Dr Melitta McNarry

After completing my degree in Biosciences at the University of Exeter, Melitta McNarry developed a PhD in Paediatric Exercise Science for which she was awarded a University Scholarship.

This series of studies investigated the modulatory effect of biological maturity on the physiological responses to exercise of intensively trained children.

During the final year of my three year PhD, Melitta took a post-doctoral position at Swansea University investigating the development of a model of cardiorespiratory control for an ambulatory artificial lung. This challenging project involved extensive collaboration with colleagues in the Colleges of Engineering, Medicine and Computer Science and is an area she continues to pursue following her appointment as a lecturer.

Melitta’s research focuses on investigating the influence of modulatory factors on the cardiorespiratory system and its relationship with health and performance. These factors range from investigating the effect of training in children and the presence of a maturational threshold to understanding functional limitations in pathological conditions and assessing interventions to alleviate such limitations. The design and implementation of such interventions includes the investigation of inspiratory muscle training and high intensity interval training methods delivered in traditional methods or utilising recent technological advances to overcome physical barriers such as geographical location or cross-contamination issues.

Whilst she is involved in an increasingly diverse range of projects, my central interest remains understanding the mechanistic basis for the adaptations that occur in response to regular physical activity in both healthy populations and those suffering from a variety of pathologies such as Cystic Fibrosis, Asthma, Emphysema and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, an area of research which, she believes, necessitates an inter-disciplinary approach. This interest has led to the investigation of effective strategies in enhance physical activity levels and thus functional capacity through interventions such as inspiratory muscle training and high intensity interval training.

Contact Details

Email: m.mcnarry@swansea.ac.uk