Dr Shaun Phillips (PhD, SFHEA)

Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Physiology

Biography

Background

I completed my BSc in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Bedfordshire and my MSc in Exercise Physiology at Loughborough University, before gaining my PhD in Exercise Physiology at the University of Edinburgh.  I taught at Abertay University as a teaching fellow and as lecturer in sport and exercise science and year 3 and 4 programme leader for six years, before leaving Abertay to join The University of Edinburgh in January 2015.

Qualifications

  • Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy, 2020
  • National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, 2018 
  • Level 2 Accredited Phlebotomist, Phlebotomy Training Services, 2013
  • PGCert Academic Practice, Abertay University, 2013
  • PhD Exercise Physiology, University of Edinburgh, 2011
  • MSc Exercise Physiology, Loughborough University, 2005
  • BSc(Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, University of Bedfordshire, 2004

Responsibilities & affiliations

I have provided exercise physiology support to a variety of athletes and organisations, including high performance triathletes, footballers and basketball players, Hibernian and Heart of Midlothian FC, the FIA Young Driver Excellence Academy, Scottish Institute of Sport, and the male and female senior Hockey teams.  

Undergraduate teaching

  • Programme: BSC (Hons) Applied Sport Science. Teaching:  Research and Statistics in Sport Science 3; Sports Physiology 4; Environmental Physiology 4; dissertation supervision

Postgraduate teaching

  • Programme: MSc Strength and Conditioning. Teaching: Training Science; dissertation supervision.

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Areas of interest for supervision

I would be willing to discuss PhD projects within the areas of fatigue and human performance, high-intensity interval exercise for health, and the assessment of physiological resilience, fatigue, and performance in hot environments and how the impact of heat on these parameters can be mitigated.

Current PhD students supervised

Hongyu Ran (PhD): The effect of protocol parameters on affective responses to reduced-exertion high-intensity interval exercise.

Sian Salmon (PhD):  Physiological and nutritional demands of dancers.

Guy Stern (PhD):  Exercise modalities for improving and mantaining functional capacity in healthy older adults.

Past PhD students supervised

Nicholas Lam (PhD):  Exploring the presence of mental fatigue in elite orienteering training and competition.  Completed May 2025.

Cam Zhao (PhD): Effects of unilateral vs. bilateral resistance training on lower body muscle strength and sport-specific performance in adolescent rugby union players.  Completed October 2021.

Guy Stern (MRes): A comparative examination of the effect of high-intensity interval exercise and moderate-intensity continuous exercise on functional movement, peak power output, and health-related quality of life, in healthy males and females aged 50-70 years.  Completed November 2020.

Wendy Timmons (PhD):  Hypermobility in young athletes.  Completed September 2020.

 

 

Research summary

  • Fatigue and human performance: how fatigue manifests, impacts performance, and how the impact of fatigue can be mitigated in occupational and sport and exercise performance settings.
  • High-intensity interval exercise for health: how high-intensity interval exercise can be used effectively as an additional option for people who  want to improve their physical and mental health.  
  • I am developing a research stream aligned with The Physiological Society’s aim to place physiology at the heart of tackling climate change.  This stream will involve the assessment of physiological resilience, fatigue, and performance in hot environments and how the impact of heat on these parameters can be mitigated.

Project activity

Current research projects include investigating mental fatigue in orienteering; the use of high-intensity interval training for improving functional movement in healthy older adults; and investigating the importance of the ventilatory threshold on affective responses to exercise and how this may inform work into high-intensity interval exercise as a population health tool.

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