Rate My Professor Robert Crowther

Associate Professor Robert Crowther is Deputy Head of School in the School of Science and Technology at the University of New England and an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. He is a researcher and academic leader specialising in biomechanics, motor control, injury risk, and clinical exercise science. Robert completed his Doctor of Philosophy at James Cook University, examining exercise rehabilitation in peripheral arterial disease (2005-2008). He also holds a Graduate Certificate of Education (Tertiary Teaching) from James Cook University (2012), a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science with Honours (2004-2005), and a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science (2000-2003), both from James Cook University. His research program focuses on lower-limb function, movement variability, load monitoring, and ACL injury risk in youth athletes, spanning clinical populations and high-performance sport. Crowther has secured more than $2.8 million in competitive and industry funding and published over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles. Key publications include "Association between upper trunk rotation kinematics, shoulder and elbow joint kinetics and pitching performance in Australian baseball pitchers" (Mine et al., 2025, Journal of Sports Sciences), "A comparison between novice and elite cyclists movement stability during cycling" (Winter et al., 2025, Journal of Sports Sciences), "Lower limb coordination variability in people with plantar diabetes related foot ulcers" (Crowther et al., 2025, Clinical Biomechanics), "What gaps exist in biomechanics and motor control research in Paralympic sports? A scoping review focussed on performance and injury risk" (Lee et al., 2025, Journal of Sports Sciences), and "NICER: A new and improved consumed endurance and recovery metric to quantify muscle fatigue of mid-air interactions" (Li et al., 2024, ACM Transactions on Graphics).

In addition to his research, Crowther has held senior academic leadership roles at the University of New England, including Discipline Convenor for Exercise and Sports Science, Course Coordinator, and Program Director. He teaches Clinical Exercise Physiology, focusing on musculoskeletal assessment and prescription, and supervises higher degree research candidates across biomechanics, rehabilitation, and performance science. He maintains active collaborations with professional sporting organisations, including rugby league and basketball. Crowther is a member of Exercise and Sports Science Australia, the International Society of Biomechanics in Sport, and the Australian and New Zealand Society of Biomechanics. He is committed to evidence-informed curriculum design, industry engagement, and mentoring emerging researchers and exercise professionals.