About us

Professor Ivan Birch

Ivan graduated in 1978 with a BSc Joint Honours in Science from the University of Salford, gained an MSc in Human Biology from the University of Loughborough in 1980, and was awarded a PhD in Biomechanics by the University of Brighton in 2007. He has extensive experience of teaching biomechanics, anatomy, physiology and research methods, and is Emeritus Professor of Human Sciences.

Ivan is a Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences, and was an accredited forensic practitioner in forensic gait analysis, holding the society’s certificate of professional competence in this area of practice, until 2018 when he took on the role of assessor for the competency testing process. In 2015 he was awarded the status of the Chartered Scientist by the Science Council and College of Podiatry for his work in forensic gait analysis.

Since becoming involved with forensic gait analysis in 2011 Ivan has undertaken case work for police forces and solicitors around the UK, taking instructions for both prosecution and defence. He has worked as an invited member of the College of Podiatry's Forensic Podiatry Interest Group, and as a member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences’ Forensic Gait Analysis Working Group developing standards of practice for forensic gait analysis, in collaboration with the Forensic Science Regulator and Home Office. He is an affiliate member of the Video/Imaging Technology and Analysis Subcommittee of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees For Forensic Science (OSAC), National
Institute of Standards and Technology, US.

Ivan is a consultant expert witness in forensic gait analysis for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is included on the National Crime Agency Major Crime Investigative Support Experts Advisers Database. He has more than 40 years’ experience of gait analysis.

Nadia Asgeirsdottir 

Nadia graduated in 2007 with a BSc in Biology from the University of Toronto, Canada. She gained Advanced Specialty Certificates in Forensic Investigation and in Crime Scene Analysis from the British Columbia Institute of Technology in 2010. In 2018 Nadia was awarded an MSc in Forensic Science from the University of Strathclyde, her research project being titled ‘The identification of individuals by observational gait analysis using closed circuit television footage: comparing expert and non-expert ability and confidence levels’. Nadia is an Associate Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Science, holds the Society’s certificates of professional competence in both Forensic Gait Analysis and Barefoot/Foot in Shoe Analysis, and is included on the National Crime Agency Major Crime Investigative Support Experts Advisers Database.