Staff Profile

I completed a Bachelor's of Science degree in Sport and Exercise Science at Liverpool John Moore's University (LJMU), in 2018. My dissertation was completed under the supervision of Dr Richard Foster. In continued supervision from Dr Foster, I was awarded a Master of Science (MSc) degree from LJMU in 2019. My MSc pioneered an investigation of a novel method of markerless motion capture, 

In September 2019, I joined the Brain and Movement Research team within the Translational and Clinical Research Institute at Newcastle University and began a PhD studentship ('Can real-world assessment of mobility add clinical value to the assessment of Parkinson’s disease?'), under the supervision of Dr Silvia Del Din, Dr Alison Yarnall and Professor Lynn Rochester.

Currently, I am in the fourth year of my team and in September 2022, I started a role as a Research Assistant also within the Brain and Movement Research team. As part of my new role, I am continuing my work as part of the Mobilise-D Technical Validation Study, aiming to robustly validate digital mobility outcomes

Areas of expertise: Digital Health, Wearable Technology, Real-world remote monitoring, Gait, Parkinson's, Mobility

Education and training:

2019 – Present

Newcastle University, Newcastle, Translational and Clinical Research Institute 

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis title: Can real-world assessment of mobility add clinical value to the assessment of Parkinson’s disease?

Supervisors: Dr Silvia Del Din, Professor Lynn Rochester, Dr Alison Yarnall.

2018 –2019

Liverpool John Moore’s University, Liverpool, Research institute of Sport and Exercise Science 

Degree: Sport and Clinical Biomechanics, Master of Science (MSc)

Thesis title: Markerless vs Marker-Based Motion Capture: A Comparative Assessment of Overground Gait

Supervisor: Dr Richard Foster.        

2015 –2018

Liverpool John Moore’s University, Liverpool, Research institute of Sport and Exercise Science 

Degree: Sport and Exercise Science, Bachelor of Science (BSc) 

Dissertation title: Postural Control Responses to Continuous Platform Rotations Following a Sports-Related Concussion

Supervisor: Dr Richard Foster. 

Awards and grants

2022

Wellcome Trust Broadening Our Horizon's scheme, Newcastle University, £4000

Doctoral College Enhancement Fund, Newcastle University, £1000

2021

Finalist of the INSIGHTS public lecture series, Newcastle University

Winner of the Newcastle University Three Minute Thesis Competition, Newcastle University

2019

Professor Adrian Lees Award, Liverpool John Moore's University, 2019

My research primarily focuses upon the validation and development of technology for real-world monitoring of gait, to offer more complete and objective clinical evaluation of mobility in various clinical populations, largely focused upon people with Parkinson’s.

Within the field of Parkinson’s research, I’m particularly focused upon providing clinicians with more objective tools to assess real-world fluctuations between medication state and motor symptoms. My PhD has been focused upon integrating novel applications of engineering techniques to develop new methods of aggregating digital mobility outcomes, alongside placing a strong emphasis on ensuring its clinically meaningfulness. Thus, my PhD research strongly reflects multi-disciplinary insights.

My PhD and Research associate positions are funded by the Mobilise-D project, a multi-million euro global consortium, consisting of 35 academic and industrial partners who are seeking to deliver a technically robust and clinically useful solution for remote mobility monitoring in various clinical cohorts. 

Past Teaching

Demonstrating for SES2005: Applied Biomechanics, Sports and Exercise Science, Newcastle University. Module Leader: Dr Iain Spears

Guest lecturer for Biomedical Sciences Seminar series 'Why does measurement of real-world walking with wearable sensors matter?'

• Articles

  • Bate GL, Kirk C, Rehman RZ, Guan Y, Yarnall AJ, Del Din S, Lawson RA. The Role of Wearable Sensors to Monitor Physical Activity and Sleep Patterns in Older Adult Inpatients: A Structured Review. Sensors 2023, 23(10), 4881.
  • Kirk C, Rehman R, Galna B, Alcock L, Ranciati S, Palmerini L, Garcia-Aymerich J, Hansen C, Schaeffer E, Berg D, Maetzler W, Rochester L, Del Din S, Yarnall A. Can Digital Mobility Assessment Enhance the Clinical Assessment of Disease Severity in Parkinson’s Disease?. Journal of Parkinson's Disease 2023, 13(6), 999-1009.
  • Micó-Amigo ME, Bonci T, Paraschiv-Ionescu A, Ullrich M, Kirk C, Soltani A, Küderle A, Gazit E, Salis F, Alcock L, Aminian K, Becker C, Bertuletti S, Brown P, Buckley E, Cantu A, Carsin A, Caruso M, Caulfield B, Cereatti A, Chiari L, D'Ascanio I, Eskofier B, Fernstad S, Froehlich M, Garcia-Aymerich J, Hansen C, Hausdorff JM, Hiden H, Hume E, Keogh A, Kluge F, Koch S, Maetzler W, Megaritis D, Mueller A, Niessen M, Palmerini L, Schwickert L, Scott K, Sharrack B, Sillén H, Singleton D, Vereijken B, Vogiatzis I, Yarnall AJ, Rochester L, Mazzà C, Del Din S, Mobilise-D consortium. Assessing real-world gait with digital technology? Validation, insights and recommendations from the Mobilise-D consortium. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation 2023, 20, 78.
  • Salis F, Bertuletti S, Bonci T, Caruso M, Scott K, Alcock L, Buckley E, Gazit E, Hansen C, Schwickert L, Aminian K, Becker C, Brown P, Carsin A, Caulfield B, Chiari L, D'ascanio I, Del Din S, Eskofier BM, Garcia-Aymerich J, Hausdorff JM, Hume EC, Kirk C, Kluge F, Koch S, Kuederle A, Maetzler W, Micó-Amigo EM, Mueller A, Neatrour I, Paraschiv-Ionescu A, Palmerini L, Yarnall AJ, Rochester L, Sharrack B, Singleton D, Vereijken B, Vogiatzis I, Della Croce U, Mazzà C, Cereatti A. A multi-sensor wearable system for the assessment of diseased gait in real-world conditions. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 2023, 11, 1143248.