Catherine believes that physical activity is a best buy for public health as it has the potential to improve health and wellbeing for everyone, irrespective of age, ability or condition.  Her research interests are framed within the social ecological model and consequently she works across individual, interpersonal, community and policy levels.  This multi-level systems approach is necessary to understand and influence population levels of physical activity; however, it requires an extensive knowledge and an appreciation for inter-disciplinary work. Consequently, Catherine enjoys developing and testing theoretically sound interventions to change population levels of physical activity, and seeks better, more systematic methods of bringing research, practice and policy closer together to achieve real and sustainable impact. 

Current research priorities are listed below with an example of ongoing projects in each priority area.

• Physical activity policy development, monitoring and evaluation. Catherine is currently leading the 1+million  IMPAQT policy and health equity project, and she led the 4+ million Policy Evaluation Network.
• Improving physical activity intervention effectiveness and scalability using implementation science  Working with Ireland's Active Cities Network, this HRB funded I-PARC project, assesses tailoring and adaptation of effective interventions for optimal implementation in new and deprived communities. 
• Physical activity and healthy lifestyles for clinical and older adult populations.  The ULMedX project, funded by the HSE, provides community-based exercise rehabilitation classes to those living with chronic disease, while examining their efficacy, sustainability and scalability. 
• Physical activity interventions for young people.  Developing whole school evidence-based interventions to promote physical activity among 12-18 year olds is a goal of the Active School Flag project.  Working with the Department of Education, Catherine seeks to build new knowledge on 'what works, for whom, and in what context'. 
•  

Professor Woods' teaching interest spans a number are different areas.  She currently contributes to the following modules in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences. 

• SS4071 and SS4078: Final Year Research Project for SES
• SS4103: Psychology of movement development from infancy to adolescence
• SS4012: Physical activity, exercise and fitness for physiotherapists: An introduction
• SS4035: Fundamental concepts of human research and their application
• SS4101: Exercise is medicine - Disease prevention
• PY4086: Psychology of physical activity for youth

Prof. Woods is Director of the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre (Physical Activity for Health | University of Limerick (ul.ie)) at the University of Limerick (UL), and is a member of the Health Research Institute (HRI; https://www.ul.ie/research/hri). PAfH is a mix of senior, mid and early career researchers.  It has 13 core members who comprise multiple disciplines, schools and faculties across UL. PAfH employs 9 post-doctoral researchers and research assistants working on externally funded projects, and its core members are primary supervisors of 33 PhD research students. PAfH has five thematic areas and operates across three pillars.  See ul.ie/ehs/pafh for more details.