Dr Simon Augustus

Contact

Simon Augustus
About
Teaching and learning
Research
Business, knowledge transfer and international

About

Before moving to Kingston University in August 2021 as a Lecturer in Sports Biomechanics, I completed a PhD in Sports Biomechanics at the University of Chichester.

The focus of my PhD was to identify whole-body mechanical strategies for performing ball kicking motions (e.g. football instep, rugby place, and AFL punt kicks). Knowledge of these strategies has allowed me explore different methods of enhancing performance of these skills. 

My research has also focussed on developing novel methods of processing biomechanical data (e.g. EMG, Kinematic and Force measurements) and analysing different movement patterns. I am currently investigating how such methods influence identification of athletes 'at risk' from sustaining lower limb injuries (e.g. anterior cruciate ligament, tibial stress fractures).

This work has enabled me to work with athletes and clients across different settings (e.g. sport, clinical and occupational) to help improve performance and reduce injury.  For example, I have worked within professional Motorsport, Football, Skiing and with the Ministry of Defence.

In September 2021, I was Winner of the prestigious 'New Investigator Award' at the 39th Annual Conference the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports, Canberra, Australia.

Academic responsibilities

Lecturer in Sport Biomechanics

Qualifications

  • PhD Sports Biomechanics
  • MSc Sport and Exercise Biomechanics
  • BSc(Hons) Sport and Exercise Sciences
  • PGCert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Teaching and learning

I have over 6 years of experience teaching Sport & Exercise Science in Higher Education. This experience covers a broad range of disciplines and I am currently a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

This experience has enabled me to develop effective approaches to learning and teaching in a range of contexts and implement a ‘student centred pedagogy'. I use appropriate theory and technology to ensure productive learning environments and assessment in a range of different contexts, and understand the diverse nature of the University's community. For example, recent projects include: a) exploring alternatives to formal examinations, such as more 'authentic' assessments that will better prepare students for work in the Sport and Exercise industry, and b) favouring smaller interactive practical lab sessions ahead of larger lectures to promote active learning and student engagement. These initiatives have contributed to positive improvements in student experience at KU. 

My current teaching responsibilities include delivery of Sport Biomechanics based content across undergraduate provision at Kingston:

FX3002 - Foundation Project-Based Learning 

LS4009 - Functional Anatomy and Exercise Physiology

LS6020 - Biomechanics of Sport Performance and Injury

LS6023 - Sport and Exercise Science Project

Module Leader:

LS5015 - Analysis in Sport and Exercise 

Presentations and Papers:

Augustus, S. (2022). How do I design learning and assessment ‘from scratch'? An exploration of constructive alignment in the Biomechanics classroom. International Society of Biomechanics in Sport Teaching Initiative, 'Lightning Talks', November 2022

Qualifications and expertise

  • PGCert
  • FHEA

Undergraduate courses taught

Research

Reviewer (peer reviewed journals and conferences):

Sports Biomechanics

Journal of Biomechanics

Journal of Sports Sciences

Congress of International Society of Biomechanics in Sport

Congress of International Society of Biomechanics

Prizes:

2021. New Investigator Award (Oral Section), 1st Place (ISBS Conference, Canberra, AUS).

2020. People's Choice Award, 1st Place (ISBS Conference, Online)

Invited Presentations and Workshops:

Congress on Movement and Motor Control 2021 (Turkey, May 2021),

Football Biomechanics Symposium Session: Biomechanically informed training strategies to enhance instep kick performance.

XXIX Congress International Society of Biomechanics (Japan, July 2023),

Pre-Conference Workshop: 'An Introduction to Time-frequency Low-pass Filter Methods in Biomechanics'.

Kicking Biomechanics Symposium: 'Looking beyond the kicking leg: whole-body strategies for ball kicking performance'.

Research Students:

I am currently on the supervisory team of one PhD student.

Funding:

£10,000 - KU 1st Grants Fund. Since conventional data processing techniques show serious limitations when deriving measures of joint loading during collisions in locomotor tasks (e.g. foot-to-ground contact), the ability of researchers to inform clinical decision making and improve patient outcomes may be flawed. Given the disproportionate occurrence of  serious anterior cruciate (ACL) in women's team sports, this project aims to develop an innovative time-frequency filter technique that can improve estimate of knee joint loading and thus help identify team-sports athletes 'at risk' from sustaining ACL injury during various screening taks

Scholarly affiliations

  • Member of International Society of Biomechanics in Sport

Publications

Jump to: Article | Book Section | Conference or Workshop Item
Number of items: 20.

Article

Jones, Chris M., Austin, Kieran, Augustus, Simon N., Nicholas, Keiran Jai, Yu, Xiancheng, Baker, Claire, Chan, Emily Yik Kwan, Loosemore, Mike and Ghajari, Mazdak (2023) An instrumented mouthguard for real-time measurement of head kinematics under a large range of sport specific accelerations. Sensors, 23(16), p. 7068. ISSN (online) 1424-8220

Jones, Sam, Nunome, Hiroyuki, Augustus, Simon, Peacock, James C. A., Ball, Kevin and Bezodis, Neil E. (2022) Understanding the effects of ball orientation in Rugby Union place kicking : the preferences of international kickers and the kinematics of the foot-ball impact. Sports Biomechanics, ISSN (print) 1476-3141 (Epub Ahead of Print)

Augustus, Simon, Hudson, Penny E. and Smith, Neal (2022) Defining movement strategies in soccer instep kicking using the relationship between pelvis and kick leg rotations. Sports Biomechanics, ISSN (print) 1476-3141 (Epub Ahead of Print)

Augustus, Simon, Hudson, Penny E., Harvey, Nick and Smith, Neal (2021) Whole-body energy transfer strategies during football instep kicking : implications for training practices. Sports Biomechanics, ISSN (print) 1476-3141 (Epub Ahead of Print)

Augustus, Simon, Hudson, Penny E. and Smith, Neal (2021) The effect of approach velocity on pelvis and kick leg angular momentum conversion strategies during football instep kicking. Journal of Sports Sciences, 39(20), pp. 2279-2288. ISSN (print) 0264-0414

Augustus, Simon, Amca, Arif Mithat, Hudson, Penny E. and Smith, Neal (2020) Choice of low-pass filter influences practical interpretation of ball kicking motions : the effect of a time-frequency filter method. Sports Biomechanics, ISSN (print) 1476-3141 (Epub Ahead of Print)

Augustus, Simon, Amca, Arif Mithat, Hudson, Penny E. and Smith, Neal (2020) Improved accuracy of biomechanical motion data obtained during impacts using a time-frequency low-pass filter. Journal of Biomechanics, 101, p. 109639. ISSN (print) 0021-9290

Lake, Jason, Augustus, Simon, Austin, Kieran, Comfort, Paul, McMahon, John, Mundy, Peter and Haff, G. Gregory (2019) The reliability and validity of the bar-mounted PUSH Band™ 2.0 during bench press with moderate and heavy loads. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(23), pp. 2685-2690. ISSN (print) 0264-0414

Lake, Jason P., Augustus, Simon, Austin, Kieran, Mundy, Peter, McMahon, John J., Comfort, Paul and Haff, Guy G. (2018) The validity of the Push Band 2.0 during vertical jump performance. Sports, 6(4), p. 140. ISSN (online) 2075-4663

Augustus, Simon, Mundy, Peter and Smith, Neal (2017) Support leg action can contribute to maximal instep soccer kick performance : an intervention study. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(1), pp. 89-98. ISSN (print) 0264-0414

Book Section

Smith, Neal and Augustus, Simon (2018) Technique modifications to create more powerful kicking in experienced players. In: Nunome, Hiroyuki , Hennig, Ewald and Smith, Neal, (eds.) Football biomechanics. Abingdon, U.K. : Routledge. pp. 155-172. (Routledge Research in Football) ISBN 9781138195127

Conference or Workshop Item

Augustus, Simon and Smith, Neal (2023) Changes in lower leg kinematic frequency content during pre-ground contact and weight acceptance phases of ACL injury risk screening tasks. In: XXIX Congress of the International/Japanese Society of Biomechanics ISB/JSB2023; 30 Jul - 03 Aug 2023, Fukuoka, Japan. (Unpublished)

Augustus, Simon, Austin, Kieran and Smith, Neal (2022) Evaluation of a time-frequency low-pass filter method for assessing knee joint moments and ACL injury risk. In: 40th Conference of the International Society of Biomechanics in Sport (ISBS 2022); 19-23 Jul 2022, Liverpool, U.K.. (Unpublished)

Augustus, S., Hudson, P.E. and Smith, N. (2022) Pelvis and kick leg sequencing during instep soccer kicking is dependent on a player’s preferred movement strategy. In: BASES Division Event - BASES BIG Day 'BIG Steps Forward'; 25 May 2022, Held online. (Unpublished)

Augustus, Simon, Hudson, Penny and Smith, Neal (2021) Defining movement strategies in soccer instep kicking using the relationship between pelvis and kick leg rotations. In: 39th Conference of the International Society of Biomechanics in Sport (ISBS 2021); 03-06 Sep 2021, Canberra, Australia (Held online).

Augustus, Simon, Hudson, Penny and Smith, Neal (2020) Choice of data processing influences practical interpretation of kick leg joint kinetics during the impact phase of ball kicking. In: 38th Conference of the International Society of Biomechanics in Sport (ISBS 2020); 20-24 Jul 2020, Held online.

Bates, Madeleine F., Pring, Chris, Smith, Neal, Lowry, Ruth G., Augustus, Simon and Hudson, Penny E. (2020) Changes to walking gait and lower limb joint pain in patients post-bariatric surgery. In: 11th BOMSS Annual Scientific Meeting; 22-24 Jan 2020, Aberdeen, U.K..

Augustus, Simon, Smith, Neal and Hudson, Penny (2017) The effect of approach velocity on centre of mass motion and performance of the maximal instep soccer kick. In: 35th Conference of the International Society of Biomechanics in Sport (ISBS 2017); 14-18 Jun 2017, Cologne, Germany.

Smith, Neal, Peacock, David and Augustus, Simon (2017) Agreement between Adidas smartball and 3d motion analysis for measuring ball velocity and spin during soccer kicking. In: World Conference on Science and Soccer (WCSS 2017); 31 May - 02 Jun 2017, Rennes, France. (Unpublished)

Augustus, Simon and Smith, Neal (2015) Does forceful extension of the support leg during the kicking stride enhance maximal instep kick performance in a skilled soccer player? In: 33rd International Conference of Biomechanics in Sports (ISBS 2015); 29 Jun - 03 Jul 2015, Poitiers, France.

This list was generated on Wed Sep 13 07:10:48 2023 BST.

Business, knowledge transfer and international

External Consultancy and Contracts with Industry:

ai.io (£6,259.45 Contract Research 2022, £9393 KU Innovation Seedcorn Funding 2023). Validation of the AiSCOUT smartphone application for talent identification in sport. The first part of this project aimed to validate AiSCOUT's application for common technical and and physical drills used in sport talent identification (e.g. countermovement jump, 10 sprint.). The second part of the project is underway and has been expanded to consider non-linear drills (e.g. 5-10-5, 5-0-5 sprints).

I am also an external consultant for Motorsports Biomechanics Ltd, who have developed on-track assessment of muscle activity and fatigue using EMG technology

Industry links

  • ai.io
  • motorsportbiomechanics.com