University of Limerick

The Human Science Research Unit (HRSU)
Professor Jakeman directs a Human Science Research Group of ~8 researchers founded on a project grant from The Wellcome Trust and sustained funding from Enterprise Ireland and Industrial partners working within the framework of an Innovation Partnership. A multidisciplinary group of biochemists, physiologists, clinicians, physiotherapists, dieticians and exercise scientists have gained recurrent grant funding in support of research projects in human subjects that include a DXA-based study of human body composition www.ul.ie/bodycompositionstudy, skeletal muscle metabolism by percutaneous biopsy and in vivo microdialysis, a nutrient intervention with physical activity to maintain musculoskeletal health in older adults (age-related sarcopenia) and a 1H MRS study of brain phospholipid metabolism following dietary intervention. The HSRU also supports the development of elite athletes from a variety of sports and, allied to sport and health, studies involving acute and chronic exposure to hypoxia under the aegis of the National Altitute Training Centre www.ul.ie/altitude.
 
UL-Stellenbosch: Erasmus Mundus Adapted Physical Activity and High Performance Sport
2012 saw the start of some high profile research collaboration between the University of Limerick and the prestigious South African University- Stellenbosch. The Centre for Human Performance Sciences and Physiotherapy Division at SU collaborated in teaching and research with various UL faculty. Lead by Brigitte Moody, UL received EMMAPA (Erasmus Mundus Adapted Physical Activity) funding for Dr Mark Campbell and Dr Ian Kenny to initiate a large-scale disabled golfer performance study, Dr Amanda Clifford to deliver teaching expertise in physiotherapy, and Dr Drew Harrison to initiate athletics high performance coaching and muscle biomechanics research. The universities benefit from a bilateral exchange agreement for student and staff mobility under the ERASMUS programme.
 
Motor Cognition Research Network
The field of motor cognition is concerned with understanding action, which includes motor execution and simulation processes. It investigates topics including the cognitive aspects of action preparation (e.g., imagery), perceptual expertise (e.g., anticipation) and metacognitive abilities (e.g., meta-imagery). Both Dr Tadhg MacIntyre and Dr Mark Campbell, who have published extensively on this topic, are the leaders of this group. They apply a combination of the converging methods approach of cognitive neuroscience combined with the expert performance approach to understanding action. This involves what has been termed the strength-based approach  Their research collaborators include Prof. Aidan Moran (UCD), Prof. Christian Collet and Prof. Aymeric Guillot (UCB I Lyon), Prof. Stephen Kosslyn (Stanford) and Prof. Craig Mahoney (HEA) and members of the world-wide Research in Observation and Action group. In 2013, the group has been awarded a grant from BASES to develop an expert statement on the application of imagery in sport, exercise and rehabilitation contexts.