Published on 27 September 2017
Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology Dr Lisa Board has achieved two milestones in her career this year – achieving her PhD and becoming a Fellow of The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), the professional body which promotes that promotes excellence in research and professional practice in sport and exercise sciences in the UK.
Dr Board has been an active member of BASES since 1998. She said: “I’m delighted to receive this fellowship. As a long-standing member of BASES I have valued the numerous opportunities to get actively involved in many aspects of the professional organisation over the years, including sitting as a member of the editorial board for The Sport and Exercise Scientist, acting as the physiology CPD workshop representative, presenting at BASES Annual conferences, supervising aspiring sport and exercise scientists through the accreditation process and reviewing portfolios for BASES Accreditation. I also review applications for the BASES Undergraduate Endorsement Scheme, which is the recognised standard for sport and exercise sciences in the UK. I have been the lucky recipient of a BASES travel grant undergraduate courses in the UK. I firmly believe that if you study or work in professions aligned to sports and exercise sciences in the UK, you should become affiliated with BASES.
“For me, it’s what you can give back to BASES that matters. The knowledge, skills and opportunties I have gained from being a member of BASES now allows me to nurture and support the next generation of sport and exercise scientists. I encourage all my students to join and become actively involved in their professional organisation."
As well as being an Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist through BASES and a Chartered Scientist with the Science Council, Dr Board has taught sport, exercise and clinical-related physiology in Higher Education since 1995, and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Previously she has worked extensively with Exercise Referral and Cardiac Rehabilitation schemes, developing CPD educational training programmes for exercise instructors. She specialises in sport, exercise and clinical physiology.
Dr Ian Whyte, Team Leader for Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Sunderland, said: “This BASES accolade is well-deserved and is reward for the years of work that Dr Board has undertaken on behalf of the profession. Her outputs have been far-reaching in terms of supporting and accrediting other sport and exercise scientists, mentoring BASES colleagues, and being involved in on-going work related to the BASES undergraduate endorsement scheme in which University programmes are assessed and endorsed if they meet professional standards. To take this work on board, while completing her PhD and giving unstinting support to her own University of Sunderland students, is an attestation to Lisa’s professionalism and resolve. Given this commitment, it is perhaps not surprising to find that Dr Board has supervised two students to win the BASES Masters Dissertation of the Year Awards twice in the last five years.”
Dr Board completed her PhD, which explored the impact of intermittent hypoxic pre-acclimation on cardiovascular autonomic modulations during ascent to very high altitude. The research involved comparing the impact of different preacclimation interventions on subsequent health outcomes during a 23 day trek from Lukla to Mera Peak in the Himalayas, Nepal, with data collection at 2800m, 4300m and 5300m. Most recently, she has supervised two high altitude postgraduate research projects involving physiological data collection during ascents on Mont Blanc and in the Atlas Mountains.
Dr Board’s current research interest focus around occupational physiology and health. She is currently developing an innovative Workplace Health Initiative at the University of Sunderland that aims to encourage and empower lifestyle behaviour changes to enhance cardiovascular and mental health among employees. She has also developed exciting collaborations with national Fire and Rescue Services to explore cardiovascular health and risk in fire-fighters.”