Associate Head of School of Sport, Health and Performance
I am the Associate Head of School for Sport, Health and Performance. I gained my PhD in Environmental (High Altitude) Physiology from Leeds Beckett University, and a European Master’s in Adapted Physical Activity from the University of Northumbria (in conjunction with the University of Leuven, Belgium and the Université du Montpellier, France). I completed my undergraduate studies in Human Movement Science at the University of Liverpool.
I am an Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist through the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), a Chartered Scientist with the Science Council, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Currently, I Chair the Education and Standards group for UK Clinical Exercise Physiology (UK-CEP), and previously Chaired the BASES Higher Education Undergraduate and Postgraduate Endorsement Advisory Group.
Teaching and supervision
Research interests for potential research students
I can offer research projects in areas related to my current research interests to candidates interested in lifestyle and health-related behaviours, and exercise/physical activity for clinical populations, women’s health, or environmental exercise physiology.
Research
I have a keen interest in environmental physiology. My PhD research explored the impact of intermittent hypoxic pre-acclimation on cardiovascular autonomic modulations during ascent to very high altitude and involved a 17 day trek from Lukla to Mera Peak in the Himalayas, Nepal, with data collection at 2800m, 4300m and 5300m. More recently, I have supervised two high altitude postgraduate research projects involving physiological data collection during ascents on Mont Blanc and the Atlas Mountains.
I also have an interest in occupational physiology and I am currently seeking collaborations and funding for an innovative Workplace Health Initiative to encourage lifestyle behaviour changes to promote positive cardiovascular and mental health.
Combining my environmental and occupational health interests, I am seeking collaborations and funding to further explore cardiovascular health and risk in fire-fighters during, and after, fire-fighting activities.
- Sport and Exercise Physiology
- Clinical Physiology
- Research Methods