My profile

Biography

Neil Reeves is Professor of Musculoskeletal Biomechanics and Faculty Director of Research in Science and Engineering.

As Faculty Director of Research he has responsibility for research in the areas of Bioscience, Sport Science, Engineering, Computing and Ecology/Environment.  

Prof. Reeves’ research is in clinical movement disorders with a focus on diabetic foot ulcer prevention and gait impairment in diabetes. He has a strong track-record of research with medical devices, novel digital technologies and other interventions including exercise for reducing diabetic foot ulcer risk and improving gait and balance in diabetes. 

His research also has applications into sports medicine for understanding muscle and tendon adaptation to exercise training, injury, surgery, and long-term unloading conditions including spaceflight (European Space Agency).

Prof. Reeves has published ~150 scientific papers and has an H-Index of 45 (Scopus). He has led externally-funded research projects supported by a range of UK and international funding bodies. He co-leads a workstream on diabetes within the Manchester strand of the global ‘Cities Changing Diabetes’ programme led by Novo Nordisk together with Health Innovation Manchester.

Prof. Reeves and his research has featured across a range of BBC and other media outlets. He is Editorial Board member for the journals Gerontology and the European Journal of Sport Science. He is an expert assessor for major UK and international funding bodies and Scientific Committee panel member for the medical charity Great Foundations.

External Research Funding

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC); Diabetes UK; National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR); Innovate UK; European Commission; European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes; Medical Charities; Hydrocephalus Association; Medical Device Industry.  

Prizes and awards

  • Paul Wilson Brand Repetitive Stress Award. European Diabetic Foot Study Group, September 2021. Awarded for novel research in diabetic foot loading – ‘Continuous daily monitoring of plantar pressures in high-risk diabetic patients: a unique insight into high pressure levels during the 3 months preceding new foot ulceration’.
  • Quality in Care Diabetes Awards ‘Highly Commended’: Seven Thousand Feet. ‘Diabetes Collaboration Initiative of the year – Adults’. 2019. (Art-Science collaborative project on the diabetic foot)
  • Best Public Engagement Contribution Award at the Greater Manchester Clinical Research Network part of the National Institute for Health Research: ‘Seven Thousand Feet’ (Art-Science event on diabetes), October 2019.
  • Outstanding Contribution to Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement 2019: ‘Seven Thousand Feet’. University of Manchester PPIE event: July 2019.
  • Paul Wilson Brand Repetitive Stress Award. European Diabetic Foot Study Group, June 2018. Awarded for novel research as part of a randomised clinical control trial – ‘Novel plantar pressure-sensing smart insoles reduce foot ulcer incidence in high risk diabetic patients: a longitudinal study’.

Other distinctions

  • Scientific Committee member for the medical charity Great Foundations. A medical charity focussing on foot and lower limb health. 
  • Global ‘Cities Changing Diabetes’ programme – Workstream Co-Lead Manchester. Novo Nordisk and Health Innovation Manchester.
  • UKRI peer review college member.

Expert reviewer for external funding bodies

UK funding bodies: Medical Research Council (MRC); Biotechnology and Biosciences Research Council (BBSRC); Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC); UKRI, National Institute of Health Research (NIHR); medical charities including Diabetes UK.
International funding bodies: PSI Foundation Canada; Romanian National Research Council; Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research; Swedish National Space Board; The Royal Society of New Zealand; India Alliance DBT Wellcome; Swiss National Science Foundation.

Editorial Board membership

  • Guest Editor, Sensors Special Issue ‘Saving Limbs and Lives - Sensing and Monitoring Technologies for the Diabetic Foot’ (May 2022 - Sept 2023)
  • Editorial Board Member, Technology section: Gerontology (Sept 2017 – Present).
  • Section Editor,Biomechanics and Motor Control: European Journal of Sport Science (Oct 2018 – Nov 2023).
  • Associate Editor: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (Sept 2010 – Dec 2017).
  • Lead Guest Editor:Special Issue of the Journal of Aging Research ‘Aging and Type 2 Diabetes: Consequences for Motor Control, Musculoskeletal function and whole-body movement’ (Sept 2011-March 2013).
  • Associate Editor: Special Issue of the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association ‘The role of podiatry on the prevention of falls in older people’ (Nov 2012 – Aug 2013).

External Examiner Roles

External examiner for Ph.D. degrees:

  • University of Nottingham, UK
  • Griffith University, Queensland, Australia
  • University of Glasgow, UK
  • NUI Galway, Ireland
  • Loughborough University, UK
  • Vrije University Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Brunel University, UK
  • University of Salford, UK
  • Leeds Becket University, UK
  • University of Groningen, Netherlands
  • Liverpool John Moores University, UK
  • University of Cumbria, UK

External examiner taught courses:

  • National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway - MSc in Exercise Physiology and its Application in Therapy (2018 – 2023).
  • Staffordshire University, UK – MSc Clinical Biomechanics; PGCERT Clinical Biomechanics; PGDIP Clinical Biomechanics (2019 – 2024).

Invited Presentations

International Diabetes Federation; Royal College of Podiatry; International Symposium on the Diabetic Foot; International Society of Posture and Gait Research; Malvern Diabetic Foot Conference; National Congress of the Romanian Podiatry Association; FIBO Global Fitness Conference; Football Association Medical Conference; Royal Society of Medicine.

Projects

Socksess – Smart Sensing Socks For Monitoring Diabetic Feet And Preventing Ulceration. EPSRC.

FootSnap AI – A novel artificial intelligence solution for screening, detection and monitoring of diabetic foot ulcers, co-developed by Prof Neil Reeves and Dr Moi Hoon Yap, in partnership with Oracle and NHS Trusts.

Real-PretectionPreventing diabetic foot ulcers using real-time foot pressure monitoring and alert technologies. Diabetes UK.

DFU Offloading - Improving Diabetic Foot Ulcer Offloading: The Impact of Removable Cast Walker Design Factors on Usability. National Institutes of Health (USA).

SmartSole – Investigating vibrating insoles for improvement of gait and balance in people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Walk With Path

Innerva – Design and development of novel exercise devices. Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership.

Driving and diabetes - Enabling people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy to drive safely and stay independent. Diabetes UK

iNPH - Utility of 3D gait analysis and clinical assessments for characterising patients with idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (iNPH) pre and post lumbar puncture. Hydrocephalus Association.

PelliTec - Diabetic foot ulcer prevention using pressure-reducing pads. NIHR Surgical MedTech Co-operative

Teaching

Prof. Reeves delivers teaching for undergraduate and postgraduate students across areas including biomechanics, biological aspects of chronic disease, human movement science and research methods. 

Supervision

Postgraduate research students supervised to completion:

  • 21 Ph.D. students
  • 2 M.Phil. students

Current postgraduate research supervisions:

  • 8 Ph.D. students

Research outputs

Press and media

Media appearances or involvement

BBC1 Operation Ouch – Interviews and coverage of laboratory activity looking at the loads on the human body during the triple jump. First aired: Spring 2019.

BBC1 Breakfast – Live interview: hip joint loading in elite sport and Andy Murray’s hip injury. (12th January 2019).

BBC1 Holding Back the Years – Interviews and coverage of laboratory tests highlighting the effects of ageing on the musculoskeletal system and its influence on balance control (First aired on 23/03/2018).

BBC1 North West News – Live interview and main news item: Diabetes UK-funded research on diabetic foot ulcer prevention using novel smart insole technology (Aired: 24/10/2016).

BBC1 Inside Out – Interviews and coverage of laboratory activities on research using smart pressure-sensing insoles for diabetic foot ulcer prevention (First aired: 24/10/2016).

BBC Radio Manchester – Interview relating to Diabetes UK-funded research on diabetic foot prevention using smart insole technology (Aired: 24/10/2016).

BBC4 Hidden Killers of the Victorian Home – Interviews and coverage of laboratory activities relating to research on the biomechanics of stair negotiation and the potential dangers of negotiating stairs in the Victorian home (First aired: 10/12/2013).