Professor Helen Dawes

Professor of Movement Science and Director for the Centre for Movement, Occupational and Rehabilitation Sciences Oxford Brookes University

Oxford England

Her expertise is in human movement and optimising performance of the body - through understanding the mechanisms of movement.

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Areas of Expertise

Elite Athletes

Mental Health

Rehabilitation

Human Movement

Exercise

Neuroscience

Physiotherapy

Biography

Professor Helen Dawes is Professor of Movement Science and Director for the Centre for Movement, Occupational and Rehabilitation Sciences at Oxford Brookes University. Her expertise is in human movement and optimising performance of the body - through understanding the mechanisms of movement involving the brain, muscles and nerves and by drawing on neuroscience and musculoskeletal science. She often works with people who are facing significant health challenges (such as Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy and strokes) to assess how movement and exercise can improve their health and wellbeing. She has supported those with mental health and wellbeing issues to explore the value of exercise. She has also worked with schoolchildren to address obesity through movement.

Helen originally trained as a physiotherapist and went on to work with the British Olympic Medical Centre and with elite athletes. Her combined experience is in clinical exercise science, biomechanics and neuroscience. Her work has been funded by organisation such as the British Heart Foundation, Parkinson’s UK, Actional Medical Research, Wellcome Trust, the ESPRC, the American National Institute of Health, the Canadian Institute of Health Research. Helen has been named as one of the 'Nation’s Lifesavers' in a list of the top 100 individuals or groups based in universities whose work is saving lives and making a life-changing difference to our health.

Media Mentions

Pioneering Oxford Brookes University researcher named among Nation’s Lifesavers

Oxford Brookes University online

2020-05-16

Professor Helen Dawes of Oxford Brookes University has today been recognised for her exceptional contribution to keeping the nation healthy.

British Crew Rowing the Distance to Improve Understanding of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson's News Today online

2018-06-27

By studying Buttery and his crew mates, professors Helen Dawes, Fabio Cuzzolin, and Johnny Collett of Oxford Brookes University in the U.K. hope to answer questions such as whether endurance exercise is always better than other types of exercise and if endurance exercise affects Parkinson’s patients differently than non-patients.

Parkinson's sufferer plans record-breaking ocean row to reveal clues for treatment

The Telegraph online

2017-04-08

They will compare this to the results of a detailed medical examination of the crew set off and after they arrive, in order to understand whether Parkinson’s is metabolic as well as a neurological disorder, Professor Helen Dawes, who leads the Movement Science Group at the Oxford Brookes, said: “Anyone involved in sport will know that motor skills and fitness improve with practice and that your movement is affected when you are tired.

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Education

University of East London

Ph.D.

Health Sciences

2001

University of Sheffield

M.M.Sc.

Sport and Exercise Science

1994

Articles

Effects of gender, activity type, class location and class composition on physical activity levels experienced during physical education classes in British secondary schools

BMC Public Health

2020

Pupils in secondary schools do not meet the targets for physical activity levels during physical education (PE) sessions, and there is a lack of data on the vigorous physical activity domain (VPA) in PE known to be positively associated with cardio metabolic health While PE session intensity depends on a variety of factors, the large majority of studies investigating these factors have not taken into account the nested structure of this type of data set.

A critical evaluation of systematic reviews assessing the effect of chronic physical activity on academic achievement, cognition and the brain in children and adolescents

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

2020

International and national committees have started to evaluate the evidence for the effects of physical activity on neurocognitive health in childhood and adolescence to inform policy.

Are older people putting themselves at risk when using their walking frames?

BMC Geriatrics

2020

Walking aids are issued to older adults to prevent falls, however, paradoxically their use has been identified as a risk factor for falling. To prevent falls, walking aids must be used in a stable manner, but it remains unknown to what extent associated clinical guidance is adhered to at home, and whether following guidance facilitates a stable walking pattern.