Catherine B. Woods is a full professor and Director of the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre (PAfH) at the Health Research Institute, University of Limerick (UL).  PAfH’s mission is to conduct excellent research across its six thematic areas -measurement, biomedicine, interventions and policy, exercise as medicine and active mobility (www.ul.ie/ehs/pafh).  PAfH’s Principal Investigators, research staff and postgraduates work collectively to build capacity, to enhance PAfH’s international reputation for research excellence and in collaboration with other researchers, policymakers and practitioners we strive to deliver real world impact. 

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 1.6 million IMPAQT policy and health equity project (www.ul.ie/research/impaqt).  Previously, she was deputy Chair of the 4+ million Policy Evaluation Network, funded by the Joint Programme Initiative Healthy Diet for a Healthy LIfe.
• Improving physical activity intervention effectiveness and scalability using implementation science  Working with Ireland's Active Cities Network, this HRB funded I-PARC project (www.i-parc.ie), assesses selection, adaptation and tailoring of effective physical activity programmes 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 Health Services Executive, 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