Dr Neil Maxwell

Neil Maxwell is a Reader in Environmental Extremes within the School of Sport and Service Management at the 欧美性爱片, where he contributes to the School’s teaching provision, research activity and enterprise. Neil is head of the Centre for Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine (SESAME), while also leading the Environmental Extremes Laboratory.

Neil joined the University as a lecturer in sport and exercise science in 1997, and has worked with undergraduate and postgraduate students, predominantly in the areas of exercise and environmental physiology.

Neil is an approved higher degrees supervisor with twelve PhD and two MPhil completions and a bank of existing postgraduate research students working in fields of heat sensitivity across sporting and health-based populations, applied heat alleviation methods, optimising altitude training and concurrent training methods for middle distance runners.

He is research active and has published extensively in the international, scientific literature with over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals in areas allied to thermal and hypoxic stress and how the body tolerates each, particularly during exercise. His research has been supported by a range of external funding streams and he is currently involved in a Horizon 2020 bid. Neil’s outputs contributed to the university’s REF2014 submission within the Unit of Assessment (UoA) C26, that was nationally ranked fourteenth out of 51 submissions. Neil is an external reviewer for leading journals in the field and has translated his research to work with the English and French National Institutes of Sport and deliver to a Breast Cancer Symptom Management House of Lords Government Select Committee.

As an applied exercise-environmental physiologist, Neil provides consultancy services for product testing. In addition, he supports individual athletes and teams in their preparation for events that range from the Polar and Jungle Marathons to expeditions, such as climbing Kilimanjaro and to Everest Base Camp.

Neil-Maxwell

Dr Neil Maxwell

How I like to teach

My philosophy for learning and teaching stems from my own experiences as a learner during my early years at Stewart’s Melville College in Edinburgh, through to my time at Jordanhill College and time studying for my MSc degree at Loughborough University; I was fortunate to have some inspirational teachers and lecturers. They taught with so much enthusiasm and passion, were able to instil confidence and yet those who made an impression upon me appeared to understand the distinctiveness that each student brought to the class. I believe that my experience in education have engendered an empathy when working with the different needs of students and I am prepared to try unorthodox teaching methods in the context of sport and exercise science to stimulate their interest and make learning enjoyable. I accept that some of my ideas may not always work, but creating the ambience of, and using the music from, ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ to encourage learning within exercise physiology, and (dare I say it?) singing to the students to help them learn the processes of energy metabolism, have fortunately been well-received. The Operation Everest Exhibition I organised to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay summiting Everest really captured the students’ imagination. Throughout our labs we recreated the different camps on Everest, with our purpose-built environmental chamber simulating conditions while students were climbing in a relay system the equivalent height from base camp (17,600 feet) to the summit (29,035 feet) on a StairMaster stepping machine while carrying a rucksack and experiencing conditions of -20°C. Similarly, the Peru 2013 Expedition ‘Learning Through Adventure’ that I co-led, where we took 24 BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science students to perform outreach work, conduct research and trek to Machu Picchu provided a unique learning experience for us all.

My learning and teaching delivery uses lead lectures, seminars, workshops, laboratory practicals, tutorials and field-based activities to support student learning and has benefited from me completing the University’s Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. I am very hands-on and like to get in the labs when I can. Content is research-informed and where possible, I bring research we have carried out in our labs into the curriculum as I believe it gives a different currency to the students’ experience. Environmental extremes and the case studies that exist across athletic, clinical and occupational populations really lend themselves to a problem-based learning approach and can help students identify with global challenges as they relate to the environment.

I have tried to develop the identity of environmental extremes within the sport and exercise science degree courses, more widely in the school and university, and also increasingly at a national/international level. With environmental extremes, we consider all aspects of the environment (for instance, heat stress, cold stress, altitude exposure, dive response, microgravity and sleep deprivation) and their impact on the body’s ability to function. This sub-discipline of sport and exercise science has many practical implications in terms of preparing for exercise in such conditions and being able to prevent, and if need be treat, environmental-based injuries such as, exertional heat stroke, heat exhaustion, hypothermia, frostbite, altitude sickness and the bends. Since arriving at the 欧美性爱片, I have developed a Level 5 Environmental Physiology, Level 6 Expedition Physiology and Survival Medicine (including an annual expedition to the Brecon Beacons) and Level 7 (MSc) Applied Environmental Physiology module, which collectively supports approximately 100 students per year. The extensive nature of this sub-discipline within our curricula, which is supported by an impressive suite of facilities, has been pivotal in driving our research activity forward in the School, with many students continuing to study for research degrees with environmental extremes at the heart of their research.

My research interests

My research career to date has focused upon the physiological determinants and measurement of heat and hypoxic tolerance, particularly during exercise. Evaluating applied methods to alleviate the negative consequences of exercise in hot, humid environments, for instance, through heat acclimation, precooling and hydration manoeuvres, and also at altitude through altitude training and hypoxic priming, have been central to my research interests. Our research on precooling as an acute strategy to optimise performance in hot environments was subsequently used by the USA Olympic Committee, featuring in their preparation manual to guide strategy for athletes competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and will be recognised by the Brazilian Olympic Committee ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games. In 2015, our research into applied precooling strategies was also recognised by the New York Times, Men’s Health and Runner’s World. Although my research began using sports performance as the research paradigm to understand the body’s response to the environment and I still continue to investigate pacing strategies and the determinants of exercise performance in the heat, it has extended to global challenges of heat sensitivity from exercise-heat stress in special populations (for instance, individuals with Multiple Sclerosis, the elderly and in breast cancer survivors). Crossing over the health and performance domains has been the evaluation of tools to determine the susceptibility to heat-related illnesses, for example, heat exhaustion and exertional heat stroke. There is still considerable scope to expand research activity allied to environmental extremes. Importantly, my interests also include trying to build a far stronger relationship between enterprise activity and research activity, both in the commercialisation of research findings and ensuring that enterprise activities evidence the reach of our research.

Research activity

Current research projects

  • Heat waves in the elderly and the impact of acute and chronic heat-alleviating strategies on health
  • Heat sensitivity and alleviating interventions for female breast cancer survivors
  • Practical precooling improves thermal comfort during exercise and better maintains ambulatory control in heat sensitive individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
  • Optimising heat acclimation state for endurance performance
  • Deception of pre-heating and body core temperature improves self-paced 3K running of females in hot, humid conditions
  • Concurrent training in highly-trained junior and adult middle-distance runners

Previous research projects

Research centres and groups

Social media

Contact me

欧美性爱片
School of Sport and Service Management
Denton Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN20 7SR
UK

Tel: +44 (0)1273 643755 (Direct Line)

Tel: +44 (0)1273 643707 (School Office)

Email: N.Maxwell@brighton.ac.uk

Biography

After completing a BA Sport in the Community degree at Jordanhill College, Glasgow in 1992, (finishing first in my year with a Commendation), I decided to move onto study an MSc in Sport Science at Loughborough University. It was from my thesis entitled, ‘Responses to continuous and maximal intermittent exercise during climatic stress' (distinction), where I was fortunate to be supervised by Dr (now Professor) Mary Nevill, that started me down the journey of research examining exercise and heat stress. On returning to the Jordanhill Campus, University of Strathclyde in 1993, I received a studentship to complete a PhD that continued the thermal physiology theme, with a thesis title of, 'Sprint running and the effects of different conditions of stress on intermittent sprint running performance' supervised by Dr (now Professor) Myra Nimmo. I briefly held a three-month position as a project officer at the Scottish Institute for Sports Medicine and Sports Science before I joined the 欧美性爱片’s Chelsea School as a lecturer in sport and exercise science in 1997.

My first few years at 欧美性爱片 saw me teaching across a wide range of sport and exercise physiology and research methods modules. I completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, where I benefited from action learning sets to reflect on my first year of lecturing and refine my teaching style. I was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1999, taking on roles of admissions tutor and, soon after, course leader for the BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science degree. In 2000, from the supervision of a very good undergraduate dissertation student, Leo Thornley, who subsequently went on to study for an MSc at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada, I was able to collaborate and co-author a study with Professor Stephen Cheung, a world renowned environmental physiologist. Recognising the benefits from my first real experience of collaborative research, this motivated me to work with other recognised environmental physiologists around the world. In 2002, I embarked upon a five-month sabbatical to work with Dr (now Professor) Brian Dawson and Dr (now Professor) David Bishop from the University of Western Australia (UWA) and Mr (now Associate Professor) Matt Spencer from the Western Australian Institute of Sport. The research sabbatical continued along my PhD theme, examining intermittent sprint exercise in the heat and in time, led to two publications in peer-reviewed journals.

After successfully completing my sabbatical in 2003, I returned to the then, Chelsea School and was appointed Programme Leader to drive forward curriculum development and quality assurance of the sport and exercise science provision. In 2004, I was promoted to Principal Lecturer. In 2008, recognising that I was drifting from my subject area towards solely management responsibilities, I moved to the role of Sport and Exercise Science Area Leader which resulted in me leading and managing the sport and exercise science staff and this brought me back closer to the discipline and research in the field. Fostering a far stronger research community and culture in the field of environmental extremes within the School became a priority. Later in 2008, I organised for Dr (now Associate Professor) Rob Duffield (formerly from UWA) to visit our university and collaborate on a research study, investigating the effect of precooling strategies on self-paced exercise in the heat. Working with Rob was a significant research initiative that focused my research aspirations. Henceforth, I set my career objective to develop an internationally-recognised research and consultancy profile within the field of environmental extremes allied to the areas of tolerance to thermal stress and heat-alleviating strategies. This profile and my research interests have extended to global challenges associated with heat sensitivity in special populations and the evaluation of strategies that might alleviate the negative consequences of external heat stress or internal heat strain and offer health benefits and impact positively upon quality of life.

In 2012, I joined the Steering Group for the Merger of the Chelsea School of Sport and the School of Service Management that resulted in the formation of the School of Sport and Service Management. From there, I secured responsibility for business activity generation in the School, which included managing the strategic development of the Sport and Exercise Science Consultancy Unit. In 2015 I was promoted to the position of Reader and appointed as Head of the Centre for Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine (SESAME). In 2016, I took on a joint, temporary position of Assistant Head of School (Research) for six months to drive the research excellence and development agendas forward within our school.

My own sporting background was first in rugby, fleetingly in table tennis, but predominantly in competitive middle distance running. For over ten years, I coached junior athletes to regional and national success on the track and over cross-country which moved me to the longer distances and even a few marathons when they became quicker than me on the track. In the outdoors, my real passion has been mountaineering, with many years of hillwalking in Scotland and Wales and the organisation of expeditions to the Annapurna region of the Himalayas, French Alps, Romanian Cicerone Mountains, Machu Picchu in Peru as well as a successful ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Research output

 

Consultancy

Neil 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. Neil has provided a range of physiological support to individuals and teams who have embarked upon the following challenges/expeditions:

  • Nepal’s Annapurna Sanctuary Trek
  • Jungle Marathon
  • Everest Base Camp
  • North Pole Marathon
  • Marathon des Sables
  • Kilimanjaro
  • North Pole Challenge
  • Machu Picchu

The aim is to provide environmental extremes-focused support that increases the chances of success, reduces the likelihood of injury and leads to a more enjoyable experience.

PhD students

NameThesis
Ash Willmott (PhD)

The effects of the interplay between acclimation state, training status and
immune function from heat acclimation in endurance cyclists
Self-funded project with support from the 欧美性爱片
Alex Bliss (MPhil/PhD) Concurrent strength training and physiological performance characteristics in
highly trained junior endurance athletes
Self-funded project with support from the 欧美性爱片 and
British Athletics
Kirsty Waldock (MPhil/PhD) Heat waves in the elderly and the impact of acute and chronic heat-alleviating
strategies on health
欧美性爱片 funded Scheme A studentship
Rebecca Relf (MPhil/PhD) Heat sensitivity and heat alleviating interventions for breast cancer survivors
Rosie Twomey (PhD, 2016)

Neurophysiological determinants of fatigue in graded hypoxia
Self-funded project with support from the 欧美性爱片
Gareth Turner (PhD, 2016)

Optimising altitude and hypoxic training methods in elite endurance athletes
Jointly funded studentship from the English Institute of Sport and
欧美性爱片
Karl Stevenson (PhD, 2016)

Representative task design in cricket batting
Self-funded project with support from the 欧美性爱片
Jessica Mee (PhD, 2016) Heat tolerance and acclimation in female athletes
Self-funded project with support from the 欧美性爱片
Carl James (PhD, 2016) Optimising heat tolerance and the determinants of endurance performance
using acute and chronic strategies
欧美性爱片 funded Scheme A studentship 
Oliver Gibson (PhD, 2015) 

Optimising heat acclimation to attenuate physiological stress in hypoxia

Self-funded project with support from the 欧美性爱片 and the
University of Bedfordshire
Mark Hayes (PhD, 2014)  The effect of progressive heat acclimation on games players performing
intermittent-sprint exercise in the heat
Self-funded project with support from the 欧美性爱片 
Drew Smith (MPhil, 2014)

The effects of leg pre-cooling on the kinetics of heat exchange between core and
peripheral body compartments prior to intermittent sprint exercise in the heat
Self-funded project with support from the 欧美性爱片
Alan Richardson (PhD, 2010)  The physiological and renal responses to hydration status in hypoxia
Self-funded project with support from the 欧美性爱片
Tim Ethridge (PhD, 2010)  Acute regulation of skeletal muscle protein metabolism by nutrients,
exercise and hypoxia
Self-funded project with support from the 欧美性爱片
Richard Mackenzie (PhD, 2009)  Glucose metabolism during and following acute hypoxia and exercise in
individuals with type 2 Diabetes
Self-funded project with support from the 欧美性爱片
Paul Castle (PhD, 2007)

Alleviating the negative effects of heat stress upon intermittent sprint exercise
Self-funded project with support from the 欧美性爱片
Alison Hammond (MPhil, 2002) Short term, isokinetic cycle exercise in females
Self-funded project with support from the 欧美性爱片 
Chris Wragg (PhD, 2002)  Trunk muscle fatigue in football-specific repeated sprinting.
Self-funded project with support from the 欧美性爱片 

Roles

Head of the Centre for Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine (SESAME)

Leader of Environmental Extremes Laboratory (EEL)

Member of School Tier 1 ethics Committee

External Examiner at the University of Edinburgh for MA in Physical Education

External Examiner to research degrees (5PhDs, 1MPhil, 3MSc by Research)

External reviewer for the following journals:

  • British Journal of Sports Medicine
  • European Journal of Applied Physiology
  • High Altitude Medicine and Biology
  • International Journal of Human Biology
  • International Journal of Sports Medicine
  • International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
  • Journal of Applied Physiology
  • Journal of Science Medicine and Sport
  • Journal of Sports Sciences
  • Journal of Thermal Biology
  • Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
  • Physiological Measurement, Sports Medicine
  • Wilderness and Environmental Medicine

Ordinary member of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science

Neil has supervised 24 MSc student research projects to completion.

Awards

Centre for Learning and Teaching Fellowship 2010 – Using a multidimensional educational intervention to develop motivation and engagement in first year students of a sport and exercise science degree (in association with Monica Dorobantu)

Centre for Learning and Teaching Fellowship 2008 – Using an Outdoor Activity Day to Improve the Student Experience and Improve Retention during the First Year at University (in association with Dr Nick Smeeton)

Recipient of 欧美性爱片 Teaching Excellence Award (2003/2004) and University’s nominee for National Teaching Fellowship Scheme 2004.

University of Strathclyde PhD Scholarship (1993)

Scottish Institute of Sports Medicine and Sports Science Young Researcher (1994, 1996)