Hannah Johnston

  • Doctoral Researcher
Start date: October 2023
Primary supervisor: Professor Vicky Tolfrey
Secondary supervisor(s): Dr Richard Ferguson

Hannah recently completed an MSc in Physiology and Nutrition at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, after graduating from the University of Birmingham with a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science and experience as a physiologist for the UoB Netball Performance squad. During her MSc, Hannah was on a placement as Performance Physiologist for º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Athletics. This sparked Hannah’s enthusiasm for para sport and she is continuing to volunteer as the para athletics’ physiologist alongside her PhD.

Research

Physiological considerations of para athletes with Cerebral Palsy - This research aims to increase understanding and awareness of the experiences of trained athletes with cerebral palsy, and the fundamental physiology that supports their performance. It will thus discover what limitations are present as an athlete with CP and identify the opportunities for further performance enhancement.

External Activities

Hannah presented her undergraduate research project at the ECSS 2022 Conference in Seville. She has also presented at the BASES Physiology and Nutrition Day, and World AbilitySport Conference on the applied project she completed whilst on placement as physiologist for Para Athletics.

Featured Publications

  • ECSS Sevilla 2022: Johnston H, Prostinakova T, Crane J, Partridge N, Armstrong O, Lucas SJE (2022) Developing a court-based assessment of maximal aerobic speed in netballers.
  • World AbilitySport 2023: Johnston H, McDonnell J (2023). Effect of heated garments on performance of para athletes with Cerebral Palsy.