Prof. Catherine B. Woods, Physical Activity for Health Research Cluster, Health Research Institute, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Ireland. 

OrcID: 0000-0002-0892-6591; Scopus Author ID: 17347127200; h-index = 40, i10-index = 83, citations of 5289 (Oct 2024).

PURE profile: Catherine Woods - University of Limerick

Education

Sept 2000              Ph.D. University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK 

Dissertation: Helping inactive students to become more active: A study of the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change as it applies to Physical Activity (Advisor: Nanette Mutrie, PhD).

Sept 1991              B.Sc. University of Limerick, Department of Physical Education, Limerick, Ireland.

Employment history including current position(s)

2016 – p/t              Professor, Chair of Physical Activity for Health, Physical Activity for Health Research Cluster, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Ireland.

2008-2016            Head of School, Senior Lecturer, School of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Science and Health, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland. 

2000-2008            Lecturer, School of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Science and Health, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland. 

1995-2000            Senior Research Assistant, Sport and Recreation Service, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK. 

1991-1995            Physical Education and English Teacher, Presentation Secondary School, Cork, Ireland. 

Institutional responsibilities

2020- current        Director, UL Physical Activity for Health Research Centre.

2018- current        Chair of Healthy UL, a university-wide health promotion initiative.

2019- current        Member of UL Research Impact Committee

2017-2018            Chair of Structured PhD, Education and Health Sciences

2016- current        Module co-ordinator SS4078, SS4071, SS4012 and PY4086. 

Approved research projects (last 5 years)

2024-2026 UL research office award to support PAfH Research Centre. PI €30,000

2024-2026 IHPCC and Okanagan Charter renewal, Higher Education Authority. Co-Applicant, €100,000

2024-2027 IMproving Physical Activity policies and their impact on health eQuiTy. HRB (ERA4Health-2023-2). PI, €1,684,348

2023-2925 The Irish Physical Activity Collaboration (I-PARC 2.0).  (APA-2022-039) Health Research Board.  PI, €238,365

2023-2025 Horizon Europe RIA Marie Curie Fellowship (PLATO #101109929) Supervisor €240,000

2023-2026 Community-based exercise for OA with musculoskeletal pain (DIFA-2023-024) Co-Applicant €401,523

2022-2023 The Children’s Sport Participation and Physical Activity (PA) Study: National Surveillance System PI, €349,900

2022-2023 Inclusive Sustainable Cycling (ISCycle): Inclusive E-bike Uptake and Sustainable Use.  Co-Applicant, €600,000

2021-2024 PA guidelines for anxiety and depression: Optimal dose (SDAP-2021-004) Co-Applicant, €216,918

2021-2025 IsCycle: Intervention to promote inclusive and sustainable ebike uptake and use.  Co-Applicant:€642,718

2021-2023  Horizon 2020 – RIA Marie Curie Fellowship (Health Promoting Sports Clubs #101028401) Supervisor €197,000. 

2021-2024  Promoting PA in secondary schools.  Erasmus+Sport (EAC/A02/2019) Co-Applicant. €399,905

2021-2023  MinDful: Music & Dance for older adults. Health Research Board (DIFA-2020-005)  Co-Applicant €328,005

2019-2022  The Policy Evaluation Network. Joint Prog. Initiative (JPI-HDHL-OEB-2017-1)    Deputy Chair.  €4,300,000

2018-2020  Move for Life: PA for 50+ age group.  HSE, Atlantic Philanthropies (HSEHaPAI-005-Woods-UL).  PI, €459,000.

2018-2020  The Irish Physical Activity Collaboration (I-PARC).  Health Research Board.  PI, €238,000

2017-2019 The Children’s Sport Participation and Physical Activity Study (CSPPA).  PI, €328,900

2017-2019 Keep Youngsters Involved:  An Erasmus Plus project.  8 partners from 7 EU countries: NL (co-ordinator), BL, FI, IE, RO, PT, DK.European Union. CI, €456,836.

2017-2022 The Healthy Ireland Demonstration Project and the Active School Flag Feasibility Trial PI, €265,000

2015-2019 PATHway: Technology enabled behavioural change as a pathway towards better self-management of CVD.  Horizon 2020, PHC-2014, RIA, Co-PI and Clinical Lead.  €4,997,893.

2015-2018 mPATHway: Mobile physical activity toward health for CVD patients.  Co-PI, Industry Sponsor: Acquis Bi. €1,436,560.

Supervision of junior researchers at graduate and postgraduate level

15 post-doctoral fellows; Completed: 12 doctoral students (Dr. Kevin Volf, 2024; Dr. Chloe Forte, 2024; Dr. Andrew O’Regan, 2022; Dr. Mairead Cantwell, 2019; Dr. Emer O’Leary, 2019; Dr. Joey Murphy, 2018; Dr. Michelle Hardie-Murphy, 2016; Dr. Lorraine Fitzsimons-D’Arcy, 2013; Dr. Maura Coulter, 2010; Dr. Norah Nelson, 2007; Dr. Louise Bourgoyne, 2006; Dr. Niamh Martin, 2005).  7 MSc by Research Students (Maeve Conneely, 2024; Orlaith Duff, 2017; Paul Prior, 2013; Antonia Martin, 2013; Sarah Chadwick, 2011; Eimear Foley, 2005; Karen Weekes, 2004) 

Teaching activities (summary information)

University of Limerick, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Ireland.  (Sport and Exercise Science Final Year Project, Module Co-ordinator (SS4078 and SS4071), Psychology of movement development from infancy to adolescence (SS4012 and PY4086), Special populations: Applied Research and Practice (SS4035), Physical Education Final Year Project (SS4117), Broadening Module: A healthy body for a healthy mind (BR4086)) Dublin City University, School of Health and Human Performance, Ireland. (Principles of Health Promotion (SS305); Health Promotion: Practice and Policy (SS406); Health and Fitness II (SS201); Sport Science and Health Final Year Project (SS405), Physical Activity Psychology (SS208), Health and Fitness IV (SS210); Applied Studies in Aesthetics 1, Applied Studies in Gymnastics 2; Applied studies in Outdoor and Adventure. 

Memberships in panels, boards, etc., and individual scientific reviewing activities

Membership: International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, Special Interest Group (SIG) Executive for mHealth (ISBNPA, 2015-2017), Policy & Environment (2017-2021, currently Co-Chair).  International Society Physical activity and Health (ISPAH), SIG – Advocacy 2015-2017.  World Health Organisation Health Enhancing Physical Activity Network, Chair of the SIG Children and Young People 2012-2015. 

Publications, Active memberships in scientific societies, fellowships in renowned academies

130+ peer reviewed journal publications, 10 book chapters, 30+ keynote talks, 100+ conference proceedings, refereed conference presentations 60, Reviewer of  national and international Journals (e.g., Preventive Medicine, International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, Journal of Physical Activity and Health), Grant Reviewer >10 (UK: Medical Research Council, Grant reviewer for their Scientific and Strategic Grant Applications; Northern Ireland Chest, Heart & Lung – Scientific Research Grants; The Scottish Government – Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research Grants).  The Netherlands (Ministry of Health: Prevention Research Funding Scheme; Netherlands Heart Foundation – Scientific Research Grants).  South Africa (National Research Foundation, Peer Review for Individual Fellowship Award.  New Zealand (Health Research Board, Scientific Research Grants). 

Organisation of conferences, symposia.

I-PARC national conferences 2019-2024. Symposium Chair 2020-2023 ISBNPA Exchange and Hybrid Conferences: Policy best buys in food and physical activity. Symposium Chair 2021: ISPAH Conference – The Irish Physical Activity Research Collaboration.  Chair: National Physical Education Physical Activity and Youth Sport Conference (PE PAYS).  Ireland, 2014.  Symposium Chair: ISBNPA 2015, Edinburgh, Scotland.  Audit and Evaluation of Physical Activity Policy:  An examination of the developments in the food environment and their potential impact on physical activity.  Symposium Chair:  WHO Health Enhancing Physical Activity Annual Conference, Istanbul, 2015.  Promoting PA in children and young people: Assessment, Intervention Design and Evaluation. Symposium

Impact

Co-Chair of the Irish Physical Activity Research Collaboration (www.i-parc.ie), established in 2019.  I was appointed academic advisor to the Department of Health (DOH) for the Special Action Group on Obesity (SAGO, 2011-2014), and for the DOH and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport for the development of Ireland’s first National Physical Activity Plan ‘Get Ireland Active’, published in 2016 (2012-2016).  Academic advisor to the Department of Education for the development of Ireland’s first Leaving Certificate Physical Education Assessment (2015-2016). I currently sit on the Implementation Group for Ireland’s National Physical Activity Plan (2016-current).

Mentoring

I currently mentor research staff including one post-doctoral fellow, three post-doctoral researchers and two research assistants, and I am supervising 6 doctoral candidates.  I am mentoring three junior faculty staff in UL. 

Research Interests

Technology Interventions for Clinical and Older Adult Populations
Physical Activity Policy 
Children & Young People (2010, 2018, 2022)
Health Promoting Settings –Sports Clubs and Universities

 

Selected Publications:

  1. Woods Catherine B. , O’Regan Andrew , Doyle Ciaran , Hayes Grainne , Clifford Amanda , Donnelly Alan E. , Gillespie Paddy , Glynn Liam , Murphy Andrew W. , Sheikhi Ali , Bengoechea Enrique García (2024). Move for Life an intervention for inactive adults aged 50 years and older: a cluster randomised feasibility trial.  Frontiers in Public Health, 12. 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1348110
  2. García Bengoechea, E., Woods, C. B., Murtagh, E., Grady, C., Fabre, N., Lhuisset, L., … Bois, J. E. (2024). Rethinking Schools as a Setting for Physical Activity Promotion in the 21st Century–a Position Paper of the Working Group of the 2PASS 4Health Project. Quest, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2024.2318772
  3. Carlin A.;Connolly S.;Redpath T.;Belton S.;Coppinger T.;Cunningham C.;Donnelly A.;Dowd K.;Harrington D.;Murtagh E.;Ng K.;O'Brien W.;Rodriguez L.;Woods C.;McAvoy H.;Murphy M. (2024) 'Results from Ireland North and South's 2022 report card on physical activity for children and adolescents'. Journal Of Exercise Science & Fitness, 22 (1):66-72. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesf.2023.12.003
  4. Murphy J.;Mansergh F.;O’Donoghue G.;van Nassau F.;Cooper J.;Grady C.;Murphy N.;Bengoechea E.G.;Murphy M.H.;Cullen B.;Woods C.B. (2023) 'Factors related to the implementation and scale-up of physical activity interventions in Ireland: a qualitative study with policy makers, funders, researchers and practitioners'. The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 20 (1) 16 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-023-01413-5
  5. Jago R.;Salway R.;House D.;Beets M.;Lubans D.R.;Woods C.;de Vocht F. (2023) 'Rethinking children’s physical activity interventions at school: A new context-specific approach'. Frontiers In Public Health, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1149883
  6. Van Hoye A, Geidne S, Vuillemin A, Dowd K, Glibo I, Heck S, Ibsen B, Johnson S, Kingsland M, Kokko S, Lane A, Ooms L, Overbye M, Woods C, Zeimers G, Whiting S, Winand M. Health promoting sports federations: theoretical foundations and guidelines. Front Public Health. 2023 Jul 11;11:1147899. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1147899. PMID: 37497027; PMCID: PMC10366374.