Marie Murphy

Marie Murphy is Professor of Exercise and Health at the School of Sport, Ulster University, and Director of the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh. Her career spans 30+ years, focusing on physical activity's impact on health, particularly walking, with multidisciplinary approaches ranging from behavioral to biochemical studies. She co-authored major physical activity guidelines for the US, UK, and Ireland and leads the preparation of new UK guidelines.

• B.A. Hons Sport & Leisure (Ulster University)
• PGCE in Physical Education (Ulster University)
• MSc in Sports Science (Loughborough University)
• PhD in Exercise Physiology (Loughborough University)

Her research addresses physical activity guidelines, health behavior, sedentary behavior, and policy impacts on youth activity. Key projects include the CHITIN-funded Walking In ScHools (WISH) trial.

Recent work (2025) explores cost-of-living barriers to youth sport participation and school-based public health research methodologies. She has over 140 peer-reviewed publications and extensive grant funding.

• Senior Distinguished Research Fellowship Award (2019)
• Fellow of ACSM, BASES, and Higher Education Academy

Marie integrates education, policy, and public health through school-based interventions and multidisciplinary research, emphasizing health equity and community engagement.