Biomedical Sciences

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In 1992 Dr Wickham received a Bachelor of Sports Science (exercise science) from the University of New South Wales and a Diploma of Education (physical education) in 1993 from the same institution. In 1995 he received a 1st Class Honours Degree from the University of Wollongong and a PhD in 2002 which focussed on the activation patterns of skeletal muscle segments around the shoulder joint.

From 1999 to mid 2008 Dr Wickham worked as an Anatomy Lecturer at La Trobe University in Melbourne. He has been employed at CSU from mid 2008 to the present as a Human Anatomy and Physiology Lecturer.

His current research interests include energy expenditure and muscle activity (EMG) during various forms of exercise and also using exercise as a fall prevention strategy in the elderly.

Teaching

Teaching philosophy

Dr Wickham's key objective as a teacher is to encourage students to develop a real interest and enthusiasm in the subject matter and hence to empower students with an intrinsic motivation to learn and gain new knowledge.

Current subjects taught

• BMS129 - Physiological Sciences 1
• BMS130 - Physiological Sciences 2

Research

The experiments done in Dr Wickham's Honours and his PhD work were designed to investigate the extent to which the CNS can control the activation of individual subunits (segments) of single muscles. From these investigations they have found that those segments with the most direct line of action for a particular task were generally activated first and displayed the highest levels of myoelectric activity.  Thus concluded that the notion of individual muscle segments acting as muscles within muscles allows the CNS to fine tune the activity of skeletal muscles to efficiently meet the demands of the imposed motor task. 

Research done at La Trobe University centered on the comparison of muscle activity around the shoulder in ‘normals and pathological shoulders (multidirectional instability).  We compiled a comprehensive database detailing shoulder muscle activation patterns (EMG) during various standardized shoulder joint movements for normal subjects, something that is lacking in the literature.   Data was collected on the pathological shoulders and results showed quantifiable differences in the two group’s activations patterns.   The results of this experiment from the pre and post rehabilitation EMG testing have provided for better outcome measures for the multidirectional shoulder as our results have started to be implemented by physicians in clinical practice.  This collaboration with La Trobe University staff is ongoing with the publication of papers from this work set to continue.

Research initially done at Charles Sturt University was focused on central fatigue and the role of dehydration with this research ongoing at the moment.  Other research that Dr Wickham is involved with at CSU is in the measurement of energy expenditure and muscle activity during group fitness classes.  The muscle activity is measured by wireless surface electrodes and the energy expenditure (calories burnt) is measured via a small device that attaches to chest and measures heart rate and motion thereby using an equation with these two variables to give you caloric expenditure.  He is also working on a project involving a comparison between weight training programs and a Crossfit workout again investigating energy expenditure and muscle activity.

Publications

• Wickham, J.B. & Brown, J.M.M. (2012). The function of neuromuscular compartments in human shoulder muscles, Journal of Neurophysiology, 107, pp 336-345
• Scott, L.A. Murley, G.S. & Wickham, J.B. (2012). The influence of footwear on the electromyographic activity of selected lower limb muscles during walking, Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 22, pp 1010-1016
• Wickham, JB., Pizzari, T., Stansfeld, K., Burnside, A & Watson, L. (2009). Quantifying 'normal' shoulder muscle activity during abduction. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 20 [Epub ahead of print].
• Murley, G.S., Buldt, A.K., Trump, P.J. & Wickham, J.B. (2009). Tibialis posterior EMG activity during barefoot walking in people with neutral foot posture. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 19 pp e69-e77.
• Brown, J.M.M., Wickham, J.B., McAndrew, D.J. & Huang, X-F. (2007). Muscles within muscles: Coordination of 19 muscle segments within three shoulder muscles during isometric motor tasks, Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 17 (1) pp 57-73.
• Brown, J.M.M. & Wickham, J.B. (2006). Neuromotor coordination of multisegmental muscle during a change in movement direction. Journal of Musculoskeletal Research, 10, (2) pp 63-74
• Buldt, A., Trump, P., Murley, G & Wickham, J.B. Electromyographic activity
  of tibialis posterior in neutral foot types during barefoot walking. (2007). Clinical Anatomy, 20: p 573.
  
• Wickham, J.B., Brown, J.M.M., McAndrew, J.M., & Green,R. (2004). Muscles within muscles:The classical triphasic EMG burst and its applicability to segments of large radiate agonist/antagonistic muscles, Journal of Musculoskeletal Research, 8, Nos 2 & 3, pp107-117.
  
• Wickham, J.B., Brown, J.M.M. & McAndrew, J.M. (2004). Muscles within muscles: anatomical and functional segmentation of selected shoulder joint musculature, Journal of Musculoskeletal Research, 8 (1) pp 57-73.
  
• Dowling, A., Downey,B.,Green,R., Wickham,J., & Reddy, P. (2003) Anatomical and possible clinical relationships between the calcaneofibular ligament and peroneus brevis-a pilot study. Manual Therapy, 8 (3), pp 170-175.
  
• Wickham, J.B. (2002) Muscles within muscles: the neuromotor activation patterns of intramuscular segments, PhD Thesis, University of Wollongong. 
• Wickham, J.B. and Brown, J.M.M. (1998). Muscles within muscles: the neuromotor control of intramuscular segments. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 78, pp 219-225.