Professor Gladys L Pearson

My profile

Biography

  1. I hold a BSc(Hons) from the University of East London UK since 1996, an MSc in Physiology from University College London UK since 1997, a PhD in Physiology also from University College London UK since 2002, as well as a number of teaching qualifications (PPGCAP, FHEA) and research-based fellowships (Physiological Society, Royal Society of Biology).
  2. I have since held positions as Postdoctoral Research Associate, Research Fellow, Reader and now Professor at the Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester UK, where I held a Research Centre Director position for over 11 years (Musculoskeletal Science & Sports Medicine; previously Health Exercise & Active Living)

Interests and expertise

  1. My research spans fundamental (e.g. identifying genetic, cellular and endocrine factors influencing the skeletal muscle system) to applied (e.g. refining the computation of B-mode ultrasonography; designing accelerometry algorithms) interests in ageing, obesity, sarcopenia and other chronic illnesses such as MS, MND, CP etc. In short, wherever physical frailty (may) occur, I work with colleagues and PhD candidates (19 completions to-date, plus 5 PhDs currently progressing).
  2. I held the Physiological Society Lond. role of Theme Lead for Human, Environment & Exercise Physiology (2014-Dec. 2021) and I am a member of a number of other learned societies including  “UK Space Biomedicine Consortium”, the “British Society for Research on Ageing”, the “Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology”. My work has informed local, national and international government policies (e.g. underpinned the formulation the UK Physical Activity Guidelines by the Chief Medical Officers), supported the commercial success of a number of exercise equipment companies (e.g. Technogym, Exxentric, etc) and through this, informed 4 REF Impact Case Studies (ranked 3*-4*).

Impact

Older person jogging outside on a sunny day

The science of healthy ageing

Experts in the science of bone and muscle are shaping the policies, treatments and approaches to help people stay healthy in old age.

Go to research

Projects

My current research projects focus on…..

A woman using a vertical bench press machine in a gym

Exercise and rehab equipment

A body of research built over 20 years is changing the way manufacturers think about strength-based activity and the equipment they design.

Go to research
A senior man working out at a public gym

Ageing and frailty

A body of work on the biomechanics and physiology of older muscles and bones is helping combat ageing and improve quality of later life.

Go to research

Teaching

Why do I teach?

I’m keen to increase capacity in research into the response of the muscle-tendon unit to ageing, lifestyle manipulations (including exercise and diet), and hormonal stimuli. 

How I’ll teach you

I will utilise my larger research and professional network to inform the content/focus/depth of teaching sessions and hope to get you involved through discussions and laboratory sessions directly aligned with each of the seminar sessions.

Postgraduate teaching

Unit leader at Masters level; PhD supervisor; Statistics Workshop deliveries; Phlebotomy training

Research outputs

Muscle and Tendon physiology, Ageing physiology, Responses to nutrition supplementation, Endocrine responses to hypo-activity, Exercise and Sedentarism, Ageing and Supplementation, Functional Capacity.

Career history

17.05.22

LEADERSHIP

  1. Joined co-ordination of UoA24 (Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism) submission in REF2021 which involved the data from 13 professors, 23 mid-career researchers and 15 early career researchers, 5 impact case studies and external audited income for the census period of £4.3m, with £5.02m in awards.
  2. Results of UoA24 submission by MMU in REF2021: 
    • Unit ranked 6th out of 61 for research power with an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.31
    • 39.4% of our outputs in this UoA were rated as world leading  (i.e. 4*)
    • Overall, 94.7% of our outputs were ranked as either internationally excellent (3*) or world leading (4*)
    • We submitted 5 Impact case studies and 90% scored as either internationally excellent (3*) or world leading (4*)
  3. Research Centre Director positions for 9 years, within state-of-the-art facilities,overseeing up to 55 staff and 40 PGRs at a time, achieving a research centre-wide Field Weighted Citation Index of 1.8 by 2020, and co-leading the REF2014 submission which achieved a GPA ranking of 12/94 institutions in UoA3 (Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy).

16.05.2022

OUTPUTS VOLUME, QUALITY & IMPACT

  1. H-index = 23-29 depending on source (07.03.22)
  2. 98 peer reviewed papers, (60 of which were published during the REF2021 Period), 65% I am first/last author, 7 invited book chapters as principal author for publishers including Palgrave Macmillan UK, Taylor and Francis Books, Routledge Publishing, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Clinical Publishing Ltd, Nova Science Publishers, and Intech
  3. 81% of papers in upper quartile (Q1) journals by Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) evidencing sustained quality
  4. REF2021 return included 2 impact case studies, one commercial, and the second health-policy related
  5. Inclusion of my work in 12 healthy ageing policy and strategy documents, including the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines (2019), hence evidencing real societal impact
  6. Numerous prizes and awards from learned societies and industry including a high-profile Physiological society Fellowship which ‘recognises my experience, commitment and contributions as a distinguished Member’, 4 conference presentations awards, 4 public engagement awards

15.05.2022

PGR RELATED

  1. 19 PhD completions between 2005 and 2021 (including 11 as Director of Studies/Principal supervisor)
  2. 38 PGR examinations including14 PhD, 11 MPhil/MSc Res, and 13 viva chairs, thus contributing to quality assurance

14.05.2022

EXTERNAL PRESENCE

  1. Organisation of 15 international conferences/symposia, 21 Keynote/invited international conference presentations (with 30-3000 delegates) and 66 peer-reviewed international conference presentations
  2. Physiological Society (London) Theme Lead (2014-2021), and elected Society Fellow (2018-present)
  3. 14 high profile public engagement events and >60 Media features, including Television and print interviews (N=6), Newspapers and magazines features (n>30), Internet blogs/YouTube videos (n>25), raising my own as well as my Institution’s profile