Dr Mia Burleigh is a Reader in Clinical Exercise Physiology at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), where she leads interdisciplinary research at the interface of exercise physiology, microbiology, and health. Her work focuses on the effects of exercise and diet on the microbiome, particularly in relation to nitrate metabolism, nitric oxide bioavailability, and cardiometabolic and cancer outcomes.

Dr Burleigh graduated with a first-class honours degree in Sport and Exercise Science from UWS in 2016. As an undergraduate, she was awarded competitive studentships from the Carnegie Trust and The Physiological Society to investigate the role of nitric oxide in cardiovascular health and seasonal UVA-mediated nitric oxide production in humans.

She completed her PhD in 2020, supported by a studentship from the Hannah Research Foundation, with a thesis investigating the interactions between dietary nitrate, the oral microbiome, and cardiovascular physiology. Since then, she has established a strong interdisciplinary research portfolio with outputs in microbiome science, exercise testing, and translational health research.

Dr Burleigh is an Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist (Physiology) with the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (CASES) and holds Chartered Scientist status with the Science Council. She leads and contributes to national accreditation and endorsement processes for sport programmes and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

She has expertise in advanced physiological testing, microbiological and biochemical techniques, and bioinformatics. Her applied work includes consultancy and testing with a range of populations, including clinical groups, elite athletes, and Olympic and Paralympic champions. She is currently leading or co-leading externally funded research projects, including a Medical Research Scotland PhD studentship with industry partners, and is preparing for future fellowship applications to support her trajectory as a research leader in exercise-microbiome interactions and health

Nitric oxide, cadivascular health, bioinformatics, microbiology, exercise physiology

Dr Burleigh’s research explores the complex interactions between exercise, the microbiome, and human health, with particular focus on nitrate metabolism, nitric oxide bioavailability, and oral and cardiometabolic outcomes. Her interdisciplinary work integrates exercise physiology, microbiology, and translational health sciences, contributing to innovation in areas such as antimicrobial resistance, cardiovascular health, and cancer.

She has collaborated with industry partners, including tensARC Ltd., during the COVID-19 pandemic on the development and evaluation of novel fabric face coverings, supported by funding from the Scottish Funding Council and Innovate UK.

Dr Burleigh has an active supervisory portfolio and experience of supporting postgraduate researchers across disciplines and international institutions. She currently co-supervises two PhD students:

Current PhD Supervision

Director of Studies:

• Siobhan Moran (PhD, DoS, UWS, 2022–present) — Nitrate supplementation as an alternative to antiseptic mouthwash to reduce the burden of antimicrobial resistance (ongoing)

(Co-Supervisor):

• Scott Findlay (UWS) — Interactions of oral health, the oral microbiome and nitric oxide bioavailability in Alzheimer’s disease

• Elena Bowles (Heriot-Watt University) — The oral microbiome and metabolism

Completed Supervision:

• Annabel Simpson (PhD, DoS, UWS, 2021–2024) — BEET Periodontitis: The effect of nitric oxide-producing oral bacteria on periodontal health

• Andrea Danieli (MRes, Second Supervisor, UWS, 2021–2023) — The effect of nitrate-rich vegetables on oral health: a mechanistic investigation

• Cameron Ross (MRes, Second Supervisor, UWS, 2023–2024) — Associations among nitric oxide bioavailability, fitness and oral microbiome composition in heart failure patients and healthy participants

• Macy Stahl (MRes-equivalent, Committee Member, University of Virginia, USA, 2023–2024) — Associations among nitric oxide bioavailability, fitness and oral microbiome composition in heart failure patients and healthy participants