Our Staff

Ross Cloak is an Associate Professor in Sport and Exercise Science and the Head of the Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre (SPARC). His research focuses on how sports science can be applied to improve athlete health and performance. With experience as a practitioner in combat sports, soccer, and endurance sports, Dr. Cloak’s current work includes altitude training in combat sports, the use of virtual reality technology in elite soccer, and return-to-play analysis in sport.

Paul Davies supports physiology and biomechanics projects.

Alison Forbes, Senior Lecturer in Sport Sociology “My research is driven by a commitment to advancing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within sport. I am particularly interested in understanding the experiences of women who work or participate in traditionally male-dominated environments. My published work has examined the transition from women’s amateur to semi-professional football, the experiences of female football officials, and the implications of sex segregation within the sport. Currently, my research focuses on exploring interpersonal violence in women’s football, with the aim of informing safer and more equitable sporting cultures.”

Shaun Galloway’s research interests are varied and include sport psychology practice, training theory, sports coaching delivery, applied psychophysiological interventions for quinquagenarian and older, and applied multidisciplinary examination into physical activity and dementia.

Helen Keane research challenges norms, centre marginalised voices, and seek to reimagine PE as a space for belonging, empowerment, and transformation. Her research explores inclusive, equitable, and student-centred approaches to physical education (PE). Her interests include the student voice in PE, barriers and opportunities for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in PE settings, with a focus on policy, pedagogy, and lived experience, interrogate structural inequalities and promote equitable access, participation, and outcomes in physical education in relation to gender, and the intersection of gender, embodiment, and wellbeing practices in PE.

Ian Lahart’s main area of research area is on the role of physical activity in the prevention and treatment of non-communicable disease. Particularly he has worked with patients with cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and related metabolic conditions, and arthritis. He is also interested in the communication of science and meta-research, field of research that investigates research practices and quality.

Andy Lane is an internationally recognised expert in sport and exercise psychology. His current research is distinguished by its interdisciplinary focus across sport, health, and psychological science, aimed at improving both performance and wellbeing. His work addresses real-world issues through robust scientific inquiry and applied interventions. Key themes include: performance and psychological regulation, health and clinical applications of exercise psychology, combat sports and weight classification and social development through sport.

Mark Niemz is a UKSCA tutor and coach. His research focuses on the application of strength and conditioning to a number of sports, with a particular focus on the shoulder complex.

Ronnie Richards is a sociologist with a focus on intersectionality and EDI.

Tina Smith’s main research interests revolve around health and exercise. Specifically, the biomechanics of functional movement and activities of daily living in differing populations, with a main focus on Parkinson’s disease. This work includes exploring how biomechanically derived feedback and exercise interventions can be used to improve musculoskeletal health and functional performance at everyday tasks.

Josh Till is a senior sport laboratory technician in the Department of Sport. He is 3 years into his PhD which is focused on the application of hypoxic training in combat sports. So far, the PhD has primarily been focused on developing physical capacities and supporting return to play in British Judo athletes who are housed on Campus.

Outside of work, Josh has also started to develop a sport science educational platform for grappling athlete, coaches and practitioners which links in nicely with his research interests. More recently he has also taken up a role as an online strength and conditioning coach which primarily has him working with Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and judo athletes. In his spare time, Josh also enjoys training BJJ and taking part in local competitions. 

Michelle Worthington is the principal technician for the School of Sport, School of Education & School of Psychology. She has just started studying for a PhD in the field of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Her research will examine the various aspects of PCOS, including its causes, underlying mechanisms and potential natural interventions. Through the combination of my academic and personal experience, I aim to contribute to the growing body of knowledge surrounding PCOS and ultimately make a positive impact on the lives of individuals living with this condition.

Gavin Ward is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Education at the University of Wolverhampton and a leading member of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion research theme within the Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre (SPARC). The theme is focused on research that positively impacts social justice in relation to (dis)ability, gender, age, class, race and ethnicity. Gavin has recently completed a £40k research project for British University and Colleges Sport (BUCS) to explore Race and Equality within university sport and physical activity provision.   Recommendations from this UK-wide research are now in the process of being implemented by BUCS.  Gavin Supervises a range of research students across a range of subject areas including health, psychology and sport. These include full-time, part-time and professional doctorate students.

Matthew Wyon is a Professor in Exercise Physiology and Chair of the Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre (SPARC). He leads research in Dance Medicine and Science with one of the world’s largest PhD programmes. His main focus is on the performance enhance and health of elite dancers as well as Dance for Health. He is part of an international research group that includes PhD students from across the globe looking at different dance genres from a physiological and biomechanics perspective. Current topics includes relative energy deficiency in dance (RED-D), effect of fatigue on movement quality and Bhangra dance as a health intervention.