PhD Opportunities

About the Research

Join the University of Calgary for a PhD position in the applied assessment of movement patterns in horses. The position supervisor is Dr.-Ing. Thilo Pfau, Faculty of Kinesiology and Veterinary Medicine.

This proposed project offers the unique opportunity to conduct multi-disciplinary research in animal locomotor biomechanics with an emphasis on applied topics, such as, but not limited to:

• normal gait patterns across exercises (with and without riders) and their variation within and between (groups of) individuals
• gait changes in relation to musculoskeletal issues (lameness/poor performance) or farriery interventions
• investigating the validation of novel equipment for quantifying gait parameters in horses

Equine gait analysis is becoming common place in veterinary clinical practice (e.g. quantification of lameness) and suitable devices, such as inertial measurement units, are increasingly affordable.

In analogy to wearables for quantifying movement and activities in humans, there is a need for improved understanding about a number of potentially confounding variables and their influence on the fundamental mechanisms that are important for health and performance in the horse. This PhD project will continue our efforts in this area.

Criteria

Research-based master’s degree in a field related to movement and/or movement deficits in animals or humans and/or for those interested in technology for quantifying gait and the related analysis methods (e.g. automated pattern recognition).

How to Apply

Please send a CV, Letter of Interest and two references to thilo.pfau@ucalgary.ca. Start date is Sept. 2022. Learn more about Dr. Pfau’s research by visiting Google Scholar profile page.