Dr Michael Thelwell PhD
Research Fellow
- Academy of Sport and Physical Activity
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre
- Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre
- Health Research Institute
Summary
I am a Research Fellow in advanced human body measurement techniques and 3D surface-imaging for assessing physical health. My research interests include the use of 3D surface-imaging and advanced human body measurement techniques to improve the assessment of physical health. Currently working with collaborators at Leipzig University assessing human body shape within health applications (for example, the early detection of diabetes and metabolic syndrome) and developing improved methods of for chemotherapy dose prescription.
About
I am a Research Fellow in advanced human body measurement and 3D surface-imaging within the Sports Engineering Research Group at Sheffield Hallam University.
I graduated from Loughborough University in 2014 with a BSc in Sports Technology, during which I completed a year in industry working at PING Golf as an Analysis and Testing Engineer. I then moved to Sheffield Hallam University where I graduated with an MSc with Distinction in Sports Engineering before completing my PhD, titled 'Assessing human morphology using statistical shape analysis'.
Recently, my work has focused on how advanced measures can be utilised within cancer treatment, specifically the assessment of cancer-related cachexia and improving the accuracy of body measures used in chemotherapy dose prescription. I am currently completing an Early Career Research and Innovation Fellowship, further developing this research area of advanced body measurement within anti-cancer treatment.
Teaching
Academy of Sport and Physical Activity
College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences
Courses taught:
BSc Sport and Exercise Science
BSc Sport and Exercise Technology
MSc Sports Engineering
Modules taught:
Foundations of Human Factors for Sport and Exercise Technology (L4)
Foundations of Measurement for Sport and Exercise (L4)
Biomechanics of Sport and Exercise (L5)
Applied Biomechanics of Sport and Exercise (L6)
Measurement in Sports Engineering (L7)
Human Factors in Sports Engineering (L7) - Module Leader
Publications
Journal articles
Nield, L., Thelwell, M., Chan, A., Choppin, S., & Marshall, S. (2024). Patient perceptions of three-dimensional (3D) surface imaging technology and traditional methods used to assess anthropometry. Obesity Pillars, 9. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.obpill.2024.100100
Humphreys, L., Myers, A., Frith, G., Thelwell, M., Pickering, K., Mills, G.H., ... Copeland, R. (2024). The Development of a Multi-Modal Cancer Rehabilitation (Including Prehabilitation) Service in Sheffield, UK: Designing the Active Together Service. Healthcare, 12 (7). http://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12070742
Myers, A., Barlow, R., Baldini, G., Campbell, A., Carli, F., Carr, E., ... Copeland, R. (2024). International consensus is needed on a core outcome set to advance the evidence of best practice in cancer prehabilitation services and research. British Journal of Anaesthesia. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2024.02.021
Thelwell, M., Masters, N., Appleyard, R., & Bullas, A.M. (2024). Advanced Body Measurement Techniques Can Complement Current Methods of Cytotoxic Chemotherapy Dose Prescription. Applied Sciences, 14 (2). http://doi.org/10.3390/app14020834
Keen, C., Phillips, G., Thelwell, M., Humphreys, L., Evans, L., & Copeland, R. (2023). Establishing Innovative Complex Services: Learning from the Active Together Cancer Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation Service. Healthcare, 11 (23). http://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11233007
Burton, C., Dawes, H., Goodwill, S., Thelwell, M., & Dalton, C. (2023). Within and between-day variation and associations of symptoms in Long Covid: intensive longitudinal study. PLOS ONE, 18 (1). http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280343
Bullas, A.M., Greenwood, R., Thelwell, M., & Choppin, S. (2022). A review of commercially available 3D surface imaging systems for body composition estimation. Applied Sciences, 12 (17). http://doi.org/10.3390/app12178815
Choppin, S., Bullas, A., & Thelwell, M. (2022). Torso shape improves the prediction of body fat magnitude and distribution. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (14). http://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148302
Thelwell, M., Bullas, A., Kühnapfel, A., Hart, J., Ahnert, P., Wheat, J., ... Choppin, S. (2022). Modelling of human torso shape variation inferred by geometric morphometrics. PLOS ONE, 17 (3). http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265255
Fowler-Davis, S., Platts, K., Thelwell, M., Woodward, A., & Harrop, D. (2021). A mixed-methods systematic review of postviral fatigue interventions: Are there lessons for long Covid? PLoS ONE, e0259533. http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259533
Chiu, C.-.Y., Ciems, R., Thelwell, M., Bullas, A., & Choppin, S. (2021). Estimating Somatotype from a Single-camera 3D Body Scanning System. European Journal of Sport Science. http://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2021.1921041
Choppin, S., Clarkson, S., Bullas, A., Thelwell, M., Heller, B., & Wheat, J. (2020). Anatomical and principal axes are not aligned in the torso: considerations for users of geometric modelling methods. Journal of Biomechanics, 110151. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2020.110151
Thelwell, M., Chiu, C.-.Y., Bullas, A., Hart, J., Wheat, J., & Choppin, S. (2020). How shape-based anthropometry can complement traditional anthropometric techniques: a cross-sectional study. Scientific Reports, 10 (1), 12125. http://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69099-4
Chiu, C.-.Y., Thelwell, M., Senior, T., Choppin, S., Hart, J., & Wheat, J. (2019). Comparison of depth cameras for three-dimensional reconstruction in medicine. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine, 233 (9), 938-947. http://doi.org/10.1177/0954411919859922
Conference papers
Bullas, A., Thelwell, M., & Choppin, S. (2022). The future of 3D body scanning within ISAK? A natural home or a conflicting toolset [Abstract only]. International Journal of Kinanthropometry, 2 (S1), 2. http://doi.org/10.34256/ijk22S1
Thelwell, M., BULLAS, A., KUHNAPFEL, A., Hart, J., AHNERT, P., Wheat, J., ... CHOPPIN, S. (2020). Allometry Between Measures of Body Size and Shape in a Large Population-Based Cohort. Proceedings of 3DBODY.TECH 2020 - 11th International Conference and Exhibition on 3D Body Scanning and Processing Technologies, Online/Virtual, 17-18 November 2020. http://doi.org/10.15221/20.10
Chiu, C.Y., Thelwell, M., Goodwill, S., & Dunn, M. (2020). Accuracy of Anthropometric Measurements by a Video-Based 3D Modelling Technique. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43195-2_29
Theses / Dissertations
Thelwell, M. (2021). Assessing human morphology using statistical shape analysis. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Choppin, S., Wheat, J., Hart, J., & Bullas, A. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00369
Other activities
Reviewer for multiple academic journals including: American Journal of Physical Anthropology; International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health; Journal of Applied Ergonomics; Journal of Applied Sciences.
Member of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK).
Postgraduate supervision
Current:
Advanced body measurement techniques and 3D surface imaging - Jamie Allan (La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia)
Physical Activity in Advanced Cancer Patients - Niall Finnegan (SHU)
Media
Sport and physical activity