Nachiappan Chockalingam, professionally known as Nachi Chockalingam is a British scientist, academic practitioner and expert in Clinical
Biomechanics
Biomechanics is the study of the structure, function and motion of the mechanical aspects of biological systems, at any level from whole organisms to organs, cells and cell organelles, using the methods of mechanics. Biomechanics is a branch of ...
. He is a
professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
at
Staffordshire University
, mottoeng = Dare to know
, type = Public
, endowment = £70 million (2015)
, administrative_staff = 1,375
, chancellor = Francis Fitzherbert, 15th Baron Stafford
, vice_chancellor = Professor Martin Jones
, ...
and a Fellow of the
Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine
The Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) is the United Kingdom's professional body and learned society for physicists, engineers and technologists within the field of medicine, founded in 1995, changing its name from the Insti ...
and has been appointed to a panel of experts for the
Research Excellence Framework
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a research impact evaluation of British higher education institutions. It is the successor to the Research Assessment Exercise and it was first used in 2014 to assess the period 2008–2013. REF is underta ...
. Between 2016 and 2022, he has contributed to the
NIHR
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is the British government’s major funder of Clinical research, clinical, public health, Social care in England, social care and translational research. With a budget of over £1.2 bil ...
Research for Patient Benefit Panel and serves in multiple other review panels of global grant awarding bodies including the
EPSRC
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is a British Research Council that provides government funding for grants to undertake research and postgraduate degrees in engineering and the physical sciences, mainly to universi ...
,
MRC
MRC may refer to
Government
* Medical Research Council (United Kingdom)
* Medical Reserve Corps, a US network of volunteer organizations
* Municipalité régionale de comté (regional county municipality), Quebec, Canada
* Military Revolutionar ...
and the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
. He contributed to development of podiatric biomechanics in the UK and played a pivotal role in the establishment of the journals such as the Footwear Science and is on the editorial panel for a number of scientific and clinical journals.
Education
Chockalingam holds a BEng in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering from
Annamalai University
, logo = CampusmapofAU.jpg
, image = Annamalai University logo.png
, image_size = 225px
, motto = "With Courage and Faith"
, established =
, type ...
, India. In 1990, he obtained an MSc in Biomedical Engineering Science from
Dundee University
, mottoeng = "My soul doth magnify the Lord"
, established = 1967 – gained independent university status by Royal Charter1897 – Constituent college of the University of St Andrews1881 – University College
, t ...
before proceeding to Staffordshire University where he completed a PhD in Clinical Biomechanics. His doctoral research investigated the biomechanics of scoliosis.
Career and research
Chockalingam has international recognition in work across science, technology, engineering and medicine and has contributed extensively to synthesising scientific and clinical evidence. He has experience in the academic, industrial and clinical sectors through his collaboration with external partners in commercial consultancy, international policy and non-governmental organisations. Whilst playing a substantial role in establishing research and academic governance procedures including the establishment of research ethics policy at Staffordshire University, Chockalingam has set up the Centre for Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Technologies. He reached the position of the most senior professor at Staffordshire University and established the current version of the Staffordshire University Professoriate and led it between 2013 and 2020.
Chockalingam has made extensive academic contributions to understanding adolescent idiopathic
scoliosis
Scoliosis is a condition in which a person's spine has a sideways curve. The curve is usually "S"- or "C"-shaped over three dimensions. In some, the degree of curve is stable, while in others, it increases over time. Mild scoliosis does not t ...
. He is a founding member of the Diabetic Foot Research Group and a visiting professor at the
University of Malta
The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, postgraduate master's degrees and postgraduate doctorates. It is a member of the European University Association ...
. He also has visiting positions in other academic institutions in the United Kingdom, India and China. Chockalingam has contributed to the development of a culturally competent model of diabetic foot screening at the primary healthcare level and has made important contributions to the identification of priority areas for diabetic foot screening and the provision of rehabilitation and assistive technology. His current work focuses on policy areas related to
Allied Health Professionals and
telehealth
Telehealth is the distribution of health-related services and information via electronic information and telecommunication technologies. It allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, mon ...
. Chockalingam contributes to the developmental work on the provision of assistive technology in the ‘Global South’ and continues to raise awareness on health inequalities and cultural competency in health screening.
At a national level, for REF2021, Chockalingam has been appointed to the Panel of Experts within Subpanel 24 - Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism. He is also listed as an expert to the European Parliament in policy areas relating to the assessment of new and emerging technologies, and foresight on long-term scientific and technological trends. He is a trustee for Age UK Staffordshire, Bionic Charity and recently Human Study AV. He was involved in the development of a Field Ventilator in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Awards and recognition
As a
Freeman of the City of London
The Freedom of the City of London started around 1237 as the status of a 'free man' or 'citizen', protected by the charter of the City of London and not under the jurisdiction of a feudal lord. In the Middle Ages, this developed into a freedom or ...
, he is involved with the activities of the Worshipful Company of Engineers. He was presented with a Lord Mayor’s COVID-19 Livery Award for his work on the innovative Field Ventilator project.
Publications
Chockalingam has numerous scholarly outputs which include peer-reviewed papers, published abstracts and book chapters, invited and keynote presentations at international conferences, national and regional meetings.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chockalingam, Nachiappan
Living people
British scientists
Fellows of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine
Academics of Staffordshire University
Academic journal editors
Annamalai University alumni
Alumni of the University of Dundee
Year of birth missing (living people)