Dr Naomi Brooks

Honorary Senior Lecturer

Sport University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Dr Naomi Brooks

Contact details

About me

I joined the University of Stirling as a Lecturer in 2012. I grew up in Glasgow and completed my undergraduate degree in Physiology at the University of Glasgow. I then took the long way from Glasgow to Stirling by spending 6.5 years in the USA studying for my PhD in Exercise Physiology & Muscle Biology from Ohio University and then a post-doctoral fellowship at Tufts University, Boston. From there I spent 5 years in South Africa with a post-doctoral associate position at Stellenbosch University and then 2 years as a Lecturer at Stellenbosch. I returned to Scotland at the end of 2011 and began my lectureship in Stirling.

I am currently the Programme Director for the Sport and Exercise Science UG degree programme and I chair the Faculty Equality, Diversity & Inclusion / Athena SWAN committee.

My research investigates physical activity / inactivity and health; skeletal muscle physiology including satellite cells (muscle stem cells) and molecular pathways in various conditions of muscle atrophy; and involved with capacity building in lower-middle-income countries.

My research (published and current) incorporates a number of important areas of exercise physiology, muscle biology and nutrition in both laboratory, applied and community environments.

My research interests include investigation of muscle metabolism during atrophy – atrophy with ageing (sarcopenia), disuse atrophy (such as with bed rest and sedentary lifestyle) and lack of atrophy seen in skeletal muscle during hibernation. The practical application of studying these factors is relevant to clinical physiology in relation to preventing atrophy (consequence of disease or disuse) as well as combating sarcopenia (consequence of ageing) and metabolic diseases.

Furthermore, my research interests include the applied influences of exercise and nutrition, particularly in the community, and previous experience includes initiating and developing a community based exercise programme for African women of disadvantaged backgrounds at high risk for disease as well as investigating the impact of the Daily Mile in school children.

I am leading a UK-South Africa Doctoral Training Programme for academics from Historically Disadvantaged Institutions in South Africa to undertake PhDs.

I have presented invited seminars at universities in the UK, USA and South Africa and given research presentations at various international conferences.

External Examiners and Validations

External Examiner, Sport and Exercise Science MSc Programme, University of Essex
University of Essex

External Examiner, Sport and Exercise Science BSc (Hons), University of Essex
University of Essex

I was the External Examiner for the Undergraduate Programme in Sport and Exercise Science.

Professional membership

Member of Physiological Society, American Physiological Society, Physiological Society of Southern Africa

Research programmes

Research centres/groups

Research themes