Dr. Matt Hill is currently Assistant Professor in Ageing and Human Movement Science based at the Research Centre for Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise Sciences (PASES) at Coventry University. Matt is an Associate Editor for BMC Sport Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, and serves as review editor for Frontiers in Aging.

After receiving his PhD in Human Movement Science from Coventry University in 2015, he joined the University of Northampton as Lecturer in Exercise Physiology, before commencing his current position at Coventry University in 2017. His research interests are broadly allocated to the areas of balance, falls and the neural control of posture and movement. His research mission is to help develop exercise training and an novel treatment strategies to improve age and disease-specific balance deficits and reduce the occurrence and impact of falls.

My research interests are broadly allocated to the areas of balance, falls and the neural control of posture and movement. Generally, my research follows two main themes: the identification of psycho/physiological risk factors for falls and the development and evaluation of fall prevention strategies. Key aspects of my work have centred around understanding interactions between emotional, cognitive, and sensory-motor systems underlying balance control, particularly in older age. My current research agenda is centred around investigating the psychological (fear and anxiety) and behavioural (postural control) responses to experimentally induced fear of falling (postural threat), with a particular emphasis on the mechanisms driving fear and exploring strategies/interventions that help individuals overcome a threat state. With expertise in physiology, psychology and neuroscience, my research examines these processes from an interdisciplinary perspective, with fundamental (basic) science, longitudinal data analysis, survey research, mixed-methods studies and translational interventions. My laboratory features a comprehensive approach to studying the control of balance by combining various neurophysiological and biomechanical techniques, including electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyography (EMG), 3D movement analysis and force plates measurements coupled with quantitative (electrodermal activity [EDA] and heart rate variability [HRV]) and qualitative (interviews and subjective responses) assessment of perceived and physiological effects of fear.