
Dr Elmar Kal
Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy
Mary Seacole 301
- Email: elmar.kal@brunel.ac.uk
- Tel: +44 (0)1895 267104
- Physiotherapy
- Physiotherapy and Physician Associate
- College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences
Summary
I have a BSc (2011) and MSc (2012; cum laude) in Movement Science, both from the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in The Netherlands. For my PhD project I was employed at a specialist rehabilitation centre (Heliomare) in the Netherlands, studying the impact of implicit learning interventions on the rehabilitation of balance and gait in people after stroke. I successfully defended my thesis in November 2018. I joined Brunel in 2019.
My research is focused on better understanding the cognitive and psychological processes that underpin motor control and learning, and to use this knowledge to improve motor functioning in aging and neurological populations (stroke, Parkinson’s). Two main themes in my research are: (1) The use of motor learning principles in (re-)learning of balance and gait tasks in different clinical populations. This includes the use of weight-shifting strategies to reduce freezing of gait in people with PD, as well as the use of implicit motor learning techniques as part of Physical Education of children.
(2) The role of anxiety and associated changes in attention in unexplained dizziness in older adults.This includes the use of virtual reality to study the effects of standing at a (virtual) height on fear of falling, associated discrepancies in perceived (self-reported) and actual (sway on force platform) balance, and potential neural and muscular control changes that could help explain such discrepancies - and provide options for interventions.
In terms of approach, I combine basic science (assessments of brain activity (using fNIRS, EEG), kine(ma)tics of movement (using force plates, 3D movement analysis), and muscular control (EMG)) with clinically applied research (e.g., using clinical outcomes and assessment methods). I have experience with a host of the methodological approaches (systematic reviews, observational studies, experimental studies, RCTs, validation studies) which gives me flexibility in studying these topics.
Qualifications
- PhD in Movement Sciences / Neuropsychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (The Netherlands); 2018
- MSc (cum laude), Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (The Netherlands); 2012
Responsibility
Main responsibilities:
- Module lead of Dissertation module, pre-reg MSc Physiotherapy
- Manager of Gait and Balance and paediatrics lab (MRSC-005 & 006)
- Academic lead for the Brunel Older persons Reference Group (BORG)
Newest selected publications
Skervin, T., Ellmers, T., Kal, E., Young, W., Walker, R., Wharton, E., (2025) 'Exploring the effects of wearing facemasks on stair safety characteristics in young adults'. PLoS One, 20 (5). pp. 1 - 16.Open Access Link
et al.Hill, M., Kal, E., Lord, S., Wright, H., Broom, D. and Ellmers, TJ. (2025) 'Self-Perceptions of Ageing Predict Recovery After a Fall: Prospective Analysis from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing'. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 0 (ahead of print). pp. 1 - 9. ISSN: 0002-8614 Open Access Link
Norris, M., Rosenblum-Belzer, U., Young, WR., Kal, E. and Cocks, AJ. (2025) 'Anxiety-related attentional characteristics and their relation to freezing of gait in people with Parkinson's: Cross-validation of the Adapted Gait Specific Attentional Profile (G-SAP)'. Journal of Parkinson's Disease, 0 (ahead of print). pp. 1 - 14. ISSN: 1877-7171 Open Access Link
Russo, Y., Wang, C., Ye, Y., Leveridge, P., Nieuwboer, A., Wilson, M., (2025) 'Efficacy of a single session of anticipatory postural adjustments training to support people with parkinson’s overcoming freezing of gait: a multi-methods approach'. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 57. pp. 1 - 10. ISSN: 0036-5505 Open Access Link
et al.Ellmers, TJ., Ibitoye, R., Castro, P., Kal, EC., Kaski, D. and Bronstein, AM. (2025) 'Chronic dizziness in older adults: Disrupted sensorimotor EEG beta oscillations during postural instability'. Clinical Neurophysiology, 174. pp. 31 - 36. ISSN: 1388-2457 Open Access Link