Jade Ward

Jade Ward is a P&G-cofunded PhD student at the University of Southampton's Skin Sensing Research Group and ThermoSense lab, while simultaneously serving as a part-time Associate Lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University since 2021. Her dual role bridges cutting-edge skin physiology research with undergraduate teaching in health sciences and strength conditioning.

Her academic foundation includes:

• BSc in Sports Science from St Mary’s University, Twickenham
• MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Physiology from St Mary’s University, Twickenham

Ward's research revolutionizes understanding of skin-wetness perception, thermal sensation, and gender-specific physiological responses. She investigates how anatomical differences—particularly female breast surface area—affect sweat mechanisms, skin properties, and perceptual thresholds across body sites. Her work spans pediatric populations to Olympic athletes, revealing critical sex-based variations in thermoregulation that challenge historical male-centric research models. Applications extend from antiperspirant development to inclusive thermal physiology frameworks.

Her 8 publications (2023-2025) demonstrate methodological rigor across experimental physiology and dermatology, with recent work mapping cutaneous thermosensation in understudied body regions. The research trajectory shows increasing focus on gender differences, culminating in her influential commentary on research bias in thermal physiology.

As a PhD candidate, Ward receives direct industry funding from P&G for her antiperspirant-related wetness perception research. Her prior work with GB Hockey's Olympic heat-acclimation project demonstrates applied expertise in translating physiological insights to athletic performance.

Within the ThermoSense lab, Ward contributes to a collaborative ecosystem studying human skin sensing mechanisms. Her industry-cofunded approach ensures research directly informs product innovation while advancing fundamental understanding of perceptual physiology through rigorous interdisciplinary methods.