Dr Declan Ryan

Declan completed his PhD at Manchester Metropolitan Univeristy where he investigated the associations between sedentary behaviour, physical activity and cardiometabolic health in older adult populations.

Declan then went on to hold a short role as the Strategic Lead for Active Design at an Active Partnership where he explored opportunities to influence infrastructure changes to promote active travel and physical activity.

Declan joined the University of Northampton in 2019. Since then, Declan has been awarded the University's Diamond Award for Early Career Researcher of the Year of 2020 and has gone on to manage and deliver several evaluation and research projects, including the Northamptonshire Holiday Activities and Food Programme Summer 2021 evaluation. The area of Declan's growing research portfolio investigates the influence of green spaces on population physical activity, wellbeing, and social prescription, collaborating closely with Northamptonshire Sport, Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust, General Practice Alliance, and Public Health Northamptonshire.

Declan is the co-founder of the Activity Quarter, a collective of interdisiplinary organisations aiming to enhance the use of local green spaces as a Public Health asset, in addition to being a member of the Northamptonshire Physical Activity Network. Furthermore, Declan will lead the newly formed Interdisciplinary Physical Activity and Health Promotion Research Group within the Centre for Physical Activity and Life Sciences. The group uses both quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluate and research interventions and whole-systems frameworks that promote physical activity, health, and wellbeing in the general public.

Declan is currently supervising two PhD students:

Brett Baxter - Eccentric training in older adults

Ana Pal - Community perspectives of green spaces to inform the design of green social prescription programmes.

Although Declan cannot Director of Studies, he is open to supervision requests.

The area of Declan's growing research portfolio investigates the influence of green spaces on population physical activity, wellbeing, and social prescription, collaborating closely with Northamptonshire Sport, Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust, General Practice Alliance, and Public Health Northamptonshire.