Dr Jon Farmer is a Lecturer in Design Engineering and is internationally recognised for research in the area of traumatic brain injury mechanisms and methods of preventing them.
He is a member of the Sports Technology Research Group, the Prehabilitation theme of the National Rehabilitation Centre and contributes to the development of international test methods for the ASTM committee.
Jon’s research has attracted funding from national and international bodies and he has multiple collaborations with world-leading academics, industry partners and research institutes. Jon has spent several months as a JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow and has conducted collaborative research with the Tokyo Institute of Technology and Japan Automobile Research Institute.
Previously, Dr Farmer was a Research Associate within the Sports Technology Institute where he filed his first international patent for the Loughborough University Surrogate Neck (LUSN), developed during his PhD- ‘An Advanced Human Surrogate Neck for Sports Impact Injury Research’.
In 2015, Dr Farmer was awarded a First Class (Hons) BSc in Sport Technology from Loughborough University. Jon also achieved a Diploma in Industrial Studies (DIS) following a placement year conducting research and development for world-leading sport brands, and national and international governing bodies, such as Nike, Umbro, British Cycling and FIFA.
Key awards
- 2020: JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- 2020: Mizuno Sports Best Paper Award at the International Sports Engineering Association Conference, Tokyo, Japan
- 2016: JSPS Summer Program Fellow
Jon’s research involves the development of biofidelic human surrogates that allow for laboratory investigation into the causation of traumatic brain injuries, primarily arising through sport impacts. His research has investigated how properties of the human neck can influence the risk of brain injury during these impacts.
He has a keen interest in the efficacy testing of protective equipment and the development of both national and international test standards, to contribute to a reduction in the risk of injuries. Jon’s research is currently focused on the development of experimental methods to investigate the head kinematics during indirect (body-first) impacts for vulnerable road users and military personnel.
Jon has a growing interest in the use of wearable sensors and virtual reality to allow for the ethical investigation of human response to impacts.
Current teaching responsibilities
- WSC401 – Design Methods and Communication
- WSC500 – Individual Project
- WSD503 – Project Engineering: Total Product Design
- WSP084 – Product Design Engineering in Sport
Current administrative responsibilities
- Deputy Director of Professional Training
- Tokyo Institute of Technology
- Japan Automobile Research Institute
- University of Southern Mississippi
- US Army Research Laboratory