artistic gymnasts. Physical Therapy in Sport. 35, 106-115
Labonte, D., Struecker, M-Y., Birn-Jeffery, A. and Federle, W., (2019). Shear-sensitive adhesion enables size-independent adhesive performance in stick insects
Daley, MA. and Birn-Jeffery, A., (2018). Scaling of avian bipedal locomotion reveals independent effects of body mass and leg posture on gait. Journal of Experimental Biology. 221 (10), jeb152538-
Lack, S., Birn-Jeffery, A., Beasley, I. and Morrissey, D., (2018). Queen Mary University London: one of the longest established masters of sport and exercise medicine globally (continuing professional development series). British Journal of Sports Medicine. 52 (3), 206-207
Neal, BS., Barton, CJ., Birn-Jeffrey, A., Daley, M. and Morrissey, D., (2018). The effects & mechanisms of increasing running step rate: A feasibility study in a mixed-sex group of runners with patellofemoral pain. Physical Therapy in Sport. 32, 244-251
Birn-Jeffery, AV. and Higham, TE., (2016). Geckos decouple fore- and hind limb kinematics in response to changes in incline. Frontiers in Zoology. 13 (1), 11-
Birn-Jeffery, AV. and Higham, TE., (2016). Light level impacts locomotor biomechanics in a secondarily diurnal gecko, Rhoptropus afer. Journal of Experimental Biology. 219 (22), 3649-3655
Müller, R., Birn-Jeffery, AV. and Blum, Y., (2016). Human and avian running on uneven ground: a model-based comparison. Journal of The Royal Society Interface. 13 (122), 20160529-20160529
Higham, TE., Measey, GJ., Birn-Jeffery, AV., Herrel, A. and Tolley, KA., (2015). Functional divergence between morphs of a dwarf chameleon: differential locomotor kinematics in relation to habitat structure. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 116 (1), 27-40
Higham, TE., Birn-Jeffery, AV., Collins, CE., Hulsey, CD. and Russell, AP., (2015). Adaptive simplification and the evolution of gecko locomotion: Morphological and biomechanical consequences of losing adhesion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (3), 809-814
Birn-Jeffery, AV., Hubicki, CM., Blum, Y., Renjewski, D., Hurst, JW. and Daley, MA., (2014). Don't break a leg: running birds from quail to ostrich prioritise leg safety and economy on uneven terrain. Journal of Experimental Biology. 217 (21), 3786-3796
Birn-Jeffery, AV. and Higham, TE., (2014). Geckos significantly alter foot orientation to facilitate adhesion during downhill locomotion. Biology Letters. 10 (10), 20140456-20140456
Blum, Y., Vejdani, HR., Birn-Jeffery, AV., Hubicki, CM., Hurst, JW. and Daley, MA., (2014). Swing-Leg Trajectory of Running Guinea Fowl Suggests Task-Level Priority of Force Regulation Rather than Disturbance Rejection. PLoS ONE. 9 (6), e100399-e100399
Birn-Jeffery, AV., Miller, CE., Naish, D., Rayfield, EJ. and Hone, DWE., (2012). Pedal Claw Curvature in Birds, Lizards and Mesozoic Dinosaurs – Complicated Categories and Compensating for Mass-Specific and Phylogenetic Control. PLoS ONE. 7 (12), e50555-e50555
Birn-Jeffery, AV. and Daley, MA., (2012). Birds achieve high robustness in uneven terrain through active control of landing conditions. Journal of Experimental Biology. 215 (12), 2117-2127
Blum, Y., Birn-Jeffery, A., Daley, MA. and Seyfarth, A., (2011). Does a crouched leg posture enhance running stability and robustness?. Journal of Theoretical Biology. 281 (1), 97-106
Conferences (9)
Kloskowska, PM., Kryger, K., Twycross-Lewis, R. and Birn-Jeffery, A., (2022). Defining movement quality: do currently used metrics still match expected shifts in gait
Khaliq, M. and Birn-Jeffery, A., (2018). LOWER LIMB MUSCLE ACTIVITY IN NON-STEADY SPORT-SPECIFIC MOVEMENTS IN RECOVERED ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INJURED BADMINTON PLAYERS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Lee, DV., Isaacs, DV., Birn-Jeffery, A., Voloshina, AS., Zhao, G., Seyfarth, A. and Daley, MA., (2017). Bipedal Walking of Birds, Humans, and Robots
Hubicki, CM., Birn-Jeffery, AV., Jones, M., Hurst, JW. and Daley, MA., (2015). Task-level Priorities in Ground-running Bird Locomotion: Experiments to Math Models to Robots by Way of Optimization
Higham, TE. and Birn-Jeffery, A., (2015). Constraints and innovations in terrestrial locomotion: how geckos modulate adhesion and limb kinematics with changes in incline
Birn-Jeffery, AV. and Higham, TE., (2014). The Scaling of Uphill and Downhill Locomotion in Legged Animals
Birn-Jeffery, AV. and Higham, TE., (2014). What goes up must come down: how sloped surfaces impact the mechanics of locomotion
Higham, TE., Russell, AP., Birn-Jeffery, A., Collins, CE. and Hulsey, CD., (2014). Use it or lose it: locomotor evolution associated with the loss of adhesion in geckos
Daley, MA. and Birn-Jeffery, AV., (2014). Scaling of avian bipedal locomotion: How does body size influence gait dynamics in level and uneven terrain?
Grants and funding
2024
Balance and movement as a biomarker for anxiety and depression
MQ: Transforming Mental Health
Contact
Academic support hours:
By appointment
