Dr Alan Richardson

Dr Alan Richardson is the Course Leader for the BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science course. Alan's research focuses on the physiological changes and human tolerance to hypoxia and severe heat exposure. Alan worked as a research exercise physiologist on the Centre for Aviation, Space and Extreme Environment Medicine Xtreme Everest Project in 2007 and 2009, carrying out cardiopulmonary exercise testing in trekkers ascending to Everest Base Camp. In 2013, Alan led a research project taking 30 Sport and Exercise Science students to Peru and undertaking a large number of physiological tests before, during and after the three weeks in Peru. While in Peru students and staff helped rebuild a school and then trekked for four days to .

Since then Alan has been leading a research consultancy project with the National Fire Service investigating the immune function and inflammatory responses to repeated fire exposures in Fire Service instructors. Alan currently supervises three PhD students studying:

  • Altitude training in elite athletes
  • Hypoxic exposure for weight loss
  • The influence of working practices on Fire Instructor health.

Alan is the course leader for the Sport and Exercise Science degree and leads the Physiology for Sport and Exercise, Expedition Physiology and Dissertation modules. Alan has won four teaching and learning fellowships each evaluating technological teaching interventions within the school. Alan recently won the national 'I'm a scientist get me out of here' competition for the Human Limits zone.

Alan-Richardson-preferred

Dr Alan Richardson

Principal Lecturer in Exercise and Environmental Physiology

How I like to teach

I currently lead the BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science course and lecture on a number of physiology-based modules with the degree. I also supervise approximately eight undergraduate and two masters dissertations per year.

I really try to make my lectures as entertaining as possible. I remember back to when I was a student and try to think of what made me engage and remember content. I think the key to lecturing is not to try and get too much across in a short space of time, but get key information across so that students can understand the content.

I also realise that keeping attention and making sure content is understood by all is really difficult, so I try to break up large group lectures into a number of chunks separated by activities that check understanding and allow students to verbalise what has just been discussed.

I prefer to then engage the students in laboratory sessions to develop what they have learned in the theory-based lectures. Students learn far better through doing and applying what they do to theory. That is why we try to encourage students at 欧美性爱片 into the labs as much as possible.

I am a big proponent of online assessment submission, marking and feedback. I’ve worked hard to ensure that the Sport and Exercise Science course was the first in the university to go entirely online. The students seem very happy with the system, which means they can submit or receive their work and feedback from anywhere in the world at any time. It also means they can easily check through grades or previous feedback for use on future work.

My research interests

My research focuses on how the human body tolerates or adapts to environmental extremes, whether that be cold, heat or altitude. This can have a number of applications such as the use of altitude training for elite athletes, to hypoxic exposure as a means of weight loss, through to repeated extreme heat exposure potentially causing cellular damage in Fire Instructors.

Research activity

Current research projects

Previous research projects

Research centres and groups

SESAME

Social media

 

Contact me

109 Welkin Laboratories
Sport and Service Management
Gaudick Road
Eastbourne
BN20 7SR

Telephone: +44 (0)1273 643723
Email: a.j.richardson@brighton.ac.uk

Biography

I originally completed my BSc (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science here at the 欧美性爱片 in 2005. I continued my studies at 欧美性爱片 completing my PhD in hypoxia and altitude tolerance in 2010. While studying for a PhD I worked as an exercise physiologist at UCL and in Nepal on the 2007 and 2009 Xtreme Everest research projects. I also worked at UCL as a clinical exercise physiologist in pre-operative cardiovascular assessment. In 2008, I gained a lecturing position at the 欧美性爱片. I have been course leader of the BSc (Hons) Sport & Exercise Science course for the past four years.

Output

 

 

Consultancy

Alan has worked with the fire service for four years, advising on thermal physiology and safety of fire instructors and trainees.

Alan is an adviser for the altitude awareness charity who actively educate young individuals going to altitude about the dangers of altitude illness and methods to prevent and/or treat symptoms.

Alan provides an advisory role to our Sport and Exercise Science Consultancy Unit, offering support to athletes and individuals embarking upon challenges in extreme environments and companies seeking product testing facilities. Alan has provided a range of physiological support to individuals and teams who have embarked upon the following challenges/expeditions or environmental performances:

  • Everest Base Camp
  • North Pole Marathon
  • Marathon des Sables
  • Kilimanjaro
  • Machu Picchu
  • British Bobsleigh Team

Alan has appeared on some science-based TV documentaries such as, BBC Horizon: Doctors in the Death Zone, Trust me I’m a Doctor and The Truth about Medicine.

 

PhD students

NameThesis
Shaun Sutehall (October 2016 – October 2020) Genetic and performance markers of altitude and hypoxic training
Emily Watkins (October 2014 – January 2018) Immune and inflammatory response to fire instructor working practices
Ben Duncan (January 2012 – February 2017)

Hypoxic exercise as a tool for weight loss
Gareth Turner (Completing December 2016)

Optimising altitude training methods in elite endurance athletes
Carl James (Completed June 2016)

Optimising heat tolerance and the determinants of endurance
performance using acute and chronic strategies

Roles

Course leader for BSc Sport and Exercise Science
External Examiner for BSc Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Gloucestershire
External reviewer for the following journals:

  • European Journal of Applied Physiology
  • High Altitude Medicine and Biology
  • Journal of Sports Sciences
  • Journal of Thermal Biology
  • Wilderness and Environmental Medicine

Awards

2014 欧美性爱片, Excellence in Facilitating & Empowering Learning Award

2014 Centre of Learning and Teaching Fellowship Award: Electronic Management of Assessment: The integration and implementation of an entirely online submission, marking, feedback, moderation and external examiner document presentation system across a large course

2013 Centre of Learning and Teaching Fellowship Award: Evaluation of educational volunteering field trips abroad to change social perspectives and goals

2013 Centre of Learning and Teaching Fellowship Award: Evaluating the use of digital technologies in field based teaching projects

I’m a Scientist Get Me Out of Here – Human Limits Zone 2013

2009 Centre of Learning and Teaching Fellowship Award: Development of a video laboratory skills library for use on the BSc Sport and Exercise Science Course