Dr Dan Eastough

Principal Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science (Biomechanics)

School of Sport and Exercise Science

Academics

Contact Details

Dan Eastough is a Principal Lecturer and long-standing member of the Sport and Exercise Science team. He teaches on undergraduate and postgraduate courses and has a wealth of experience having developed and led a variety of courses and also spending many years in the Senior Management Team as Head of Department. He now focuses on teaching and research and leads various enhancement projects with a particular interest in Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) and in the optimal use of IT, digital devices, and educational platforms to improve the learning and teaching experience for both staff and students.

He earned his BSc degree in Sports Science at the University of Wales, Swansea before completing a PhD in Neuroscience and Motor Control at the School of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Birmingham. He then spent two and a half years as Higher Education Course Leader at North East Worcestershire College (now Heart of Worcestershire College) before joining the University of Worcester in 2009 as a Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and holds Distinction level teaching qualifications in both HE and FE settings.

Having spent over 20 years in the practice and coaching of martial arts and fitness instruction, Dan has a particular interest in training and conditioning for health, fitness and well-being and sees sport and exercise education as a key component in the promotion of habitual physical activity and healthy living.

Qualifications

Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education [PG Cert LTHE] - Distinction, University of Worcester (2011)
Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector [DTLLS] - Distinction, University of Warwick (2010)
PhD - Neuropsychology and Motor Control, School of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Birmingham (2008)
BSc - Sports Science, University of Wales, Swansea (2001)
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Teaching & Research

Teaching Interests:

Dan predominantly acts as one of the course team for the Sport and Exercise Science degree and occasionally delivers on other programmes as well. His undergraduate and postgraduate teaching revolves around his specialist areas of Biomechanics, Motor Control and Human Movement, spilling over into Performance Analysis and Strength and Conditioning applications. This includes specialist modules in Biomechanics, Motor Learning and Control and other fundamentals of sport and exercise including research methods. The modules contain theoretical and practical competency elements in the areas of sports and exercise performance and analysis methods and capture technology. At higher levels, Dan’s modules focus on 3D Biomechanical Analysis and he leads on Independent Research Project modules.

Research Interests:

Dan's research predominantly involves perception, action and movement control. His current interests revolve around how the Central Nervous System controls muscular force production at both a conscious and subconscious level in relation to visual and other perceptual information. He is also involved in research into alternative training modalities such as the use of minimalist footwear.

Key Topics

Perception and action
Perceptual determinants of muscular force production
Movement volition
Barefoot training and minimalist footwear

Professional Bodies

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Publications

Journal Papers

Ramsey, R., Cumming, J., Eastough, D., and Edwards, M. G. (2010) Incongruent imagery interferes with action initiation. Brain and Cognition, 74, 249-254.

Eastough, D. and Edwards, M.G. (2007) Movement kinematics in prehension are affected by grasping objects of different mass, Experimental Brain Research, 176: 193-198.

Conference Proceedings

Griffiths, L., Eastough, D., Gravestock, H., Thomas, G., Mizen, R. and Horne, S. (2014) The effect of habitual walking in minimalist shoes on dynamic balance and lower limb strength. 19th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science Book of Abstracts.

Gravestock, H., Griffiths, L., Corbett, M., Thomas, G., Mizen, R. and Eastough, D. (2014) Musculoskeletal and spatio-temporal gait changes in walking after an eight weeks minimalist footwear intervention. 19th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science Book of Abstracts.

Eastough, Hardwick and Edwards (2006) Extrinsic and intrinsic feature labelling have surprising effects on movement kinematics in prehension. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 28: S60-S60.

Eastough and Edwards (2006) Movement kinematics in prehension are affected by grasping objects of different weight, Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 28: S59-S60.

Other Publications

Castle, P., Roberts, C. M., Hughes, C., Eastough, D. and Gerrett, N. (comp.) (2013) Fundamentals of Sport and Exercise Science. McGraw-Hill Education, UK.

Harris, A. and Eastough, D. (2011) ‘Mathletes’, Men’s Health (October), p 132-134