Research Cluster

Health, Exercise and Active Lifestyle (HEAL)

Three men in red t-shirts running along a path

Healthy lives, for life

We aim to to participate in internationally excellent research focused on improving health and wellbeing across the lifespan.

Our vision

To develop a national and international reputation for conducting impactful research focused on promoting health and wellbeing across the lifespan, providing translation research to the community to enrich societal physical and mental wellbeing, whilst educating the next generation of researchers.

Our cluster's mission

The HEAL Group brings together the expertise and skills of academics and postgraduate researchers in the areas of physical activity for health, gait and falls prevention, paediatric health and fitness, workplace health, green exercise, and physiotherapy assessment, interventions and outcomes to:

  1. Drive multi- and inter-disciplinary research that seeks to improve health and wellbeing across the lifespan
  2. Use evidence-based research to advocate and support national government health and wellbeing priorities and to impact health and wellbeing policies

Related research degrees

Our papers

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

Our academics

Dr Jo Barton

School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex

Research interests: Green Exercise – how our environment can shape behavioural choices and facilitate physical activity; physiological, psychological and biochemical effects of exercising in different environments, during and recovery from exercise; connection to nature across the whole life course pathway; evaluation of community nature-based health interventions targeting vulnerable groups.

Dr Aleksandra Birn-Jeffery

School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex

Dr Andrew Brinkley

School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex

Dr Nicholas Clark

School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex

Research interests: Knee and ankle injury control (prevention, acute care, rehabilitation) in agility-sport athletes; knee and ankle post-trauma osteoarthritis control (prevention, mitigation) in agility-sport athletes; sensorimotor control of functional joint stability (proprioception, neuromuscular control) and lower limb biomechanics; sex differences in sensorimotor control of joint stability and lower limb injury predisposition; injury control and human performance optimisation in the tactical athlete (military, police, emergency services).

 Izzie Easton

School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex

Research interests: Rehabilitation and health promotion in people living with chronic respiratory disease; Physiotherapy within and following admission to critical care; dog ownership and its impact on the health and welfare/wellbeing of both dogs and their owners.

Dr Louis Howe

School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex

Dr Bradley Neal

School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex

 Luke Olsson

School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex

Dr Mike Rogerson

School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex

Professor Gavin Sandercock

School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex

Dr Matthew Taylor

School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex

Research interests: Gait analysis; motion capture; ageing and biomechanics; functional movement biomechanics.

Dr Jamie Tallent

School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex

How we started the green exercise revolution

Green exercise was born at the University of Essex 14 years ago. Our pioneering green exercise research has captured the interest of people around the world.

Find out more