Georgio Orlando observing a stair-climbing experiment at the Institute of Sport

Our research mission to transform health

Discover how we’re helping people live independently in good health for longer — and what we are learning about the boundaries of elite human performance that allow everyone to live a healthier life.

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About our research mission

How do our early years affect the lives we go on to lead? What determines our sporting potential? And what should individuals and society be doing to ensure more people can live happily and healthily into old age?  

These and other important questions are explored by our researchers, often with academic colleagues in the UK and worldwide.  

We’re trying to help people live independently in good health for longer, fostering a strong sense of wellbeing.

Our research enables us to understand the underlying mechanisms of health and disease, from which we can design interventions to improve individual, family and community health.

And that fundamental understanding also illuminates elite sporting performance and where the boundaries might lie.

Among our research strengths are:

  • ageing and frailty
  • chronic disease
  • movement impairment
  • applied sports science support
  • sports engineering and the role of technology in performance
  • the contribution of design to optimising health and wellbeing
  • sport policy and the social impact of sport
  • sports business and mega-events
Our groundbreaking research will lead to new knowledge that accelerates the development of novel, better treatments for Parkinson's disease
Dr Nicola Ray
Research lead for the Neuroscience of Ageing and Impaired Mobility cluster
Our groundbreaking research will lead to new knowledge that accelerates the development of novel, better treatments for Parkinson's disease
Dr Nicola Ray
Research lead for the Neuroscience of Ageing and Impaired Mobility cluster

Featured research projects

  • Close up of someone tying the lace of a running shoe with their foot on a bench

    Sports shoes: A feat of engineering

    Using sport to engage children in Manchester with science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

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  • Series of three images showing levels of skin wrinkles on a face

    Facial wrinkles detection and inpainting

    Improving the realism and experience of virtual try-on technology for cosmetic and medical products.

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  • Outside the Etihad Stadium of Manchester City Football Club

    Sport in the Middle East

    Examining the factors behind the increasing prominence of the Middle East in the hosting and management of global sport.

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  • Young female football teams competing in a tournament in Sweden

    Women’s football

    Examining how women’s football is governed, managed and developed as a commercial product around the world.

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  • A young girl tying the laces on one of her shoes

    Combined action observation and motor imagery

    Helping children learn essential skills.

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  • An older man walking down a corridor with the aid of a woman and walking frame

    Brain activity during movements in Parkinson’s disease

    Using wireless brain implants to understand how Parkinson’s affects the ability to walk.

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  • A person holding their back due to lower back pain

    Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) and litigation

    Exploring the lived experiences of UK physiotherapists involved in Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) litigation cases.

    Find out more
  • Person holding their exposed knee in pain

    Identifying patellofemoral pain

    A survey that works as screening tool to identify people suffering with patellofemoral pain.

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  • A senior man working out at a public gym

    Ageing and frailty

    A body of work on the biomechanics and physiology of older muscles and bones is helping combat ageing and improve quality of later life.

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  • A woman using a vertical bench press machine in a gym

    Exercise and rehab equipment

    A body of research built over 20 years is changing the way manufacturers think about strength-based activity and the equipment they design.

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  • South African runner Caster Semenya holding her national flag in front of a crowd

    Genetics in sport

    A greater understanding of the role that genetic variation plays in determining performance is helping to shape the way we think about, prepare for and regulate elite sports.

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  • coach writing on white board in front of athletes

    Mental Rehearsal for Health and Elite Sport

    A new model of motor imagery, used by sports psychologists across the world.

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  • A man in his 60s running up a mountain road alone

    Musculoskeletal function in master athletes

    A study by the Centre is changing the training routines of hundreds of older runners.

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  • Dr Chris Morse with three adults from the NeuroMuscular Centre in a gym hall

    Minimising neuromuscular impairment

    Better understanding of the impact of physical activity as a treatment for adults with muscular dystrophy.

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  • A swimmer takes part in a swimsuit drag by being pulled through the water

    Paralympic swimming

    Manchester Met’s biomechanics research has led to re-classification of international Paralympic swimming categories and enhanced performance among elite athletes in the sport.

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  • A female football coach with two players on astro turf

    Social impact of sport

    A comprehensive review of the United Kingdom Coaching Certificate, leading to the re-appraisal of coaching professional standards.

    Go to research
  • rugby player removing mouthguard

    Sports protective equipment

    Reducing sports injuries through improved design, manufacturing, and testing of protective equipment.

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  • A close up of a machine with a camera taking a picture of a patients foot

    Smart technology and ulcer detection

    Helping to reduce amputation rates and deliver significant time and cost-savings for health services.

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Our research in diabetes is aimed at preventing foot and lower limb complications that often lead to lower limb amputation. We are developing and testing novel technologies including ‘smart insoles’ and ‘sensing socks’ – delivering real world benefits for people living with diabetes
Neil Reeves
Professor of Musculoskeletal Biomechanics

Institute of Sport

Georgio Orlando observing a stair-climbing experiment at the Institute of Sport

Institute of Sport

Harnessing expertise across the world of sport to push boundaries, improve lives and shape society, The Manchester Metrpolitan Institute of Sport is a home for sport without boundaries, a place built to make a real impact on the world around us

Learn about our world leading institute

Research groups

  • A high speed camera taking pictures of rugby padding impact testing

    Sports engineering

    Exploring the design and testing of sports equipment.

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  • A group of sports fans shouting and cheering their team.

    Sports Policy Unit

    Analysing, understanding and contributing to the governance, policy and politics of the sports industry, through original research and teaching.

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  • Researchers looking at digital scans of a human brain on a computer screen

    Neuroscience of Ageing and Impaired Mobility

    Finding new ways to improve mobility and prevent falls by studying how the brain changes with age and disease.

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  • A physiotherapist examining a patient's shoulder

    Physiotherapy

    Investigating ways to improve the assessment, treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal conditions through physiotherapy.

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  • Team of rescuers departing a helicopter in a field

    Stress, health and performance

    Helping people live healthier lives, fulfil their potential in demanding performance environments, and thrive in modern society.

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  • A close up of a researcher looking at gait analysis on a screen

    Neurodegeneration

    Undertaking world-leading research to understand important mechanisms controlling human movement.

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  • An older man being guided on the use of weights by a gym assistant

    Musculoskeletal function in health and ageing

    Our world-leading research is improving understanding of musculoskeletal function across life and helping to find effective strategies to promote healthy ageing.

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  • A swimmer doing front crawl, seen from below the surface of a swimming pool

    Sports medicine and elite performance

    Our research furthers understanding of elite sporting performance, informs policy guideline development, and helps athletes and para-athletes improve their recovery from injury.

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