Tom's research interests are in the area of Strength and Conditioning as well as Rugby Injury Epdiemiology. Currently Tom is undertaking research in the area of rugby injury surveillance, monitoring of training, strength and power diagnostics, pedagogy of the Sand;C coach and strength training interventions. Tom is collaborating with the Irish Rugby Football Union and Swim Ireland on these research projects. He currently supervises six PhD scholars and has supervised 9 PhD students to completion. Tom is the co_PI on the IRFU-UL Injury Surveillance project, named IRIS (Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance). This project investigates the incidence of injuries within the domestic Rugby union game in Ireland. This research project is funded by the IRFU and commenced in September 2016 for an initial period of six years. In 2022 this funded was extended to 2030. Postgraduate Students - Current PhD Students (6 in total): Lorna Barry: Training load and relationship to injury and illness in competitive swimming (IRC funded project) Kilian Bibby: Injury surveillance and prevention in women's amateur rugby union (IRIS project) Patrick Dolan: Injury prevention strategies in rugby union (IRIS project) Lauren Guilfoyle: Injury surveillance and prevention in school rugby union (IRIS project) Ed Hartery: SSC and rowing performance Antonia Rossiter: Jet-lag and travel fatigue in high performance athletes and support staff PhD Graduates (9 in total): Claire Brady: Development of a strength and power diagnostic system for use with Irish Olympic athletes. (IRC Scholar) Alan Griffin: Training load and relationship to injury in amateur rugby union. (IRC Scholar) Richard Johnston: Injury surveillance within endurance sporting disciplines. (UL EHS Faculty PhD Scholar) Therese Leahy: Injury surveillance in schoolboy rugby union. (IRIS project, funded by the IRFU) Cathal Óg O'Sullivan: FMS and student voice in post-primary schools. Caoimhe Tiernan: Monitoring in Rugby union. (PESS Department PhD Scholar) Frank Nugent: High-intensity training in swimming. (Part-funded by the National Aquatic Centre Swimming Club) Ciara Sinnott-O'Connor: Monitoring in Paralympic sports. (Funded by Paralympic Ireland) Caithriona Yeomans: Injury surveillance in Rugby union. (IRIS project, funded by the Irish Rugby Football Union)

Currently teaching on the BSc in Sport and Exercise Sciences and BA in Physical Education. Tom also teaches on the MSc in Sports Performance and the MSc in Applied Sports Coaching. Tom's teaching interests are in Strength and Conditioning, Human Movement, Biomechanics, Fundamental Motor Skills, Athletics and Pedagogy. Tom has received several teaching awards from the EHS faculty and UL.

Tom joined the PESS Department in August 2015 as a lecturer in Human Movement Science and Strength and Conditioning. His researchandnbsp;and teaching interests involve all aspects of Human Movement Science with a particular focus on Strength and Conditioning (Sand;C) and Rugby Injury Epidemiology.andnbsp; Tom is co-Theme Leader for 'Rugby Science' one of the core themes, of the Sport and Human Performance Research Centre, based at the University of Limerick. He is also the co-PI on the Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance project funded by the IRFU.andnbsp;Tomandnbsp;is a graduate of the PESS Department in UL. He has a BA in Physical Education (1996), an MSc inandnbsp;theandnbsp;area of motor skill acquistion (1999) and a PhD inandnbsp;the area ofandnbsp;strength training for Rugby Union (2006). His research was funded by the IRFU and provided scientific evidence for optimising the potentiation benefits of complex training for Rugby players. Following the completion of his PhD, Tom worked as anandnbsp;Sand;C coach with Munster Rugby and the IRFUandnbsp;before taking up the post of Head of Sand;C at the Irish Institute of Sport, leading Sand;C provision and strategy for Ireland's Olympians and Paralympians. He is currently Sand;C coach to a number of Ireland's Olympic and Paralympic athletes. In addition, Tomandnbsp;is himself an Olympian and an accomplished Irish sprinter. He competed in the 4 x 100 m relay for Ireland at the Sydney Olympic Games.andnbsp; andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;