Conference
Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Welcome to the ACTLIFE Conference 2025, where researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, and community members come together to explore how active lifestyles can support lifelong health and well-being.
With the theme of Advancing Research and Practice for Lifelong Health, this conference will showcase key developments in physical activity, nutrition, health technologies, and social well-being across different life stages.
Through expert talks, interactive discussions, and real-world case studies, we will identify barriers to active living and co-design solutions that promote inclusive and accessible health and well-being. Whether you are a researcher, practitioner, policymaker, or community member this event offers a unique opportunity to collaborate and drive meaningful change.
Speakers
Addressing Referral Disparities in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation
Speaker: Laura Correia
Overview: Exploring healthcare professionals’ perspectives on referral and attendance in cardiovascular rehabilitation, with a focus on sex and ethnic disparities.
Vitamin D, Cognitive Function, and Lifestyle in University Students: A Case Study at Leeds Beckett University
Speaker: Dr Deaglan McCullough
Overview: Baseline characterisation of Vitamin D3 status, cognitive function, and lifestyle factors in university students.
Prevalence of Sarcopenia Across Menopausal Stages: A Cross-Sectional Study
Speaker: Ms Akanksha Arora
Overview: Investigating the prevalence of sarcopenia in pre-, peri-, and post-menopausal women and its implications for long-term health.
Understanding the Female Athlete: Menstrual Cycle Considerations and Best Practices
Speaker: Mr Scott Newbould
Overview: Examining physiological and performance considerations related to the menstrual cycle in female athletes and best-practice recommendations.
Cognitive Function and Healthy Ageing: Exploring how cognitive function changes across the lifespan, key determinants of brain health, and strategies for promoting cognitive resilience.
Speaker: Professor Lauren Owen
Overview: Exploring how cognitive function changes across the lifespan, key determinants of brain health, and strategies for promoting cognitive resilience.
Implementation and Impact of the Magic Table for people living with dementia in care homes and day services
Speaker: Dr Rachel Fox
Overview: The Magic Table is an interactive game projector which is available in some care homes and day service for people living with dementia. This study examines how the Magic Table has been implemented into care homes and day services in the UK, highlighting potential benefits of use through observations and interviews with people living with dementia and staff members.
A Systems Approach to Action on School Physical Activity: Lessons from Wales.
Speaker: Dr Duncan Radley
Overview: Outlining how a regional health board in Wales has employed an innovative systems approach to explore the complex factors influencing physical activity in schools and identify
Professor Afroditi Stathi, is a leading expert in active ageing and public health at the University of Birmingham. With a focus on developing scalable, community-based health behaviour interventions, Professor Stathi leads innovative research projects, including large randomized controlled trials aimed at improving mobility in later life. Her portfolio includes securing major grants from NIHR and UKRI, contributing to policy development, and leading several impactful health initiatives including the Health Inequalities theme of the PHRESH Consortium, the Community Health theme at the Centre for Urban Well-being and the ATTAIN network, all dedicated to encouraging active lifestyles in supportive environments and tackling health inequities.
LinkedIn / X: @AfroditiStathi
Professor Lauren Owen leads the Human Behavioural Neuroscience Lab, Leeds Beckett University. Her research largely examines the neurocognitive effects of nutrition and food components. Over her career she has worked as an academic researcher and lecturer of biopsychology, psychopharmacology and nutrition physiology and as a senior specialist within the industrial sector. Professor Owen has a passion for creating, interpreting, and communicating innovative science to improve health and well-being across the lifespan.
Professor Theocharis Ispoglou is the Director of the Centre for Active Lifestyles and Healthy Ageing (ACTLIFE) at Leeds Beckett University. His research focuses on promoting physical activity across all ages, preventing sarcopenia, and exploring how nutrition and exercise support lifelong health. Committed to translating research into practice, he collaborates with policymakers, clinicians, and industry partners to develop inclusive, sustainable health interventions, leading interdisciplinary initiatives that address health inequalities and promote active lifestyles.
Dr Faye Didymus is a reader in sport and performance psychology in the Carnegie School of Sport and co-director for postgraduate research degrees in the same school. She is a member of Academic Board and the University Research Degree Sub-Committee. Faye's research focuses on human welfare and is often underpinned theories of psychological stress, well-being, and quality of life. By collaborating with sport psychology practitioners, clinicians, industry partners, and the media, Faye ensures that her fundamental and applied research is translatable into real-world impact that improves the psychological health, well-being, and quality of life of people within and beyond sport.
Deaglan is a senior lecturer in nutritional sciences and muscle physiology at the Carnegie School of Sport. He leads the Level 5 Sport and Exercise Nutrition course and is a registered nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition. His research applies biomolecular techniques to explore how exercise and diet influence health and disease across the lifespan, with a particular focus on young and older adults.
X: @deaglan_mc
Dr Duncan Radley is a Reader of Obesity and Public Health. He is the Systems Approaches theme lead for Leeds Beckett University’s Obesity Institute and was lead researcher and guidance developer for Public Health England’s “Whole Systems Approach to Obesity” guidance. He has extensive experience collaborating with policymakers and practitioners, having been commissioned by numerous UK local authorities and governmental agencies to support local teams in implementing systems approaches.
Dr Jackie Hargreaves is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Leeds Beckett University. Her research is centred on the relationship between physical activity and mental health and is passionate about promoting greater participation in physical activity using behaviour change theory. Jackie has worked with a wide range of people, including students, individuals living with cancer, obesity and mental health conditions. She is a Chartered Psychologist and a registered Health Psychologist with the HCPC.
Dr Rachel Fox Rachel is National Dementia Development Manager at Royal Voluntary Service, leading on a growing portfolio of dementia activity and support groups across Great Britain. Rachel completed her PhD in 2024, which explored the key implementation features for successful use of the Magic Table and provides insight into the potential impacts for people with dementia in care homes and day services. Rachel has worked in dementia care for over 13 years; in roles spanning day service provision, regulated care, quality assurance, training and project management of both local and national scale dementia service development.
Dr Allie Welsh is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Activity and Health in the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University. Allie's research interests primarily involve promoting physical activity and overcoming health inequalities for people living with disability, such as stroke. She passionate about patient and public involvement, and about how community-based assets can be utilised to promote healthy behaviours among clinical populations.
Professor Jim McKenna has been Professor for over 20 years at Carnegie, arriving in Leeds after almost 20 years at University of Bristol. His specialises in Behaviour Change and its applications to practical scenarios, especially the promotion of physical activity. His current work accents the importance of establishing routines for securing effective change. He has an extensive range of peer-reviewed publications, grants and PhD completions.
Laura Correia is Doctoral Researcher (PhD) and Associate Fellow at Carnegie School of Sport, exploring disparities in UK Cardiac Rehabilitation programmes, focusing on females and ethnic minority groups. With experience in Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and delivering NHS Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Diabetes Prevention programmes in primary care settings across Hull & East Riding, she is dedicated to advancing equitable healthcare and improving outcomes for underserved populations.
LinkedIn / X: @lcorreiaPhD
Scott is a PhD student in Sport and Exercise Biomechanics in the School of Sport, and his research has focused on muscle and tendon structure and function in female athletes. One of Scott’s key research questions is regarding the effects of the hormonal environment of the menstrual cycle on muscle-tendon unit funciton, where he has used novel methodological approaches to generate a deeper understanding of this topic.
X: @ScottNewbould
Akanksha Arora is a final-year PhD researcher investigating musculoskeletal health in peri- and postmenopausal women. Her work focuses on breaking down barriers to resistance training by exploring innovative training formats that enhance enjoyment and feasibility while promoting muscle health. Through her research, she aims to empower women with practical strategies to improve their long-term well-being.
