Dr Athol Thomson

Presenting: Saturday 17th July, 2021 

PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION:
Presentation will focus on four broad topics:
1. Shoe-surface interaction in football. (Relationship to performance & injury)
2. Evolution of elite playing surfaces. (Technology is changing the mechanical properties of pitches)
3. Football boot selection. ('real-world' scenarios) 
4. Where can Podiatrists add value in terms of innovation and collaboration?   

BIO:
Dr Athol Thomson Clinical Researcher & Podiatrist Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha Qatar.Adjunct associate professor La Trobe university Australia and Texas A & M university USAAthol Thomson (PhD) is a research scientist and Podiatrist currently examining the interaction between football players’ shoes and the playing surfaces they compete on. Following on from over 22 years of clinical experience as a Podiatrist, Athol now has a split clinical/research role that has led to applied research publications on athlete rehabilitation using Anti-gravity (AlterG) treadmills, stress fractures of the fifth metatarsal in elite football, running after anterior cruciate ligament injury, and also the evolution in football boot/playing surface technologies. Currently, he is leading a large project examining player-shoe and surface interaction leading up to the 2022 soccer football world cup in Doha, Qatar with a primary aim of attempting to minimise the risk of severe knee and ankle injuries. The collaboration involves global footwear companies, wearable technology companies, and turf grass research institutes.