Personal profile

Research Interests

Alan Donnelly's Core research interests include: The objective measurement of sedentary behaviour and physical activity in adolescents and adults, and the consequences for health of these behaviours.  This work includes developing and validating measurement systems, in addition to measurement of sedentary behaviour, standing time, and time spent in light, moderate and vigorous physical activity. This is linked to measures of adiposity and of health, to determine how behaviour patterns and health outcomes are associated.  One large, cross-sectional study of adolescents is underway, and I am collaborating with UCC on a large cohort study andquot;The Mitchelstown Cohort Studyandquot; where we are measuring sedentary behaviour and physical activity in the population. Similar work is also progressing in clinical populations. As a part of the European andquot;DEDIPAC Knowledge Hubandquot; we have systematically reviewed methodologies for measurement of both physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Skeletal muscle physiology, particularly the physiology of exercise-induced muscle damage. I have developed specific methods for safely inducing muscle soreness using an isokinetics system, and have employed this method to evaluate correlates of muscle damage, including changes to connective tissue and muscle antioxidant status.  The same methodology has been employed by my group to evaluate treatments, including  cold water cryotherapy and whole body cryotherapy.                                         

Biography

Professor Alan Donnelly is Associate Professor of Exercise Physiology.  He is Director of  UL's Health Research Institute (HRI), and a member of the HRI's 'Physical Activity for Health' research cluster.   A graduate of Strathclyde and Aberdeen Universities, he has worked in Ireland, the UK, USA and Australia.  His research encompasses the objective measurement of sedentary behaviour, physical activity and health.  His current research projects focus on accurate measurement of physical behaviours, including sedentary behaviour, physical activity and standing.  His current projects include both cross sectional and activity intervention studies.  He works on populations including adolescents and older adults, where his team uses worn devices to explore the relationship between physical behaviours and health outcomes.  Current projects include the large scale cross-European project 'WEALTH' funded in Ireland by the HRB under the Joint Programme Initiative 'Healthy Diet Healthy Life' where he is project coordinator, the 'DE-PASS' COST ACTION where he is Task Leader on a cross European surveillance project and the Horizon 2020 project 'GoGreenRoutes' where he is Work Package Leader.           

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

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