Dr Alasdair O'Doherty

Assistant Professor

Department: Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation

Alasdair is a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology and Health in the Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation. After completing his Undergraduate and Masters degrees at Coventry University, Alasdair gained experience working in a Cardiology department at Lewisham Hospital. He then moved to University College London (UCL) where he was responsible for the day to day running of cardiopulmonary exercise testing services for clinical and research purposes across 3 London teaching hospitals. In addition to his role, Alasdair was a guest lecturer on the UCL Sports Medicine and Physiotherapy masters courses and was an investigator on the 2010 Xtreme Alps expedition. Alasdair went on to complete a PhD at the University of Hull where he investigated exercise and nutritional strategies that targeted reducing cardiometabolic dysregulation after eating fat. Alasdair’s research interests are in cardiovascular, cardiorespiratory and cardiometabolic responses to exercise and nutritional interventions. A major strand of his current research has stemmed from evaluating the provision of exercise training within UK cardiac rehabilitation through a national survey that was supported by the British Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation. Alasdair is passionate about using his research to help with disease prevention, reducing disease progression and improving patient-centred outcomes.

Campus Address

234, Northumberland Building,
Northumbria University
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8ST

Email Alasdair

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Alasdair’s research interests are in cardiovascular, cardiorespiratory and cardiometabolic responses to exercise and nutritional interventions. A major strand of his current research is focussed on UK cardiac rehabilitation. Alasdair is passionate about using his research to help with disease prevention, reducing disease progression and improving patient-centred outcomes.

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Serum Transthyretin and Aminotransferases are associated with Lean Mass in People with Coronary Heart Disease. Further Insights from the CARE-CR study, James, E., Goodall, S., Nichols, S., Walker, K., Carroll, S., O'Doherty, A., Ingle, L. 20 Feb 2023, In: Frontiers in Medicine
Dietary Nitrate Supplementation Does Not Alter Exercise Efficiency at High Altitude – Further Results From the Xtreme Alps Study, Hennis, P., Cumpstey, A., O'Doherty, A., Fernandez, B., Gilbert-Kawai, E., Mitchell, K., Moyses, H., Cobb, A., Meale, P., Pöhnl, H., Mythen, M., Grocott, M., Levett, D., Martin, D., Feelisch, M. 28 Feb 2022, In: Frontiers in Physiology
Systematic development and feasibility testing of a multibehavioural digital prehabilitation intervention for patients approaching major surgery (iPREPWELL): A study protocol, Durrand, J., Livingston, R., Tew, G., Gillis, C., Yates, D., Gray, J., Greaves, C., Moore, J., O'Doherty, A., Doherty, P., Danjoux, G., Avery, L. 27 Dec 2022, In: PLoS One
The effectiveness of the Healthworks Staying Steady community-based falls prevention exercise programme to improve physical function in older adults: A 6-year service evaluation, James, E., Oman, P., Ali, M., Court, P., Goodall, S., Nichols, S., O'Doherty, A. Dec 2022, In: BMC Public Health
How has technology been used to deliver cardiac rehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic? An international cross-sectional survey of healthcare professionals conducted by the BACPR, O'Doherty, A., Humphreys, H., Dawkes, S., Cowie, A., Hinton, S., Brubaker, P., Butler, T., Nichols, S. 20 Apr 2021, In: BMJ Open
The influence of resistance training on neuromuscular function in middle-aged and older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials, James, E., Nichols, S., Goodall, S., Hicks, K., O'Doherty, A. 1 Jul 2021, In: Experimental Gerontology
Exercise-induced attenuation of treatment side-effects in patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer beginning androgen-deprivation therapy: a randomised controlled trial, Ndjavera, W., Orange, S., O'Doherty, A., Leicht, A., Rochester, M., Mills, R., Saxton, J. 1 Jan 2020, In: BJU International
Influence of appendicular skeletal muscle mass on resting metabolic equivalents in patients with cardiovascular disease: Implications for exercise training and prescription, Nichols, S., O’Doherty, A., Carroll, S., Ingle, L. 29 Aug 2020, In: European Journal of Preventive Cardiology
The effect of acute exercise on environmentally induced symptoms of dry eye, Peart, D., Walshe, I., Sweeney, E., James, E., Henderson, T., O'Doherty, A., McDermott, A. Jan 2020, In: Physiological Reports
The effect of protein and essential amino acid supplementation on muscle strength and performance in patients with chronic heart failure: A systematic review, Nichols, S., McGregor, G., al-Mohammad, A., Ali, A., Tew, G., O'Doherty, A. 1 Aug 2020, In: European Journal of Nutrition

Professional Activity

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Oral presentation: Current exercise training practices in UK cardiac rehabilitation programmes 2018

PGR Supervision

James Durrand Development of a remotely-supervised digitally-facilitated multibehavioural prehabilitation intervention for patients approaching major surgery Start Date: 01/09/2022
Emily James Underlying mechanisms and therapeutic treatment of sarcopenia in patients with coronary heart disease Start Date: 01/10/2019