Professor David G Kerwin

Professor of Biomechanics in the School of Sport at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC)

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After 17 years at Loughborough University as head of biomechanics and head of sports science, he moved to the University of Bath in October 1999 to establish a new Department of Sport and Exercise Science in the Faculty of Science.

In Sept. 2005 he moved to Cardiff to head a research unit in biomechanics based in the Welsh National Indoor Athletics Centre on the UWIC campus.

David has been part of the International Olympic Committee's Medical Commission research projects at four Summer Olympic Games and is a member of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Science Commission.

He regularly presents to at FIG conferences and has developed biomechanics coach education material for British Gymnastics and more recently for the FIG Academy. His research focuses on developing and applying measurement techniques in sport and exercise, including analyses of performances in competitive environments. He also develops inverse and forward dynamics models of human movement including landing, jumping and running in athletics and swinging and balancing in gymnastics.

He is currently Principal Investigator for a major collaborative research project (SESAME), funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (UK), aimed at developing wired and wireless technologies to enhance coaching feedback in elite sport.

He is currently supervising biomechanics PhD students in gymnastics, athletics and association football.

Dr Gareth Irwin

Principal lecturer in the School of Sport at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC)

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He completed his PhD in biomechanics and gymnastics at the University of Bath, UK. He has been head of biomechanics at the Cardiff School of Sport, since 2000.

As a former international competitor and national gymnastics coach, his sporting background enriches his interpretation of sports biomechanics.

His underlying research philosophy is driven by a desire to understand and explain sporting performance using grounded scientific methods to address meaningful questions that inform researchers, coaches, performers and clinicians. The “coaching-biomechanics interface” is at the centre of his research. He examines research questions aimed at making training more effective and efficient, and ultimately embedding scientific rigour within an ecological valid coaching environment.

He currently leads work in this area on a major research project in the UK exploring the use of wireless sensors in coaching and has won national and international awards for his work.

His continuing aim is to transfer research findings into practical settings; a theme which will underpin this year’s gymnastics symposium. Irwin has attended all ISBS conferences since 2001, is a Fellow of the society and currently Vice President (Awards) of ISBS.

Michelle L Manning

Biomechanics Technician Demonstrator in the School of Sport at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC).

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In her role, she has contributed substantially to a range of undergraduate and postgraduate research projects and also taught Biomechanics and Gymnastics up to graduate level.

Michelle completed her undergraduate degree at UWIC in 2007 with her major disciplines being Sports Biomechanics and Artistic Gymnastics. Her PhD focuses on technique selection in women’s artistic gymnastics and the coaching-biomechanics interface.

Michelle has presented at National and International conferences and collaborated in research data for Gymnastics Australia at the 2010 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships, Melbourne.

She has worked in artistic gymnastics for 18 years as a competitor and coach and is a member of the British University and Colleges Sports Gymnastics Management Group.