Dr Dominic Farris

About me:

I am an academic with broad interests in neuromuscular biomechanics of the human musculoskeletal system. Having pursued knowledge and skills in this area by working in different research groups and in several countries, I now look to further the field as part of Sport & Health Sciences at the University of Exeter. I am always interested in hearing from potential collaborators and research students who wish to join me in this endeavour.

Interests:

Human movement requires that many muscles exert forces on the skeleton in an efficient and coordinated manner. By studying how we coordinate muscle force production to generate bodily movement, we can understand how muscle structure has been shaped by evolution to perform a function. Armed with this knowledge, we can better understand impaired musculoskeletal function, and inform biologically inspired prosthetics or assistive devices.

To investigate muscular function in human movement, my work incorporates ultrasound imaging, motion analysis, electromyography and computer simulation techniques to experimentally and theoretically study muscle mechanics during locomotion. I am also interested in taking inspiration from biological musculoskeletal mechanisms to help develop wearable devices that augment or assist human movement.

Enquiries from prospective research students interested in this general area and related topics are always welcome. Some potential opportunities to fund a research degree can be found on this web page including the EPSRC DTP scholarships. Students from China may also be able to apply for funding from the China Scholarship Council, through the University of Exeter.

Qualifications:

2010 - PhD in musculoskeletal biomechanics, University of Bath

2006 - BSc(Hons) 1st class in Sport and Exercise Science, University of Bath

Career:

I attained my PhD from the Department of Health at the University of Bath in 2010. I then worked as a post-doctoral researcher in the Joint Dept of Biomedical Engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State Universities (USA) for 3 years. In 2013 I joined the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences at the University of Queensland (Australia) where I worked as a Research Fellow in the Centre for Sensorimotor Neuroscience for 5-years. I took up an appointment as a Senior Lecturer within Sport & Health Sciences at the University of Exeter in 2018 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2023.