A Human Physiologist’s Journey From Lab to Leadership

The primary motivation was a love of science, curiosity for how and why the world is how it is and a desire to do my small part in creating a positive impact.

My father was a passionate ornithologist and lover of nature, so I was acquainted with the joy of focused observation early. My mother trained as a radiographer in the 1950s in a still war-damaged Guy’s Hospital – Gray’s anatomy was on the bookshelves at home. Science, medicine and health were a significant part of the discussion menu. One of my brothers is a Professor of Physics and Head of the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre at the University of Nottingham, so Mum did a good job of setting off our passion for science, medicine and having a positive impact on the world.

It has been convoluted! My initial career of choice was veterinary medicine, but having not made the grades, I decided to combine my love of sport, science and mathematics by studying for a BSc in sport sciences and mathematics at Loughborough University. I loved the human and exercise physiology aspects of the program, especially the lab work. This encouraged me to look for opportunities to undertake research. A PhD on exercise-induced muscle gene expression was advertised in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Dundee with the late Professor Mike Rennie. Having never picked up a pipette before and certainly not undertaken a northern blot, I was not the top candidate; however, Mike was able to find funds to create a studentship for me.

My PhD was very open, which is sadly unusual now as projects tend to be very defined from the outset. The theme was to examine the effect of dietary protein on muscle protein turnover and the effect of carbohydrate intake. Mike was leading the way on stable isotope techniques to interrogate protein turnover and so it was a fantastic training opportunity and was my conversion to human physiology. I undertook an industry-funded postdoc with Mike after my PhD, applying stable isotope techniques to glucose metabolism, muscle/liver glycogen storage and examining the impact of different carbohydrate sources and combinations with amino acids.

I then returned to Loughborough University as a lecturer in human and exercise physiology, where I supervised my first PhD student in metabolic inertia and exercise and the anaplerotic potential of glutamine. After a brief spell of testing the water as a research manager at King’s College Hospital, I returned to academia at London South Bank University (LSBU) where I stayed for 12 years. During this time, I became the head of sport and exercise science research and established the Academy of Sport, working closely with Stewart Ross, the director of sport.

Whilst at LSBU, I developed expertise in the assessment of motor control utilizing transcranial magnetic stimulation and peripheral nerve electrical stimulation, which I combined with my expertise in muscle biochemistry. This was through a now longstanding and productive collaboration with Professor Katya Mileva and Professor Andon Kossev. It was also at LSBU that I undertook my first project investigating the effects of tart cherry supplementation on muscle recovery after intensive exercise, exploring the putative antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.

In 2011, I moved to Exeter, where I established the BioActivEx research group. I now co-lead the group with Dr. Mary O’Leary who joined as a research fellow in 2018 and is now a senior lecturer in the department. We investigate 1) the effects of plant-derived bioactive compounds, such as tart cherry polyphenols, 2) the effects of exercise on musculoskeletal, cognitive, vascular and metabolic aging, and 3) the effects of exercise performance using a combination of whole-body, cellular and molecular techniques. Our overarching goal is to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms of action of bioactive compounds to inform the development of evidence-based bioactive interventions to support longevity, exercise performance and quality of life. 

Continue reading below...

eBook

Women in Life Sciences: Pioneers of Progress and Innovation

Read more

Since joining the University of Exeter, I have undertaken some significant management roles. From 2015 to 2020, I was head of the Sport and Health Sciences Department, and during my tenure, the department achieved significant growth in size, research quality and power. This was recognized as the number one ranking for sport-related subjects in the Research Excellence Framework, 2021. The department was also consistently ranked in the top 3 of the national university league tables and climbed to 10^th in the QS World University Rankings.

After a brief stint as associate dean of Global Engagement for the College of Environmental Sciences during the COVID-19 pandemic, the university was restructured from six colleges to three faculties, and I am now the deputy pro-vice-chancellor for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, with responsibility for three highly successful departments: Biosciences, Health and Care Professions and Psychology.

You need the hide of a rhinoceros to be a scientist, as there are frequent knockbacks – paper rejections, grant rejections, etc. But as a wise colleague told me, “all feedback is a gift” – although it is sometimes very hard to feel that way immediately upon receipt! It may need a bit of fermentation time. Reviewer feedback can always be used to improve the work, the concept or how you communicate the ideas. Resilience and optimism are critical and, very importantly, a good support team around you, whether at work or home, to keep perspective and focus.

Science is multidisciplinary and collaboration is essential but can be challenging; I have had both the best and worst experiences. I now ensure that I only collaborate with people with whom I feel on the same wavelength and can build positive and fun working relationships. We may not always agree; in fact, constructive challenge is critical to good science, but I want to enjoy life and work, so I collaborate with people I like and respect. 

There is nothing more exciting than bringing sense and meaning to a complex dataset; the endorphin surge that accompanies those eureka moments is really hard to beat!

I also really enjoy mentoring colleagues and seeing them grow and succeed. The most important aspect of my role as head of the department and as deputy pro-vice-chancellor is to create an environment in which staff can thrive and reach their potential, so seeing others succeed and do amazing and impactful science is incredibly rewarding.