Mr Connor Thacker
(he/him)
MEng
Teams and roles for Connor Thacker
Research student
Overview
I am a PGR student apart of the Neuromechanics Research Group within the School of Healthcare Sciences. My research is conducted at the Research Centre for Clinical Kinesiology (RCCK).
Current Study
Locomotor adaptations to load-evoked and tonic experimental knee pain in healthy humans
Publication
2026
- Reeves, J. et al., 2026. Modulation of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex in walking is not changed by the presence of tonic pain. Experimental Brain Research 244 (9) 177. (10.1007/s00221-026-07379-7)
Articles
- Reeves, J. et al., 2026. Modulation of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex in walking is not changed by the presence of tonic pain. Experimental Brain Research 244 (9) 177. (10.1007/s00221-026-07379-7)
Research
Research Summary
I research the neuromechanics of walking in humans. I am interested in how knee pain changes the neural control of our walking movements, and how these changes impact walking stability and behaviour. My approach incorporates frameworks from cognitive neuroscience, neural control of movement and biomechanics to explore mechanisms at different levels of the motor system.
To study this, I will be using techniques such as electroencephalography, transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex, surface electromyography and marker-based motion capture.
My research aims to translate theory into meaningful improvements to musculoskeletal assessment, management strategies and applied engineering solutions.
Supervisory Team
Dr Jennifer Davies (lead), Dr David Williams and Professor Cathy Holt.
Funding
UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Council (EPSRC) DTP
Thesis
Funding sources
Biography
2024 - Present (exp 2028): PGR Student in School of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University, UK.
2020 - 2024: MEng in Bioengineering (Biomedical Engineering), Loughborough University, UK.
Contact Details
Ty Dewi Sant, Room 0.8, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XN