Athena Swan Gold Award

Section of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences

Our multidisciplinary research group investigates the mechanisms upon which exercise, physical activity, food, and nutrition affect the ageing process, disease activity, and athlete performance.

Our research

Our Section focuses on two main areas of research:

  1. The effects of exercise and diet on healthy ageing and health outcomes, disease prevention and disease management, with a particular focus on cancer, metabolic diseases, and arthritis.
  2. Improving athlete performance through nutritional strategies, strength and conditioning, and exercise prescription.

Clinical Exercise 

Drs Bartlett, Manders, Hunt and Roberts research how exercise and diet can be prescribed to improve the health of people with chronic diseases. Using individualised exercise prescriptions generated from a comprehensive physiological assessment, they aim to understand how interventions enhance immune function, musculoskeletal health, endocrine health, and systemic and cellular metabolism.

Athlete Performance 

Nutrition, strength and conditioning and skill acquisition. Drs Hulton, Roberts, Senington, Payne, Manders, and Hunt research nutritional strategies, including flavonoids, novel protein sources, and caffeine, to improve health and performance measures. Dr James Wild and Harri Cizmic are expert strength and conditioning coaches who work with elite and professional athletes/teams and are developing new approaches to improve performance. Dr Nicholas De Cruz is a Sports Psychologist and utilises this to improve young athlete performance.

Surrey Human Performance Institute

The Surrey Human Performance Institute is a state-of-the-art physiology laboratory designed to test and train clinical populations, athletes, and individuals to improve health and performance.

Meet the team

Section lead

Andrew Hulton profile image

Dr Andrew Hulton

Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Sciences

Research lead

David Bartlett profile image

Dr David Bartlett

Senior Lecturer of Exercise Immunology

Section members

Harri Cizmic

Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science

Julie Hunt profile image

Dr Julie Hunt

Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Sciences

Ralph Manders profile image

Dr Ralph Manders

Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology and Programme Director Sport & Exercise Sciences

Ellie Miles profile image

Ellie Miles

Postgraduate Research Student

Dr Catherine Payne

Teaching Fellow in Sport and Exercise Sciences

Adam Pledger

Senior Laboratory Technician - Sport & Exercise Science

Harry Roberts profile image

Dr Harry Roberts

Lecturer in Sport & Exercise Science

Billy Senington profile image

Dr Billy Senington

Teaching Fellow in Sport and Exercise Science

James Wild

Lecturer in Sport & Exercise Science

Nicholas de Cruz profile image

Dr Nicholas de Cruz

Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology