I am an internationally-recognised exercise physiologist with over 30 years experience. Specifically I have an international reputation in investigating the factors that influence cycling performance and the physiological responses to cycle ergometry. Other areas of research interest include the use of exercise and physical activity to improve health and quality of life in the general population and clinical groups. I am an editor of the Journal of Sport Medicine and the Journal of Science and Cycling, former editor of the Journal of Sports Sciences and have published in excess of 50 scientific papers and book chapters and am currently an expert reviewer for the Journal of Sports Sciences, the International Journal of Sports Medicine, European Journal of Sport Sciences, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise the Welcome Trust and the Medical Research Council. I am a Fellow and former Chair and Honorary Treasurer of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences and currently the President of the ECSS Congress Glasgow 2021 and a Professor of Exercise Physionlogy in School of Science and Sport at the University of the West of Scotland.

I am the Director of the Chromosome 18 Europe Research Centre , Vice-Chair and Member of the Research Advisory Group for the Observatory for Sport in Scotland.
I was also a successful competitive cyclists winning 11 medals (6 gold, 2 sliver, 3 bronze) at Scottish Championships. I am a Level 3 Coach and Coach Educator for British Cycling (18 years) and have coached at Commonwealth and Olympic Games level.

Areas of research interest include;

• The cross-sectional and longitudinal effect of aging on cycling performance and laboratory test results
• Allometric scaling in cycling performance
• The effects of massage on cycling performance
• Markers of cardiac damage resulting from endurance cycling
• Markers of inflammation resulting from endurance cycling
• Oxidative damage that results from endurance cycling
• The assessment of peak power output in sprint cyclists
• The impact of pacing strategy on the physiological responses during cycling time trial performance
• The impact of competition on performance in a simulated cycling time trial
• Management of blood glucose in type 1 diabetes during exercise
• The use of white blood cells to measure changes in insulin sensitivity with exercise
• The effect of exercise in Parkinson’s Disease
• Physiological demands of DH mountain biking
• Workability and occupational health
• Chromosome 18 abnormalities and their treatment

I am currently the director of the Chromosome 18 Europe Research Centre which has the following mission and goals

Mission

To provide individuals and families affected by chromosome 18 abnormalities with evidence based medical and therapeutical information

Goals:

• To be the European medical and educational resource for individuals with chromosome 18 abnormalities and their families
• To perform and facilitate clinical, therapeutic and basic research relating to chromosome 18 abnormalities
• To develop and evaluate treatments and interventions that enhance the quality of life for people with chromosome 18 abnormalities
• To enhance European-level cooperation and coordination on therapy/treatment options for people with chromosome 18 abnormalities
• Communicate recent relevant clinical research in a language and format easily understood by families affected by chromosome 18 abnormalities

   We are partly funded by the Chromosome 18 Registry and Research Society (Europe) and currently have a project specifically looking at the feeding and nutritional issues for affected individuals.