Dr Anna Myers BSc, MSc, PhD
Research Fellow
Summary
Anna Myers is a Research Fellow within the Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre (SPARC) and the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU). Her research focuses on the role of physical activity in the prevention and management of long-term conditions.
About
Anna graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a BSc (2011) and MSc (2012) in Physical Activity, Health and Exercise Science. After completing a graduate internship at SHU, Anna joined the Appetite Control and Energy Balance research group at the University of Leeds in 2014 as a Research Assistant and part-time PhD student. Her work focused on the role of exercise in appetite control, energy balance and weight management. After completing her PhD, Anna returned to SHU in 2017 to lead a high profile, multi-site evaluation of a national programme designed to embed physical activity within the healthcare system across England. Anna has nine years’ experience of conducting research in physical activity and health from controlled clinical trials to pragmatic evaluation of complex interventions. She has led and contributed to large scale projects funded by multiple national and international agencies including; the European Union, the National Institute for Health Research, Public Health England, Sport England, Macmillan Cancer Support, Slimming World and Yorkshire Cancer Research. Anna’s research interests can be grouped in to three themes: i) The effects of exercise on appetite control, components of energy balance and body weight/composition. ii) Rehabilitation (including prehabilitation) for people with cancer. iii) Embedding physical activity within the healthcare system. Anna also guest lectures on the undergraduate Physical Activity, Sport and Health course at SHU and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate project students.
Specialist areas of interest
Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and health
Exercise, appetite control and energy balance
Measurement of free-living physical activity and sedentary behaviour
Body composition
Evaluation of physical activity interventions
Teaching
Academy of Sport and Physical Activity
College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences
Subject area
Physical Activity, Wellbeing and Public Health Research Group.
Physical activity, sport and health
Contemporary Issues in Physical Activity and Health
Research
Evaluation of the Moving Healthcare Professionals Programme – Public Health England and Sport England Sheffield cancer and exercise rehabilitation programme – Yorkshire Cancer Research Evaluation of Fit Fans – English Football League Trust Exercise as a mean to prevent and recover the chronic diseases (PREVENT) - Erasmus + Sport.
Relevant Projects
- Public Health England Moving Healthcare Professional Programme Evaluation
- English Football League Trust Fit Fans Evaluation
- Yorkshire Cancer Research Cancer and Exercise Rehabilitation Programme
- Erasmus + Sport - Exercise as a mean to prevent and recover the chronic diseases (PREVENT)
Publications
Journal articles
Lowe, A., Myers, A., Quirk, H., Blackshaw, J., Palanee, S., & Copeland, R. (2022). Physical activity promotion by GPs: a cross-sectional survey in England. BJGP Open. http://doi.org/10.3399/BJGPO.2021.0227
Myers, A., Quirk, H., Lowe, A., Crank, H., Broom, D., Jones, N., ... Copeland, R. (2021). The Active Hospital Pilot: a qualitative study exploring the implementation of a Trust-wide Sport and Exercise Medicine-led physical activity intervention. PLoS One, 16 (9). http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257802
Myers, A., Camidge, D., Croden, F., Gibbons, C., Stubbs, R.J., Blundell, J., ... Buckland, N. (2021). Free-Living Energy Balance Behaviors Are Associated With Greater Weight Loss During a Weight Loss Program. Frontiers in Nutrition, 8. http://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.688295
Buckland, N.J., Swinnerton, L.F., Ng, K., Price, M., Wilkinson, L.L., Myers, A., & Dalton, M. (2021). Susceptibility to increased high energy dense sweet and savoury food intake in response to the COVID-19 lockdown: The role of craving control and acceptance coping strategies. Appetite, 158 (105017). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.105017
Buckland, N.J., Camidge, D., Croden, F., Myers, A., Lavin, J.H., Stubbs, R.J., ... Finlayson, G. (2019). Women with a low satiety phenotype show impaired appetite control and greater resistance to weight loss. British Journal of Nutrition, 1-22. http://doi.org/10.1017/s000711451900179x
Myers, A., Dalton, M., Gibbons, C., Finlayson, G., & Blundell, J. (2019). Structured, aerobic exercise reduces fat mass and is partially compensated through energy intake but not energy expenditure in women. Physiology & Behavior, 199, 56-65. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.11.005
Myers, A., Gibbons, C., Butler, E., Dalton, M., Buckland, N., Blundell, J., & Finlayson, G. (2018). Disentangling the relationship between sedentariness and obesity: Activity intensity, but not sitting posture, is associated with adiposity in women. Physiology & Behavior, 194, 113-119. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.05.007
Myers, A., Gibbons, C., Butler, E., Dalton, M., Buckland, N., Blundell, J., & Finlayson, G. (2017). A novel integrative procedure for identifying and integrating three-dimensions of objectively measured free-living sedentary behaviour. BMC public health, 17 (1), 979. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4994-0
Hopkins, M., Beaulieu, K., Myers, A., Gibbons, C., & Blundell, J.E. (2017). Mechanisms responsible for homeostatic appetite control: theoretical advances and practical implications. Expert Review of Endocrinology & Metabolism, 12 (6), 401-415. http://doi.org/10.1080/17446651.2017.1395693
Myers, A., Gibbons, C., Finlayson, G., & Blundell, J. (2016). Associations among sedentary and active behaviours, body fat and appetite dysregulation: investigating the myth of physical inactivity and obesity. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51 (21), 1540-1544. http://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-095640
Conference papers
Myers, A., Ali, A., Kudiersky, N., Søgaard, P., Schmidt, S., Girard, W., ... Nichols, S. (2022). Exploring the validity of VentriJect Seismofit® for estimating peak oxygen uptake in people with coronary heart disease [abstract only]. Heart, 108, A10. http://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2022-BACPR.18
Myers, A. (2017). A novel procedure for identifying and integrating three-dimensions of objectively measured free-living sedentary time. In International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Conference, Victoria, Canada.
Presentations
Myers, A. (2015). Associations amongst sedentary and active behaviours, energy expenditure, body fat and appetite dysregulation. Presented at: International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Conference, Edinburgh
Posters
Myers, A., Dalton, M., Gibbons, C., Finlayson, G., & Blundell, J. (2017). Effect of a medium-term exercise intervention on fat mass is partially compensated for by increased appetite, but not reduced non-exercise physical activity. Presented at: British Association of Sport and Exercise Science Conference, Nottingham
Myers, A., Gibbons, C., Butler, E., Blundell, J., & Finlayson, G. (2017). A novel procedure for integrating three objectively measured dimensions of free-living sedentary time. Presented at: European Congress on Obesity, Porto, Portugal, 2017
Myers, A., Finlayson, G., Blundell, J., & Gibbons, C. (2015). Is the presence of sedentary behaviour or the absence of physical activity responsible for fat mass and appetite dysregulation? Preliminary results from the DAPHNE project. Presented at: European Congress on Obesity, Prague, 2015
Myers, A., Finleyson, G., Blundell, J., & Gibbons, C. (2014). Investigating the impact of sedentariness on appetite control: A multilevel platform linking energy intake and energy expenditure. Presented at: Annual UK Congress on Obesity, Birmingham, 2014
Postgraduate supervision
Jimi Osinaike: Developing a theory informed behavioural intervention to promote adherence to physical activity promotion clinical practice guidelines amongst foundation Doctors in the UK. (From February 2021).