Our Student Community
The Centre for Sport, Exercise and Life Sciences (CSELS) has a vibrant post graduate student community and is an exciting and supportive environment to pursue graduate studies.
You will benefit from access to a world-class, health and life sciences laboratory environment with industry standard research and teaching facilities. You will become a part of a multi-professional team of renowned academics, researchers and clinicians.
| Name | Thesis Title | Director of Studies |
|---|---|---|
| Ralfe Alibhai-Ribeiro | Investigations into the effects of calorie restriction on cardiac contractile function in naïve and stressed conditions | Dr Mayel Gharanei |
| Mahnoor Adil | Effect of hypoxia (low oxygen) on macrophage gene expression – development of new hypoxia targeted gene terapy strategies | Dr Bernard Burke |
| Kyler Amsbury | Effects of Motor Competence Interventions on Children's' Physical Activity and Health | Professor Michael Duncan |
| Louise Anderson | How do transplant athletes experience competitive sport: A volleyball perspective? | Dr Mike Price |
| Ellis Baderinwa | Investigating the cellular, molecular and intracellular cardiotoxic effects of the anti-cancer agent crizotinib and identifying therapeutic strategies to ameliorate injury | Dr Afhab Hussain |
| Victoria Barton | Motor competence and the isotemporal substitution of physical activity, sedentary time and sleep in children | Dr Cain Clark |
| Jasmin Bhandal | Cardioprotection via late reperfusion activation of Adenosine receptors | Dr Afhab Hussain |
| Austine Ehibhatiomham | Investigating the thermostability and activity of Dypib manganese active-site mutants from Pseudomonas fluorescents Pf-5 towards lignolytic substrates | Dr Sebastien Farnaud |
| Sophie Fletcher | Development of the next generation of clinically alligned work loop model to investigate cardiac dysfunction | Professor Helen Maddock |
| Imandeep Gahir | Rationalising community dispensing systems through new integrated new care models for patients with long term conditions: an economic analysis of the impact on patients, costs and incumbent pharmacies | Dr Darren Baines (External) |
| Louise Gates | Psycho-social Interventions for Adults with Intellectual Disabilitiy and Associated Mental Health Conditions | Dr Martin Bollard |
| Richardo Goncalves- Martins | Cognitively-demanding physical activity effects on cognition and academic performance in primary school children | Dr Emma Eyre |
| Lisa Hackney | Are there characteristics associated with high performing breast units that could inform recommendations to standardise arbitration or consensus processes? | Professor Derek Renshaw |
| Thomas Hames | What are the Athletic Performance Implications of a Life Saving Organ Transplant on the Body? | Dr Mike Price |
| Edyah Hosseini | The effects of acute and chronic slow versus fast velocity eccentric exercise training on physical functional performance and musculoskeletal characteristics in young and older adults. | Dr Matt Hill |
| Hateem Kayani | Effect of Hypoxia (Low Oxygen) on Macrophage Gene Expreession - Development of New Hypoxia Targeted Gene Therapy Strategies | Dr Bernard Burke |
| Fatmah Khalefah | Investigating the cellular, molecular and intercellular cardiotoxic effects of anti-muscarinic ipratropium in order to identify the signalling pathways involved in cardiomyocyte death | Dr Kate Harvey |
| Lorena Mejuto Miranda | Acyl Protein Thioesterases, Substrate Interactions, Pathophysiology | Dr Jennifer Greaves |
| Richard Morgan | Intrinsic risk factors in development and academy players for prolonged participation in rugby union | Dr Mike Price |
| Sheriden Morley | Psycho-Social Interventions for the Treatment of Depression | Dr Martin Bollard |
| Kayleigh Orchard | The molecular basis of human tendon pathologies: Studying both epigenetic and global gene expression profiles | Dr Stu Raleigh |
| Sharn Shelley | The effects of age and obesity on contractile function of skeletal muscle | Dr Jason Tallis |
| Charles Steward | Hot water immersion as an adjunct to exercise training | Dr Tom Cullen |
| Ryan Tamilio | Can caffeine be used as an effective nutritional supplement to enhance the effects of resistance training | Dr Neil Clarke |
| Leanne Walker | Understanding Fundamental Motor Skill development, physical activity and obesity in primary school children from ethnic backgrounds | Dr Emma Eyre |
| Katherine Whelan | The Clinical Relevance of the Multi-surface Obstacle Test (MSOT) to Assess Fall Risk in Older Adults | Dr Mike Price |
The Centre supports a range of co-funded PhD studentships for Business. They provide financial support for collaborative projects by contributing matching funds for a research studentships, which covers the fees and living costs for the student and contributes to research costs.
The project is developed by the business with support from the University. The industrial partner will have a highly motivated and qualified graduate student to undertake research that they, in collaboration with the supervising scientist, can direct to ensure all research goals are met.
| Name | Thesis Title | Director of Studies | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Dallaway | Ageing and Sarcopenia - Faster, Higher, Older: Multidiciplinary Research into the Effects of Age-related Sarcopenia | Professor Michael Duncan | University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) |
| Alex Edward Georgiou | Synovial fluid and its effects of mesenchymal stem cells | Dr Chris Mee | Cell Therapy Sciences (CTS) |
| Corbin Griffen | Ageing and Sarcopenia - Faster, Higher, Older: Multidiciplinary Research into the Effects of Age-related Sarcopenia | Professor Derek Renshaw | University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) |
| Richard Kite | Developing and Monitoring Performance Characteristics in Academy Footballers | Dr Neil Clark | Coventry City Football Club (CCFC) |
| Matthew Lamaudiere | Active Gut Microbiota; the missing link in treating colon cancer | Dr Igor Morozov | University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) |
| Adam Linekar | Understanding the excitation contraction coupling of human myocardium using the work loop assay | Professor Helen Maddock | InoCardia |
| Jorge Lopez Fernandez | An integrated intervention model to improve behavioural change involving an active lifestyle in inactive population | Elizabeth Horton | Ingesport/GO Fit |
| Richard Powell | High-intensity interval training in coronary artery disease: a secondary analysis of cardio-metabolic health data from a multi-centre RCT. | Dr Gordon McGregor | University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) |
| Daniel Ray | Bioleaching of Metals from Waste Printed Circuit Boards for Precious Metal Recovery and Reduced Toxicity | Dr Sebastien Farnaud | Network 2 Supplies Ltd (N2S) |
| Ismael Serrablo Torrejon | Structured exercise interventions to improve lipid profile in inactive adults | Dr Elizabeth Horton | Ingesport/GO Fit |
| Sam Tuvey | The feasibility, outcomes, and importance of in situ testing of cardiorespiratory fitness among primary school children | Dr Elizabeth Horton | UKActive |
| Brett Staniland | An integrated intervention model to improve cardiovascular risk factors in inactive populations | Dr Elizabeth Horton | Ingesport/GO Fit |
| Nadja Willinger | Member acquisition and retention strategies for the UK physical activity sector | Dr Elizabeth Horton | UKActive |
| Nikita Price | Understanding what works in local exercise referral schemes – Data & Evaluation Hub | Dr Elizabeth Horton | UKActive |
The Centre has been successful in several Trailblazer Studentships which are co-funded from the doctoral college for CU researchers to undertake transformative, cross-disciplinary, cross-national, and cross-sector research.
The calls are aligned to the University’s Research Strategy, the Global Challenges Research Fund, the Industrial Strategy, Stern and Dowling Reviews, and UK Research and Innovation’s Strategic Prospectus. The scheme supports Early-Career Researchers develop their research practice and work together as teams.
| Name | Thesis Title | Director of Studies |
|---|---|---|
| Jayini Thakore | The failure of oncometabolites to adapt the type 2 diabetic heart and kidneys to hypoxia | Dr Mike Dodd |
| Campbell Menzies | Hot water immersion as an adjunct to exercise training | Dr Tom Cullen |
Coventry University have a number of Cotutelle PhD programmes with international universities.
One of these is with Deakin University (Australia) which offer research students with an unparalleled international experience, working alongside world-class researchers across two continents. Cotutelle students start the programme at either Coventry or Deakin Universities depending on their chose project and spend one year at the partner institution. As a result they gain unique exposure to different cultural and scientific environments and substantially increase their employability after graduation.
The Centre currently has one PhD student studying through this route.
| Name | Thesis Title | Director of Studies |
|---|---|---|
| Inimfon Essiet | Dose Response Effects of a Fundamental Movement Skill Intervention on Motor Competence, Physical Activity and Health of Girls in Australia | Professor Michael Duncan |
The University also has a Cotutelle arrangement with Stellenbosch University in South Africa and the Centre currently supporting two PhD students through this scheme.
| Name | Thesis Title | Director of Studies |
|---|---|---|
| Jiani Ma | Effects of Motor Competence Interventions on Childrens’ Physical Activity and Health | Professor Michael Duncan |
| Odelia Roodt | Active brain-breaks during typical teaching time to explore changes in physical activity patterns of neuro-typical 6-7 year old children | Professor Michael Duncan |
Doctoral Training Alliance (DTA) Studentships
Coventry is one of 15 universities in the UK to receive EU-funding as part of University Alliance’s Doctoral Training Alliance (DTA). The Centre has been successful is securing two of these prestigious awards.
The DTA is the UK’s largest doctoral training programme of its kind, was launched in 2015 to create a new model closely aligned to industrial strategy and priority challenges, producing industry-ready graduates. The training aims to produce independent, highly-employable researchers with expertise and skills in strategically-important research areas.
| Name | Thesis Title | Director of Studies |
|---|---|---|
| Ayesha Judge | Investigating the multi-organ protective role of the incretin hormones | Dr Mike Dodd |
| Saffron Peck | Identification and characterisation of vesicular and non-vesicular secretory proteins which lead to altered cell polarity dynamics | Dr Chris Mee |
| Name | Degree | Thesis Title | Graduation Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Siverns | PhD | Investigating the role of Hu RNA-binding proteins in small cell lung cancer, neuroblastoma and glioblastoma (DOS Irmgard Haussmann) | November 2019 |
| Danielle Meyer | PhD | Applied sleep interventions for elderly residents in a care home setting (DOS Ellen Hatch) | November 2019 |
| Pantong Henry Nden | PhD | Could traditional African herbal remedies be a source of novel antimicrobial compounds? An analysis of the antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties of Uvaria chamae and Prosopis Africana (DOS Tim Aldsworth) | November 2019 |
| Oana Chiuzbaian | PhD | Assessment of Tiron as a cardioprotective agent (DOS Helen Maddock) | November 2019 |
| Refik Kuburas | PhD | The Investigation of the cardioprotective properties of Metformin during Sunitinib-induced cytotoxicity (DOS Hardip Sandhu) | TBC |
