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Dr Carla Harkness-Armstrong
Lecturer in Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences (Biomechanics)

Heinz Wolff 210

Research area(s)

Muscle-tendon mechanics

Balance and postural control

Childhood disability

Research Interests

Carla is a member of the Centre for Physical Activity in Health and Disease. Her primary research interests focus on the musculoskeletal adaptations of those with a motor impairment and/or neuromuscular degeneration. 

Research grants and projects

Grants

Do sex-specific football boots alter the movement mechanics of female footballers?
Funder: CIES FIFA Research Scholarship 2025
Duration: May 2025 - April 2026
Virtually fall free: Delivering virtual reality-based action simulation training to improve balance and reduce fall risk in children with developmental coordination disorder
Funder: The Waterloo Foundation
Duration: May 2025 - September 2026

Children with DCD often have difficulty balancing and are more likely to trip or fall during everyday activities such as walking and running. AOMI training, a mental practice technique that involves a person watching a video demonstration of a movement whilst simultaneously imagining the physical feelings associated with the movement, has the potential to help these children improve their balance. Our research shows that AOMI training improves performance and learning of upper-limb tasks in children with DCD, and whole-body tasks in healthy adults. Recently, we showed that delivering AOMI training in VR (VR-AOMI training) enhances these benefits. This approach is promising in children with DCD as it is low-cost and combines enjoyable elements of VR gaming with targeted training methods to improve movement competence. However, the effectiveness of VR-AOMI training has not yet been tested in DCD populations. This project aims to address this gap by determining how children with DCD respond to VR-AOMI training designed to improve their balance. This will provide a scientific basis for the development of at-home balance training that could be recommended to improve balance and reduce fall risk for children with DCD.

Concurrent validity of ball passing in virtual reality, compared to real world equivalent
Funder: Brunel University of London & Rezzil / Mi Hiepa ltd
Duration: June 2024 - June 2025
Neuromuscular coordination strategies of lower limb muscles in children and adults during locomotion
Funder: Brunel University of London
Duration: August 2023 - December 2024

Research links