Huw’s scientific training was in physics and he received a Ph.D. degree in Semiconductor Laser Physics from Cardiff University in 1993. From 1996 to 2001, Huw was an Advanced Research Fellow of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in the UK, working on monolithic microscale laser systems combining solid state and semiconductor technologies. Since 2008, he has been a Professor with the College of Engineering at Swansea University and has been working in the field of Medical Engineering.

Huw’s research in human motion studies stems from a chance encounter with some biologists who wanted to measure and record bird flight and this prompted them to develop in-house accelerometry systems. They now use them to study activity and motion patterns in humans and use signal analysis and population profiling techniques to quantify movement. Application areas include assessment of children’s physical literacy, quantification of injury status in sports and monitoring of falls risk in elderly people.

Huw is currently Director of the Sêr Cymru NRN in Advanced Engineering and Materials, a Welsh Government funded research network that is promoting research excellence in Wales through the award of PhD, Research Fellow and research project funding. He has been a Senior Affiliate of the Houston Methodist Research Institute since 2010.