I completed both my Undergraduate and Masters degrees at Sheffield Hallam University. Shortly after completing my MSc, I gained a position as a Research and Teaching Assistant in Biomechanics at the University of Cumbria in 2006. During this time I completed a part time PhD at the University of Salford. I joined the Department of Sport and Physical Activity at Edge Hill University in September 2015. In August 2017 I moved to the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine to pursue my interest in Public Health Research. 

My PhD studies considered the measurement of knee joint position sense following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. ACL injury is common in sports performers and can be serious enough to end careers. I have also completed research into other sporting injuries in for example multi-day running events, rugby, basketball and football.

Since moving to the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine my research focus is public health physical activity interventions. My vision is to lead research that supports adults to adopt and maintain physical activity using evidence-based, tailored neighbourhood programmes. My research expertise includes the design and implementation of community physical activity interventions for health with a special interest in musculoskeletal injury in new exercisers. I am passionate about bringing principles of sport science into public health physical activity programmes and bridging the gap between evidence and practice to deliver impact. I have developed productive partnerships with parkrun, None to Run (a beginners running app) and Couch to 5k groups to deliver research on this topic. Alongside this I also lead research on nature and health. I have contributed to projects commissioned by Greater Manchester’s Nature for Health programme and The National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP). This included reviewing the economic evaluation methods used in nature-based interventions for health and presenting the economic benefits of this work to strengthen the evidence base for future commissioning. A related project led to generation of evidence on the benefits of green social prescribing and nature-based interventions on long term conditions (LTCs), which is critical to future commissioning given the rise in LTCs and the need to find novel treatment pathways.

I am, also a systematic reviewer and a lead author on a Cochrane Review entitled: Running shoes for preventing lower limb running injuries in adults. I have published one other Cochrane review and have two more in progress; these focus on the topic of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. 

I currently lead the following modules: 

- HEA4444 Research Methods (L7)

- HUG4048 and HUG4049 Dissertation (L7)

- HUG3100 and HUG3240 Dissertation (L6)

- HUG2213 Understanding Research (L5)

- HUG1137 - Professional and Academic Skills (L4)

I also contribute to: 

- The Public Health theme on the Medical Degrees

- Public Health sessions to Nursing, Midwifery and Social Care students. 

I am currently supervising UG and Masters Dissertations, plus MRes students. I supervise two PhD students. I have three PhD supervisory completions, one as DoS.