Manuela Paulina is a PhD student at the Centre for Sports Engineering Research (CSER). For her PhD she is investigating the biomechanical effects of football shoes on the ankle joint, focusing primarily on preventing injuries and enhancing players' performance.

She has a BSc in Mechatronics engineering from the Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Leon in Mexico. After graduation she obtained a DAAD Scholarship for her Masters studies in Biomedical Engineering in Germany at the University of Lubeck. Manuela spent one year working as an intern and Master Thesis student at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Cologne. Her project 'Improvement, completion and verification of an artificial muscle biomechanical rack (AMBR)' was aimed to build a test rig to deepen the understanding of the muscle-bone mechanics of the lower leg with the objective of reducing the effects of microgravity in astronauts' bones, preventing and counteracting osteoporosis.

Prior to her PhD, Manuela worked as a full-time professor at the Tecnologico de Monterrey at the Engineering and Sciences Division, teaching a wide range of lectures from basic sciences to specialized topics in Mechatronics. She oriented her work to education innovation for engineers, social service and impact of students of Mechatronics and collaborating in the development of community projects involving patients with muscular dystrophy and people in need of upper-limb prosthetics. The most important accomplishments were the foundation of the student-led group Robomedic which provides low-cost 3D-printed hand prostheses, as well as being named honorary youth member of the Academy of Engineering in Mexico.

Her work is funded by the Vice Chancellor's PhD scholarship, and it is aiming to understand the effects of sole design and cleats on traction and players' ankle injury incidence. The goal is to develop a concept of a cleated sole for football that ensures a higher level of security without compromising comfort and performance.

Manuela enjoys travelling to new places and exploring small towns. She loves reading, meeting new people and getting involved in volunteering projects for the community.