Dr Oliver Gibson
Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology

Research area(s)

Oliver's primary research interests relate to Exercise and Environmental Physiology and in particular the impact of Heat Stress on Human Health, Performance, and Function. Research in this area includes understanding the impact of climate change/heat waves on human health, quantifying changes in endurance and team sport performance in the heat and examining methods to attenuate performance declines. Oliver’s research also examines cross adaptation between environmental stressors, and the mechanistic role(s) of heat shock proteins in thermal adaptation.

These experiments involve tissue sampling via muscle biopsy techniques and collection of circulating blood markers via venepuncture/cannulation. The collected samples are ultimately analysed using RT-PCr, Western Blotting and ELISA techniques. The cellular/molecular responses are complimented by cardiovascular and thermoregulatory measures to understand the systemic stimuli for the cellular/molecular responses using bespoke physiological assessment tools.

Secondary to the understanding the cellular responses to environmental stressors with a focus on therapeutic advancements, Oliver is also currently engaged in a wide body of research which seeks to understand the physiological responses to environmental stressors such as heat and altitude on the body. This work encapsulates assessment of multiple physiology systems including the cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic responses during steady state and performance (endurance and intermittent sprint) trials.

Research Interests

• Acute physiological and cellular/molecular responses to heat across the lifespan
• Dehydration
• Heat adaptation
• Cross adaptation between environmental stressors
• Performing in environmental extremes

Grants

Project details

Oliver's latest experimental work is externally funded by The Physiological Society's Early Career Researcher grant scheme. Specific details of this project can be found on the Centre for Human Performance, Exercise and Rehabilitation web pages (https://www.brunel.ac.uk/research/Projects/Muscle-heat-shock-proteins-with-passive-heating).

Oliver is also internally funded by Brunel University London's BRIEF award scheme.