Xiaohan Xu (Dr., PhD, MCSP)

Xiaohan Xu is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Public Health and Sport Sciences at the University of Exeter and a Chartered Physiotherapist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). With a clinical background in neurological and musculoskeletal rehabilitation, her research sits at the intersection of human movement science, biomechanics, and rehabilitation.

Her work focuses on understanding postural control deficits and their role in falls, using laboratory-based methods including 3D motion capture, electromyography (EMG), and force platforms. She has extensive experience in designing and running experimental studies involving complex multi-sensor protocols in controlled lab environments.

A central theme of her research is bridging the gap between lab and clinic. She is actively exploring how gold-standard laboratory assessments of balance and postural function can be translated into clinically feasible tools, whether in outpatient settings or through remote, home-based testing, to support early identification of fall risk and guide targeted intervention. This includes work with wearable sensors, machine learning approaches, and digital health technologies aimed at making objective movement assessment more accessible beyond the research lab.