Ralph Manders

Dr. Ralph Manders is a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology and Programme Director for the Sport and Exercise Sciences degree at the University of Surrey. He holds affiliations with the School of Biosciences within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, as well as the Institute for Sustainability and Centre of Excellence on Ageing. He earned his PhD from Maastricht University, focusing on dietary protein’s role in type 2 diabetes under Prof. Luc van Loon and Wim Saris. His postdoctoral research at Maastricht University and KU Leuven explored exercise and nutrition’s impact on aging and metabolic health. He has collaborated internationally, including at McMaster University, Canada, on training modalities and glycemic control.

His research emphasizes Exercise Medicine, particularly in oncology, investigating how exercise improves health outcomes for cancer patients and the elderly. Key areas include exercise’s role in cancer biology, treatment support, and psychological well-being. He also studies immunological responses, muscle metabolism, and protein’s anabolic effects. Current projects examine stress, exercise, and immune function in cancer populations.

Teaching spans over 15 years across Europe and the UK, leading the Sport and Exercise Sciences program. He supervises PhD candidates researching topics like insect protein’s nutritional value, microbiome-gut-brain axis health, and frailty in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

• Grants & Collaborations: Active in multi-institutional studies (e.g., E-PAraDiGM) and community pharmacy interventions for prostate cancer survivors.
• Labs & Teams: Collaborates with Prof. Martin Gibala’s lab at McMaster University on high-intensity interval training.