Ryan Mahaffey

Dr. Ryan Mahaffey is a Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics and Performance Analysis at St Mary’s University. He holds a BSc (Hons) and MSc in Sports Science from the University of Greenwich, and a PhD in Biomechanics from the University of East London (2013), focusing on pediatric foot biomechanics and adiposity associations. His research spans biomechanical analysis in sport performance and health, with emphases on gait analysis, lower limb kinematics, and obesity impacts.

Dr. Mahaffey leads a funded study investigating physical function, muscle strength, and gait in children with obesity, ongoing at St Mary’s University. His teaching expertise includes biomechanics across undergraduate and postgraduate sport and health programs. Supervised students have completed research in gait analysis and rowing economy.

Research interests include 3D motion capture, pediatric obesity biomechanics, and applications in clinical and athletic contexts. Recent work addresses injury risk in ballet dancers, rugby kicking techniques, and outcome measures for haemophilia patients. He has published extensively on pediatric gait, obesity biomechanics, and neuromuscular fatigue in combat sports.