I am a Lecturer in Physical Activity for Health in the School of Psychological Sciences and Health. I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Medicine in 1998 followed by a PhD in 2003, both from the University of Glasgow. After my PhD, I was a Research Fellow in the Department of Human Nutrition at the University of Glasgow, followed by seven years as a Lecturer in the School of Sport at the University of Stirling before joining the University of Strathclyde in 2012.

I co-ordinate the following classes in the BSc Sport and Physical Activity degree:  Advanced Topics in Physical Activity and Physical Activity for Health, Fitness and Wellbeing, and I supervise undergraduate dissertation projects and postgraduate MPhil and PhD students.

My research interests are multidisciplinary and include developing generalisable interventions to promote physical activity and change other health behaviours (e.g. diet and sedentary behaviour) in a range of groups including obese children, adolescent girls, postnatal women, survivors of colorectal cancer and cardiac rehabilitation patients, and evaluating the efficacy of these interventions on physical activity and sedentary behaviour (using objective and subjective methods), health outcomes (e.g. weight, body composition, cardiovascular fitness, quality of life), and using qualitative approaches. Recent research in this area includes the Scottish Childhood Obesity Treatment Trial (SCOTT) and the More Active MuMs in Stirling (MAMMiS) trial. Other research interests involve exploring patterns of sedentary behaviour, physical activity and growth across childhood and their influence on disease outcomes (e.g. obesity and cardiometabolic health) and measurement of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adults. Recent/current research in these areas have focused on the influence of early adiposty rebound on obesity in adolescence, changes in objectively measured PA (total and MVPA) across childhood and evaluation of the Girls on the Move (GOTM) national programme. 

Expertise and Capabilities include:  

• Development and testing of health behaviour change interventions
• Measurement of physical activity and sedentary behaviour
• Patterns of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and growth in childhood