My research program addresses fundamental and applied challenges in musculoskeletal biomechanics, with a strong emphasis on translation from engineering science to clinical practice. It spans three highly integrated and overlapping areas, unified by a central goal: to improve our understanding of how mechanical loading influences musculoskeletal structure, function, and long‑term health outcomes.

At a fundamental level, I lead several research programs focused on resolving key engineering challenges in biomechanical and computational modelling of the human musculoskeletal system. A particular emphasis of this work is understanding the relationship between mechanical loading and the adaptation of bone and cartilage. Addressing these problems requires robust, quantitative characterisation of tissue properties, for which medical imaging, particularly MRI and CT, is central to our approach. Through a strong and sustained collaboration with the Clinical and Imaging Research Centre at SAHMRI (https://sahmri.org.au/research/programs/clinical-research-imaging-centre-cric), my group has access to state‑of‑the‑art imaging infrastructure, enabling the integration of advanced imaging with biomechanical modelling to generate new insights into tissue‑level adaptation and disease processes.

While traditional biomechanics research has largely been constrained to the laboratory, my second major research focus is driving the transition of biomechanical analysis into real‑world environments. Wearable sensors and computer vision technologies have now reached a level of maturity that enables this shift. My team is working to advance these tools toward achieving equivalence between in‑lab and out‑of‑lab analysis, allowing biomechanical modelling with comparable fidelity in both settings. We combine commercially available technologies, such as LiDAR and inertial measurement units, with novel computational and modelling approaches to estimate tissue biomechanics from data collected outside the laboratory. This work is enabling scalable, ecologically valid biomechanics research in environments where traditional laboratory methods are impractical or impossible.

My third research focus is applied orthopaedics, where I am strongly motivated by the translation of biomechanical methods into clinical decision‑making and treatment optimisation. I use the tools and approaches developed through our fundamental and methodological research to better understand musculoskeletal disease processes and to optimise surgical and conservative interventions. One current focus is improving outcomes following revision surgery for primary total hip replacement—an important but understudied clinical problem that imposes a substantial and growing burden on health systems in Australia and internationally. This work aims to provide objective, biomechanically informed evidence to support clinical decision‑making and improve patient outcomes.

Collectively, these research programs have attracted significant national and international attention. Reflecting the visibility and impact of this integrated body of work, I am ranked in the top 0.13% of scientists and engineers worldwide working in the area of biomechanical phenomena.