Dr Thies is a biomedical engineer working in the area of biomechanics and measurement of human movement. The motivation for her research lies in unintentional injuries that lead to disability and reduced independence, which cost the UK millions of pounds every year. She has been working on a range of projects concerned with stability and falls of older adults, with a special interest in walking aid ambulation. She has authored and co-authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications to date, has given talks at international and national conferences and is a very active reviewer for several journals.