Shaun Phillips

Shaun Phillips is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Physiology at the University of Edinburgh's Moray House School of Education and Sport, affiliated with the Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences (ISPEHS). He holds a PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of Edinburgh and has held teaching roles at Abertay University before joining Edinburgh in 2015. His expertise includes fatigue management, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and environmental physiology.

Education:

• PhD Exercise Physiology, University of Edinburgh (2011)
• MSc Exercise Physiology, Loughborough University (2005)
• BSc(Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, University of Bedfordshire (2004)
• PGCert Academic Practice, Abertay University (2013)

Research Interests: His work focuses on fatigue mechanisms in sport and occupational settings, HIIT applications for health promotion, and physiological resilience in extreme environments (e.g., heat). He collaborates with elite athletes, including Scotland’s national hockey teams and football clubs.

Publications: Recent work includes studies on mental fatigue in orienteering, HIIT for older adults, and affective responses to exercise. His research emphasizes bridging laboratory findings with real-world applications.

Awards: Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy (2020); National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (2018).

Teaching & Supervision: Leads the BSc Applied Sport Science program and supervises PhD students in areas like HIIT for functional aging, dancer physiology, and fatigue resilience. Current advisees include Hongyu Ran (HIIT affective responses) and Sian Salmon (dancer physiological demands).

Labs/Teams: Member of the Human Performance Science Research Group. Collaborates with organizations like the Scottish Institute of Sport and FIA Young Driver Excellence Academy.