Dr Jane Black

Throughout her academic career Jane has taught exercise physiology, as well as research methods and statistics, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Jane has completed a postgraduate certificate for teaching in higher education (PgC THE) and has achieved fellowship status from Advance HE. Jane is enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge and skills with students, helping each individual to achieve their personal goals. Jane uses her passion and enthusiasm for sports science to engage and empower students to become independent and critical learners, facilitating lifelong learning skills whilst respecting individuality. Jane is a member of the Critical Pedagogies in Sport (CPiS) network; an international academic network which facilitates the sharing of information, expertise and practice focusing on teaching and learning in sports-based degrees.

Jane’s PhD investigated the acute responses and chronic adaptations of the cardiovascular system to resistance exercise. Specifically, the research focused on mechanical behaviour of the arterial wall, during and immediately following a resistance exercise stimulus. The ultimate aim of the project was to understand how resistance training might help to promote cardiovascular health for hypertensive patients. Jane has always been interested in the role that exercise can play in promoting health and wellbeing and continues to research in this area. This has included collaborative work to investigate the role of isometric exercise to break up sedentary behaviour in the workplace and understanding the benefits of workplace physical activity amongst palliative and end-of-life care workers. Jane also supervises doctoral students who are investigating the role that exercise can play in promoting health and wellbeing in different environments or for specific populations, such as patients recovering from acute brain injury.

In addition to fellowship status from Advance HE and being a member of the Critical Pedagogies in Sport (CPiS) network, Jane is also a member of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), the Physiological Society and the Women in Sport and Exercise Academic Network (WiSEAN). The WiSEAN brings together leading academics and practitioners from a range of disciplines to grow, strengthen and promote research on women in sport and exercise, and to provide a communication network. Jane is involved the WiSEAN mentoring programme, offering support to women in the UK and internationally, who are in the early stages of their career in sport and exercise sciences.