Dr Katie Hesketh PhD

2015 – BSc Sport and Exercise Science (Liverpool John Moores University, UK)

2016 – MPhil ‘The effect of intermittent cycle training time and intensity on aerobic capacity’

Dr Katie Hesketh is a Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Programme Lead for the MSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology at the University of Birmingham. Her expertise lies in the role of exercise in the prevention and management of chronic conditions, with a particular focus on physical activity interventions for improving metabolic and cardiovascular health. 

Dr Hesketh’s research explores how exercise can be effectively integrated into healthcare to improve patient outcomes, including the use of mobile health technologies, exercise prescription for clinical populations, and behaviour change strategies. She has led and contributed to research projects investigating the role of wearable technology in promoting physical activity, the impact of structured exercise interventions on individuals living-with or at-risk of developing type 1 diabetes, and the use of self-paced high-intensity interval training in clinical settings. 

Alongside her research, Dr Hesketh has extensive experience in teaching and curriculum development in Clinical Exercise Physiology. As Deputy Director of the University’s state-of-the-art Movement and Wellbeing Clinic (MoveWell), she ensures students gain hands-on experience in real-world clinical settings. She is passionate about preparing the next generation of Clinical Exercise Physiologists, bridging the gap between exercise science and healthcare to enhance patient care and support those living with long-term conditions.

Dr Hesketh contributes to the BSc Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences and MSci Physiotherapy degree programmes, delivering teaching on fundamental and applied physiology principles across lecture, laboratory, and field-based settings. She is also the Programme Lead for the MSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology, launching in September 2025. 

Her teaching focuses on exercise prescription, clinical exercise physiology, and the integration of physical activity in healthcare settings, ensuring students develop both theoretical knowledge and practical skills for working with clinical populations. 

Modules currently teaching:

• Year 3: Exercise Prescription (Module Lead)

Liza Mohd Salleh – Physical activity and sedentary behaviour in pregnant women with gestational diabetes

Joe Jenkins – Effect of breaking up sitting on glucose and cardiovascular outcomes for individuals with type 1 diabetes

Theodora Papanikolaou - Exploring the effect of lifestyle on progression of pre-type 1 diabetes (EXTEND-IT)

Thomas Grimmant – Development of an physical activity intervention for individuals identified with pre-type 1 diabetes (EXTEND-IT)

• Digital health interventions (e.g. mHealth, eHealth, telehealth) to improve physical activity and reduce chronic disease risk
• The accuracy and reliability of mobile health technologies, and the design and implementation of digital health behaviour change interventions in inactive adults.
• Physical activity interventions for individuals at-risk of developing or living-with diabetes (type 1 and type 2)
• High intensity interval training as a intervention strategy to improve cardiometabolic health 

Main research theme: Exercise and Health 

Special interest groups:

• Integrative Physiology of Exercise
• Lifestyle Behaviour Change and Aging