Senior Lecturer
Dr Matthew Brodie
- 2009 PhD, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand (full scholarship)
“We haven't got the money, so we'll have to think.” Inspired by Ernest Rutherford’s famous quote; I developed Fusion Motion Capture; a network of 16 miniature wearable devices to analyse and model the biomechanics of alpine ski racing. My research made it possible to remotely monitor and provide feedback about athletes' performances in challenging alpine environments. My PhD outputs included six publications (cited over 300 times), a museum exhibition and being named the 2008 MacDiarmid New Zealand Young Scientist of the Year for Future Science and Technology.
- 1998 Bachelor of Engineering, 1st Class Honours, University of Canterbury, New Zealand (final year grade point average 9.9/10)
Engineering
Grad Sch: Biomedical Eng
A Neuroscientist and Engineer, my vanguard expertise developing wearable technology and smart textiles for gait-related motor impairment is recognised by 13 prizes, 2 research medals, 11 grants, 2 fellowships. I am excited about collaborating with and engaging patients, students, researchers, industry partners and key stakeholders who share a common vision “to transform healthcare through technological innovation”. I am motivated by solving problems at the nexus of engineering and medicine. I established and lead the new neurorehabilitation theme at UNSW. My team is now accepting motivated research students for a variety of projects. Please reach out for more information, I am more than happy to have a friendly chat over coffee!
Areas of research interest include:
- Developing new treatments for motor impairment
- Neurophysiology of unstable gait
- Biomechanical analysis of human movement in disease and health
- Prevention of falls in frail older people and clinically impaired populations
- Design and development of 3D printed orthoses to help people with disabilities
- Developing wearable technology for chronic diseases (COPD, heart failure, stroke, and age-related frailty)
- Telemedicine and eHealth including phone apps for disease management and exercise prescription
- Surfing and backcountry skiing
I have a strong focus on translation of my teams research outcomes. In 2020, I founded Walking Tall Health, a commercial organisation to accelerate the health benefits my ground breaking non-invasive treatments for motor impairment. I have led Walking Tall Health through key staff appointments, seed funding and founding partnerships with UNSW, Neuroscience Research Australia and The George Institute for Global Health. Research highlights include the New Zealand Young Scientist of the Year (for Future Science and Technology), an Innovation Award from Fédération Int. de Ski, and the Yamaguichi Medal for Gait and Kinesiology, and 100+ publications cited over 1,800 times.
Please see https://research.unsw.edu.au/people/dr-matthew-andrew-brodie for more information including videos about current projects and our recent research advances.
Mobile
+61 449 886 272
E-mail
Location
Room 508, Level 5, Samuel’s Building (F25)
- Publications
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- Research Activities
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- Teaching and Supervision
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I have over 10-years’ experience conceiving new research ideas, developing technology-based interventions, and leading clinical studies. His multi-disciplinary team includes 1 postdoc physiotherapist, 3 clinical staff, 3 engineers, 2 PhD, and 5 master’s students. Research in neuroscience and engineering is demonstrated by 122 works [cited 1,800+ times]. Key publications and impact across neuroscience and engineering include:
- BRODIE, M.A. et al., Fusion motion capture: a prototype system using inertial measurement units and GPS for the biomechanical analysis of ski racing. (2008) Sports Technology, 1, 17-28. [cited 219 times].
This seminal work pioneered the use of affordable wearable technology in human movement science. It was also a lot of fun. See the image of The Blue Monster, my mobile PhD laboratory below.
- Henderson,... BRODIE, M.A. et al., Rivastigmine for gait stability in patients with Parkinson's disease (ReSPonD): a random... placebo-controlled, phase II trial. Lancet Neurology (2016) 15, 249-258. [216 cites; 10.57 FWCI; 99th percentile]
For this top tier journal paper, I led the development of the first use of a digital gait biomarker as the primary outcome of a phase II drug trial. My analysis showed cholinesterase inhibitors can stabilise gait leading to 45% less falls. My PhD student was the first author. The paper immediately changed Parkinson's disease management as evidenced by positive review [Lancet Neurology 15(3)] and international media [Common drug is a real breakthrough… UK Express Jan-2016]. This paved the way for more efficient drug discovery by using digital endpoints.
- BRODIE, M.A. et al., Wearable pendant device monitoring using new wavelet-based methods shows daily life and laboratory gaits are different. Medical Biological Engineering Comput (2016) 54(4), 663–674. [81 cites; 3.12 FWCI; 93rd percentile]
I was the first to demonstrate that daily life and laboratory gaits are different. My algorithms have been used by Philips in their Senior Mobility Monitor and other research groups worldwide.
- BRODIE, M.A. et al., Eight-week remote monitoring using a freely worn device reveals unstable gait... in Older Fallers. IEEE Transactions Biomedical Engineering (2015) 62(11) 2588–2594. [77 cites; 3.59 FWCI; 94th percentile]
This paper presents my breakthrough analytics engine that analyses thousands of walks during daily life over 8-weeks for superior accuracy. It challenged the accepted reliance on expensive laboratory based gait assessments. Awarded the NeuRA Publication Prize 2016.
- BRODIE, M.A. et al., Comparison between clinical gait and daily‐life gait assessments of fall risk in older people. Geriatrics & Gerontology International (2017) 17: 2274-2282. [47 cites; 3.92 FWCI; 95th percentile]
I showed that remote daily life gait assessments were better than laboratory assessments for predicting falls. Outcomes have been incorporated into products by industry partners and used by other groups in phase II & III clinical trials [e.g. iStoppFalls EU consortium (ICT-7-5.4-287361) & Rivastigmine phase 3 (NIHR16/31/13)]. Awarded an Asia-Pacific Biomechanics Medal.
- BRODIE, M.A. et al., Big data vs accurate data in health... Large-scale physical activity monitoring, smartphones, wearable devices and risk of unconscious bias, Medical Hypotheses (2018) 119, 32-36. [35 cites; 3.71 FWCI; 95th percentile]
In response to Nature 547, 336–339 (2017), my paper showed how unconscious bias in unvalidated smartphone apps leads to systematic under-counting of the true daily activity in obese people, females, and different cultures resulting in skewed research results.
My research outcomes have also been translated several commercial partners, leading to global uptake. Now accepting motivated research students for a variety of projects. I am more than happy to have a friendly chat over coffee!
- Brodie M., (2017) Wearable Technology: Fall risk and morbidity, new challenges and perspectives, Seminar and Webinar for Engineers Australia, 16/08/2017, Canberra Australia. www.engineersaustralia.org.au/Event/wearable-technology-fall-risk-and-morbidity-new-challenges-and-perspectives
- Brodie MA and Hausdorff J., (2016) Free-Living Gait – The Unresolved Questions: New Challenges and Perspectives, Webinar for the International Society of Posture and Gait Research (ISPGR), 28/09/2016, https://momentumssnh.adobeconnect.com/p7wca8744pw/
- Lord SR, Delbaere K, Davies T, Brodie MA (2014). New technologies for fall assessment and risk identification. Pre-conference workshop at the 6th Australian and New Zealand Falls Prevention Conference, Luna Park, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 16/11/2014
BIOM9541 Mechanics of the Human Body
https://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/courses/2021/BIOM9541/
BIOM9541 covers in depth the methods used in the analysis of the biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system. I cover methods to analyse body segment and joint kinematics, joint kinetics, work and power, muscle forces and associated energy cost. We look at advanced uses for wearable technology. Applications of biomechanics in clinical, occupational and recreational areas will be presented. Student highlights include using NeuRA's (a five minute walk from UNSW) state-of-the-art motion capture facility. I look forward to your participation in the T3 BIOM9541 course.
Health Informatics (TBC for 2022)