About
Research
Email: daniel.cleather@stmarys.ac.uk
Biography
Dan joined St Mary’s University in 2009 and is currently a Professor of Strength and Conditioning. Prior to entering academia, he spent six years working for the English Institute of Sport as a strength and conditioning coach, primarily supporting athletes in athletics, rowing, fencing, and rugby.
He holds a Master’s degree in Kinesiology from California State University, Long Beach, and a PhD in Bioengineering from Imperial College London.
Dan is the author of several books on biomechanics, training, and performance, including the Force series and The Little Black Book of Training Wisdom, which are widely used by coaches and practitioners.
Further information about Dan and his work can be found on his website: dancleather.com
Research
Research profile
Dan’s research spans several interconnected areas of biomechanics and strength and conditioning. His work focuses on the musculoskeletal mechanics and motor control of human movement, with particular emphasis on the knee joint and the role of biarticular muscles in the lower limb. This research makes extensive use of musculoskeletal modelling techniques.
He is also actively involved in space-related research, specialising in the development and testing of exercise countermeasures for human spaceflight. This work includes participation in multiple parabolic flight campaigns and the delivery of funded projects supported by national and international space agencies.
A further strand of his research concerns the optimisation of strength training practice, bridging biomechanical theory with applied coaching contexts.
Dan's publications can be found on his Google Scholar page.
He is always interested in supervising new PhD students, particularly those wishing to pursue research in biomechanics, strength and conditioning, or applied human performance, including spaceflight-related projects.