Dr Anna Myers PhD
Senior Research Fellow
Summary
Anna Myers is a Senior 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
School 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
Osinaike, J., Copeland, R.J., Myers, A., & Hardcastle, S.J. (2025). Physical activity promotion practice within primary care: a cross-sectional survey of primary care health professionals in England. BMJ Open, 15 (7), bmjopen-2024. http://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-093632
Welfare, S., Maden-Wilkinson, T., Copeland, R., Humphreys, L.J., Dalton, C., & Myers, A. (2025). An assessment of study characteristics, quality and reporting in cancer prehabilitation literature: a scoping review. BMJ Open, 15 (7), bmjopen-2024. http://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-093832
Osinaike, J., Myers, A., Lowe, A., Copeland, R., & Hardcastle, S. (2024). Implementation and Scalability of Physical Activity Interventions Delivered Within Primary Care: A Narrative Review. Lifestyle Medicine, 5 (4). http://doi.org/10.1002/lim2.113
Rosenthal, K., Frith, G., Keen, C., Myers, A., Phillips, G., Pickering, K., ... Copeland, R. (2024). 158 Evaluation of a multi-modal rehabilitation programme for people affected by cancer: the Active Together service [abstract only]. European Journal of Public Health, 34 (Supple). http://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckae114.134
Myers, A., Humphreys, L., Thelwell, M., Pickering, K., Frith, G., Phillips, G., ... _, _. (2024). Embedding Multimodal Rehabilitation Within Routine Cancer Care in Sheffield—The Active Together Service Evaluation Protocol. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 1-12. http://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2023-0622
Keen, C., Phillips, G., Thelwell, M., Humphreys, L., Evans, L., Myers, A., ... Copeland, R. (2024). Correction: Keen et al. Establishing Innovative Complex Services: Learning from the Active Together Cancer Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation Service. <i>Healthcare</i> 2023, <i>11</i>, 3007. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 12 (12), 1175. http://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12121175
Vu, J., Koh, C., Solomon, M., Brown, K., Karunaratne, S., Cole, R., ... Steffens, D. (2024). Patients' and carers' views on research priorities in prehabilitation for cancer surgery. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 32 (6), 378. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-024-08585-1
Humphreys, L., Myers, A., Frith, G., Thelwell, M., Pickering, K., Mills, G.H., ... Copeland, R. (2024). The Development of a Multi-Modal Cancer Rehabilitation (Including Prehabilitation) Service in Sheffield, UK: Designing the Active Together Service. Healthcare, 12 (7). http://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12070742
Myers, A., Barlow, R., Baldini, G., Campbell, A., Carli, F., Carr, E., ... Copeland, R. (2024). International consensus is needed on a core outcome set to advance the evidence of best practice in cancer prehabilitation services and research. British Journal of Anaesthesia. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2024.02.021
Raichurkar, P., Denehy, L., Solomon, M., Koh, C., Pillinger, N., Hogan, S., ... Prehabilitation Expert Collaborative, (2023). Research Priorities in Prehabilitation for Patients Undergoing Cancer Surgery: An International Delphi Study. Annals of surgical oncology, 30 (12), 7226-7235. http://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-023-14192-x
Keen, C., Phillips, G., Thelwell, M., Humphreys, L., Evans, L., Myers, A., ... Copeland, R. (2023). Establishing Innovative Complex Services: Learning from the Active Together Cancer Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation Service. Healthcare, 11 (23). http://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11233007
Mathews, H.M., Myers, A.M., & Youngs, P.A. (2023). The Role of Teacher Self-Efficacy in Special Education Teacher Candidates’ Sensemaking: A Mixed-Methods Investigation. Remedial and Special Education, 44 (3), 209-224. http://doi.org/10.1177/07419325221101812
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
Morano, S., Markelz, A.M., Randolph, K.M., Myers, A.M., & Church, N. (2021). Motivation Matters: Three Strategies to Support Motivation and Engagement in Mathematics. Intervention in School and Clinic, 57 (1), 15-22. http://doi.org/10.1177/1053451221994803
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
Rodgers, W.J., Kennedy, M.J., VanUitert, V.J., & Myers, A.M. (2019). Delivering Performance Feedback to Teachers Using Technology-Based Observation and Coaching Tools. Intervention in School and Clinic, 55 (2), 103-112. http://doi.org/10.1177/1053451219837640
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
Thelwell, M.J., Myers, A., Humphreys, L., Frith, G., Pickering, K., Phillips, G., ... Copeland, R. (2023). O.3.2-1 Evaluation of the Active Together multi-modal cancer rehabilitation service embedded within clinical care. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, 33, I59.
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., Ali, A., Kudiersky, N., Søgaard, P., Schmidt, S., Girard, W., ... Nichols, S. (2022). 18 Exploring the validity of VentriJect Seismofit® for estimating peak oxygen uptake in people with coronary heart disease. Abstracts, A10.2-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.
Blundell, J., Myers, A., Finlayson, G., & Gibbons, C. (2015). Physical Activity, Sedentariness and Appetite in Energy Balance. ANNALS OF NUTRITION AND METABOLISM, 67, 25.
Tudor-Locke, C.E., Myers, A.M., Bell, R.C., & Rodger, N.W. (2000). Using pedometers to assess physical activity in individuals with type 2 diabetes. DIABETES, 49, A392.
Book chapters
Broom, D., Capehorn, M., & Myers, A. (2022). Exercise testing in obesity. In Sport and Exercise Physiology Testing Guidelines. (pp. 215-221). Routledge: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003045267-34
Reports
Humphreys, L., Frith, G., Kudiersky, N., Rosenthal, K., Myers, A., & Copeland, R. (2024). Active Together Service Evaluation Report.
Lowe, A., & Myers, A. (2022). MHPP evaluation: physical activity clinical champions: final report of findings. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. https://www.shu.ac.uk/advanced-wellbeing-research-centre/projects/moving-healthcare-professionals-programme-evaluation
Lowe, A., Myers, A., & Copeland, R. (2022). MHPP evaluation: moving medicine final report of findings. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. https://www.shu.ac.uk/advanced-wellbeing-research-centre/projects/moving-healthcare-professionals-programme-evaluation
Lowe, A., Myers, A., & Copeland, R. (2022). Active hospitals: final evaluation report. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. https://www.shu.ac.uk/advanced-wellbeing-research-centre/projects/moving-healthcare-professionals-programme-evaluation
Sherar, L., Myers, A., & Copeland, R. (2022). MHPP Evaluation: e-learning final report. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. https://www.shu.ac.uk/advanced-wellbeing-research-centre/projects/moving-healthcare-professionals-programme-evaluation
Lowe, A., Myers, A., & Copeland, R. (2022). Moving Healthcare Professionals Programme final evaluation report. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. https://www.shu.ac.uk/advanced-wellbeing-research-centre/projects/moving-healthcare-professionals-programme-evaluation
Presentations
Humphreys, L., Frith, G., Rosenthal, K., Copeland, R., & Myers, A. (2024). Evaluation of the Active Together multi-modal cancer rehabilitation service embedded within clinical care. Presented at: HEPA: Optimising health enhancing physical activity: the importance of inclusion, Leuven, Belgium
Humphreys, L., & Myers, A. (2022). Delivering multi-disciplinary rehab for people with lung cancer. Presented at: Yorkshire NSCLC Patient & Pathway Optimisation webinar, Online
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).