RMIT University

Assoc Professor Noel Lythgo

Position

Associate Professor

School /
Work Unit

Medical Sciences

Contact Details

+(61 3) 9925 6518

noel.lythgo@rmit.edu.au

Location

Building: 203
Level: 3
Room: 32

Bundoora West Campus

College/Portfolio

Science, Engineering & Health

Summary of responsibilities

Program Coordinator for Bachelor of Applied Science (Exercise and Sport Science), Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement)

Qualifications

Teaching responsibilities

At RMIT University I deliver courses in the fields of Biomechanics, Kinesiology, Strength and Conditioning within the Bachelor of Applied Science (Exercise and Sport Science) Degree Program. I also supervise Honours students and HDR students. At the Australian Catholic University (1989-04), I played a major role in the development and delivery of units within the Bachelor of Education (Primary and Secondary), Diploma of Education (Secondary), Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement), Bachelor of Health Science (Human Movement), Bachelor of Exercise Science, Honours, Masters and Doctoral Degree Programs. My work in Exercise Science involved six levels of teaching; 1st, 2nd and 3rd year levels of the Bachelor of Exercise Science, Honours, Masters and Doctoral levels. I developed and taught units in Biomechanics, Motor Control, Skill Acquisition, Data Analysis, Experimental Design and Statistics (Honours and post-graduate), Research Methods (Honours and post-graduate), Human Physiology, Exercise and Nutrition, General Principles and Practices of Teaching, Outdoor Education, Recreation and Physical Education. In 1997, I was invited by the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences at Deakin University to write the lecture and laboratory content for a core unit (HMS202 Movement Analysis) within the Bachelor of Health Science (Human Movement) Degree Program. I taught this unit (sessional lecturer) for Deakin University from 1997 to 1999.

Research interests

My research focuses upon applied aspects of sport, exercise and physical activity in both pathological and non-pathological populations, and across the lifespan. I have conducted research on people recovering from stroke, joint replacement and amputation, and upon people, including children, dealing with movement dysfunction arising from conditions such as Dystonia, Parkinson’s disease, Muscular Sclerosis, Duchene’s disease, Cerebral Palsy, spasticity, spinal cord injury and Developmental Coordination Disorder. Another area of my research focuses on gait dysfunction due to slow development, aging or pathology. It is well known, for example, that gait dysfunctions appear in older adults but there is no clear consensus as to when or why these behaviours emerge. My research and consultancy activities have also focused on improving athletic and sporting performance, reducing injury and developing devices to capture motion and for biofeedback sport and exercise training. Recently, I assembled a reference database for the basic gait characteristics of Australian children and adults (n = 1,098). A major focus of this research is to better understand gait development in children and gait dysfunction in older adults.

Industry / profession / community involvement

Member of the International Biomechanics Society

Research publications

  1. Cofre L, Lythgo N, Morgan D, Galea M (2011). Aging modifies joint power and work when gait speeds are matched. Gait & Posture, 33(3), 484–489 (IF: 3.4, ERA: A).
  2. Paterson K, Hill K, Lythgo N (2011). Stride dynamics, gait variability and prospective falls risk in active community dwelling older women. Gait & Posture, 33 (2), 251-255 (IF 3.4, ERA: A).
  3. Lythgo N, Wilson C, Galea M (2011). Basic gait and symmetry measures for primary school-aged children and young adults II: Walking at slow, free and fast speed. Gait & Posture, 33(1), 29-35(IF 3.4, ERA: A).
  4. Lythgo N, Marmaras B, Connor H (2010). Physical function, gait and dynamic balance of transfemoral amputees using two mechanical passive prosthetic knee devices. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 91(10), 1565-70 (ERA: A)
  5. PellegriniM, Lythgo N, MorganD, Galea M (2010). Voluntary activation of the ankle plantar flexors following whole-body vibration. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 108(5), 927-934 (IF 2.2, ERA: A)
  6. Lythgo N, Wilson C, Galea M (2009). Basic gait and symmetry measures for primary school aged children and young adults whilst walking barefoot and with shoes, Gait & Posture, 30(4), 502-506 (IF 3.4, ERA: A).
  7. Paterson K, Lythgo N, Hill K, Maschette W (2009). Gait variability in younger and older adult women is altered by over-ground walking. Age and Ageing, 38(6), 745-748. (IF 3.1, ERA: A).
  8. Said C, Galea M, Lythgo N (2009). Obstacle crossing performance does not differ between the first and subsequent attempts in people with stroke. Gait &Posture, 30(4), 455-458(IF 3.4: ERA: A).
  9. Lythgo N, Eser P, de Groot P, Galea M (2009). Whole-body vibration alters leg blood flow. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging, 29(1), 53-9 (IF 1.4, ERA: C).
  10. Paterson K, Lythgo N, Hill K, Maschette W (2008). The reliability of spatiotemporal gait data for young and older women during continuous over-ground walking. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 89(12), 2360-65 (IF 2.8, ERA: A).
  11. Kemertzis M, Lythgo N, Morgan D, Galea M (2008). Ankle flexors produce peak torque at longer muscle lengths after whole-body vibration. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 40(11), 1977-83 (IF 4.1, ERA: A+).
  12. Galea M, Levinger P, Lythgo N, Cimoli C, Weller R, Tully E, McMeeken J, Westh R (2008). A targeted home and centre-based exercise program for people after total hip replacement: a randomized clinical trial. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 89(8): 1442-7 (IF 2.8, ERA: A).
  13. Goldshmit Y, Lythgo N, Galea M, Turnley A (2008). Treadmill training after spinal cord injury improves motor recovery in mice. Journal of Neurotrauma, 25(5): 449-65 (IF 3.6, ERA: B).
  14. Lythgo N, Begg R, Best R (2007). Stepping responses made by elderly and young female adults to approach and accommodate known surface height changes. Gait & Posture, 26(1): 82-9 (IF 3.4, ERA: A).
  15. Begg R, Sparrow W, Lythgo N (1998). Time-domain analysis of foot-ground reaction forces in negotiating obstacles. Gait & Posture, 7: 99-109 (IF 3.4, ERA: A).

Academic management / administration responsibilities

Projects and consultancies

I am currently working on a pressure socket casting project (PCAST) with Associate Professor Peter Lee (University of Melbourne) for amputees in Vietnam. This system produces good fitting lower limb sockets that are inexpensive and require little or no input from a senior prosthetist. Pressure casting socket methods have the potential, in conjunction with the use of low cost International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) polypropylene prosthetic components, to significantly reduce prosthesis cost and increase fitting opportunities for lower limb amputees in developing countries such as Vietnam. This project is funded by the CASS Foundation ant the Richmond Rotary Club (Victoria, Australia). I am working with Professor Franz Fuss (RMIT University) on smart ball technology (instrumented balls) and Dr Florian Mueller (RMIT University) on exertion games.

Scholarship and the advancement of knowledge and its applications have been achieved through 42 conference/symposium publications (international/national), 65 conference presentations (international/national), 27 seminar/workshop presentations (e.g. CCRE in Clinical Gait Analysis and Gait Rehabilitation, Tennis Coaches Australia). In 2004, I published a book in the field of Biomechanics. This text was used extensively in the Bachelor of Exercise Science Degree at the Australian Catholic University and its content was used in an “in-house” publication for the Movement Analysis unit taught at Deakin University from 1997. I have been an expert witness for significant court proceedings on ten occasions working in conjunction with Perform Enhance Pty Ltd. Other examples include the provision of consultancy work for Con Hatzilas’s “zygo” soccer boot (seen on the ABC New Inventors show). This investigation compared the performance (accuracy and curvature) of three soccer boot designs on a kick for goal around a wall representative of a group of defenders. I have conducted consultancy work for Spinal Bed Support Systems Pty Ltd to test their product claims. This work is continuing and may lead to a standardized bed test protocol for the Bedding Industry.

Awards