Dr. Dan Parker

Current positions

Lecturer in Digital Health

Biography

Dan completed his PhD at the University of Salford in 2013 and has since held posts in Research prior to his appointment as a Lecturer in 2019. Dan completed a first degree in Human Anatomy and Cell Biology, and a master’s degree in Biomechanics before completing his PhD in the field of soft tissue biomechanics. His PhD thesis titled ‘Characterising the biomechanical properties of the plantar soft tissue under the conditions of simulated gait’ used an experimental biomechanics approach to understand the effects of age on the mechanical response of the tissue on the sole of the foot.

Dan currently leads and contributes to research funded by commercial partners and UK funding bodies (NiHR, EPSRC), is supervising PhD students and has previously worked in research roles to develop and evaluate healthcare technologies through clinical trials. Dan has worked with commercial partners (Otivio AS, Norway) to evaluate performance of a negative pressure therapy developed to improve blood flow in the lower limb for patients with critical limb ischaemia. This work included working with vascular and high-risk foot teams to deliver a multi-site randomised controlled trial within the NHS. Within an Innovate UK funded project working in partnership with the NHS, Industry (FDM Digital Solutions Ltd & Salford Insole) and academia (Bangor University), Dan conducted a study of the digital supply chain for foot orthotics (USIR). Alongside clinical effectiveness this project explored the mechanical advantages of 3D printed materials and addressed the challenging regulatory requirements of novel devices.

Areas of research

Biomechanics, Digital Healthcare, Medical Devices, Orthotics