Gareth Irwin

Gareth Irwin

Professor, Chair of the Professoriate for Cardiff School of Sport & Health Sciences , Head of Biomechanics, Cardiff School of Sport & Health Sciences

20052025

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Research interests

My 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. There are two themes which reflect this philosophy: The coaching biomechanics interface and Sports medicine and injury. The first theme examines research questions aimed at making training more effective and efficient, and ultimately embedding scientific rigour within the coaching environment. The second examines the role of the sports clinician and examines the underlying mechanisms associated with the aetiology of injury. In particular it seeks to explain how biological failures result from internal and external loading associated with abnormal segmental orientations. Ecological validity permeates my research. This facilitates and underpins the transfer of research findings into practical settings and applications. My overall philosophy has attracted collaboration with like-minded academics locally, nationally and internationally.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being

Education/Academic qualification

Bachelor, BSc(Hons) Sport and Exercise Sciences 1st Class, University of Wales, (1997)

Award Date: 1 Jul 1997

PhD Biomechanics, University of Bath, (2005) – Skill Development in Men’s Gymnastics

External positions

Co-Director of the FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence: FAW Medical and Performance Centre

Visiting Professor: University of Ostrava (Czech Republic)

Visiting Professor: Mahidol University (Thailand)

Research Associate, Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand)

Visiting Academic, Centre for Health & Exercise Science Research, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong

Former President and Life Member of the International Society of Biomechanics in Sport

Advisory Committee for the Bachelor of the Science in Sports Sciences, offered by the Faculty of Science and Sport at the University of Technology, Jamaica.

Member of the Education Committee for the Federation of International Gymnastics

Founding Member of the The GymSports Interdisciplinary Research Group, New Zealand

Member of the Rugby Codes Research Group, New Zealand

British Gymnastics: Invited member of the Coaching Reform Steering Group

Federation of International Gymnastics: Expert Advisor

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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