{"id":43,"date":"2024-05-13T14:45:08","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T14:45:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/femaleheatlaboratory.wp.worc.ac.uk\/?page_id=43"},"modified":"2026-03-30T10:16:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T10:16:44","slug":"meet-the-team","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/femaleheatlaboratory.wp.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/meet-the-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Team"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jessica Mee (Principal Investigator)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dr Jessica Mee is a UK Research and Innovation Future Leader Fellow. Working on a programme of work aiming to improve females\u2019 health and performance by mitigating heat strain. Dr Jessica Mee has been working in environmental physiology for over 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n

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In 2015 Dr Mee’s research demonstrated that females require more daily exposures to hot ambient conditions to establish hallmark heat acclimation adaptations, compared with males. Dr Mee then developed a mixed methods heat acclimation approach which combined daily exercise in the heat with a passive sauna. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This mixed methods heat acclimation method accelerated the rate of heat adaptation, confirming a time efficient strategy for females, which limits interference with preparations for relocation to a hot climate. Since then, Dr Mee with her national collaborators at Bangor University and Liverpool John Moores University developed and assessed the post-exercise hot water immersion (HWI) protocol for preparing to work in the heat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The post exercise HWI protocol is a simple to administer, accessible, time efficient, cost-effective strategy, with a series of publications demonstrating the large magnitude of hallmark heat acclimation adaptions. From this body of research, Dr Mee, along with her national collaborators at Brunel University, the University of Brighton, Anglia Ruskin University and British Rowing, published a review and practitioner guidelines for heat alleviation strategies for athletic performance (Gibson et al., 2019). Due to the interest received in this body of work, Dr Mee was invited to be an expert panel member on the English Institute of Sport, Tokyo 2020, Beat the Heat advisory team to directly inform practice ahead of the games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jessica sits on the Climate Change and Sustainability (CAS) Advisory Group with the Chartered Association for Sport and Exercise Science (CASES) and is a CASES accredited Sport Scientist in the domains of Research, Support, and Pedagogy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neil Maxwell (Co-Investigator)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Reader
School of Sport and Health Sciences
University of Brighton Email: N.Maxwell@brighton.ac.uk
X: @UoB_EEL<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Neil Maxwell is a Reader of Applied Environmental Physiology within the School of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Brighton, a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (CASES) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Through his research, knowledge exchange and education, Neil aims to inspire people to be better prepared for living and engaging in physical activity within environmental extremes to optimise performance and reduce incidence of illness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neil leads the Environmental Extremes Laboratory, where his research focus is towards heat reactions during exercise and evaluating practical heat therapy and mitigation methods (e.g. heat acclimation, pre and per cooling and hydration manoeuvres) across sport, health and clinical populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olivia Barnes (Research Associate)<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Olivia completed her undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Brighton, where she continued her studies in MSc Applied Exercise Physiology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olivia has conducted her current research surrounding females\u2019 susceptibility to heat illnesses, involving heat tolerance and heat mitigation. She has also assisted individuals perform periods of isothermic heat acclimation ahead of competing in the half Marathon Des Sables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olivia is completing a PhD at the University of Worcester with the FHL and would like to pursue a career in environmental physiology, with a particular focus on female populations in the heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emma Lawrence (Research Associate)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Emma completed her undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Worcester. And completed her third-year undergraduate placement with the Female Heat Laboratory. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Emma has conducted her current research surrounding people\u2019s perceptions of preparedness for UK heatwaves, focusing on the current education levels of heat mitigation strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emma is completing a PhD at the university of Worcester with the FHL and would like to pursue a career in environmental physiology, with a particular focus on female populations across the lifespan in the heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Friends of the project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr Benedict Duncan <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lecturer
School of Sport and Exercise Science
X: @Benedictduncan<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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In 2017 Ben completed his PhD titled \u201cThe metabolic effects of acute and prolonged hypoxia\u201d at the University of Brighton. Ben\u2019s PhD examined the potential use of hypoxia (altitude) as a preventative and treatment tool for metabolic disorders, namely obesity. Ben\u2019s current area of research interests, align with the physiology of endurance performance and the impact of environmental stressors such as heat and hypoxia on performance. Ben is interested in practical and accessible strategies that can be adopted to improve health and performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gavin Thomas<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Senior Lecturer
School of Sport and Exercise Science
X: @Gavinthomas101<\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gavin Thomas is an accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist with the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gavin has a broad area of research interests that align with sport and exercise science. Gavin\u2019s research investigates human responses to heat stress, the use of acute cooling interventions, as well as women\u2019s perceptions of working as strength and conditioning coaches.  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dr Oliver Gibson<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Senior Lecturer
Brunel University
X: @iamolivergibson<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Oliver Gibson is a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at Brunel University London and member of the Centre for Physical Activity in Health and Disease.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Oli’s primary research interests relate to Exercise and Environmental Physiology and in particular the impact of Heat Stress on Human Health, Performance, and Function. Research in this area includes:
i) understanding the impact of climate change\/heat waves on human health
ii) quantifying changes in endurance and team sport performance in the heat and examining methods to attenuate performance declines
iii) investigating the influence of temperature on skeletal muscle function. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oli\u2019s research also examines cross adaptation between environmental stressors, and the mechanistic role(s) of heat shock proteins in thermal adaptation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Jennifer Joyce<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Senior Lecturer
School of Sport and Exercise Science
X: @Dr_J_Joyce<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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Dr Jennifer Joyce is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and the Course Leader for the Sport and Exercise Science course at the University of Worcester. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2013, Jennifer completed her PhD examining the effects of exercise on cognitive function in older adults at the University of Limerick. Jennifer’s current research investigates the relationship between ageing, exercise, and cognitive functioning. Jennifer is interested in the cognitive changes that occur when exposed to extreme environments and supporting improvements in cognitive function to improve humans\u2019 health, wellbeing, and quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Tess Flood<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Laboratory Technician and Researcher
University of West London<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tess\u2019s primary research interests relate to the effect of ovarian hormones across the female lifespan on physiological systems, including the menstrual cycle, hormonal contraceptives through to menopause. Tess completed her PhD in environmental physiology from the University of Chichester in 2022 where she examined the aetiology of heat illness in men and women, Tess then completed a postdoc in female endocrinology and exercise physiology under Prof Kirsty Elliott-Sale at Manchester Metropolitan University.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tess is CASES accredited Sport Scientist in physiology research, a member of the Physiological Society and an associate fellow of Advance HE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FHL Alumni<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dan Bloomer (BSc Placement Student): 2026 – 2027<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex Barker (BSc Placement Student): 2025 – 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mia Sharkey (BSc Placement Student): 2025 – 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katie English (MSc Placement Student): 2024 – 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emma Lawrence (BSc Placement Student): 2024 – 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beth Moxham (Research Associate): 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jessica Mee (Principal Investigator) Dr Jessica Mee is a UK Research and Innovation Future Leader Fellow. Working on a programme<\/p>\n

Continue readingMeet the Team<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"iawp_total_views":552,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-43","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/femaleheatlaboratory.wp.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/43","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/femaleheatlaboratory.wp.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/femaleheatlaboratory.wp.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/femaleheatlaboratory.wp.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/femaleheatlaboratory.wp.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/femaleheatlaboratory.wp.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/43\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":264,"href":"https:\/\/femaleheatlaboratory.wp.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/43\/revisions\/264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/femaleheatlaboratory.wp.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}