From undergraduate to published researcher

What can a degree in Sport & Exercise Science lead to? For some students, it becomes the start of a research career that genuinely shapes the future of human performance and rehabilitation.

One recent graduate, Benjamin Butler, used his BSc at Essex to build the skills and confidence needed to work with advanced technologies such as EMG, motion analysis and neuromuscular assessment. The combination of strong theoretical teaching and hands-on laboratory experience, particularly in biomechanics, helped him discover a passion for research.

In his final year, he completed a dissertation with Dr Bernard Liew that was later published in Clinical Biomechanics and awarded the Human Performance Unit Project Prize. That project led directly to his current role as a Research Officer within SRES, working on an MRC funded study into recurrent neck pain. He’s now continuing his journey as a PhD researcher, using wearable biomechanical data to understand neck pain in real world settings.

“The undergraduate programme at Essex provided the foundation, practical experience, and opportunities that enabled my progression into research and doctoral study.”

This is what studying at Essex makes possible: real skills, real research, real pathways.

Benjamin Butler pictured at Graduation.