Maria Faulkner

Maria Faulkner is a research-active academic affiliated with Atlantic Technological University in Letterkenny, Donegal, where she holds a position in the Department of Tourism & Sport despite her primary research focus being in medical and public health domains. Her work bridges physical activity interventions with critical care medicine, particularly regarding adolescent health and pandemic response.

• Institution: Atlantic Technological University
• Department: Department of Tourism & Sport
• Research Profile: 42 publications (2017-2024), 6173 citations, h-index of 24

Dr. Faulkner's research interests center on COVID-19 (100% fingerprint match), Intensive Care Unit medicine (77%), frailty assessment (61%), and clinical practice guidelines (46%). Her work uniquely connects adolescent physical activity interventions through the Walking in ScHools (WISH) study with critical analysis of pandemic responses and ICU care. She demonstrates particular expertise in cohort analysis methodologies and translational research that bridges clinical practice with public health implementation.

Her publication trends reveal a strategic pivot during the pandemic toward high-impact collaborative research, including significant contributions to the international COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative published in Nature. Recent work emphasizes youth engagement in health research and evidence-based interventions for vulnerable populations, particularly adolescents and older adults with frailty.

• Leading investigator for the WISH study on adolescent physical activity
• Key contributor to RECOVERY trial on pediatric inflammatory syndromes
• Active participant in the global COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative
• Focus on translating research into practice guidelines

Dr. Faulkner's research program demonstrates strong external collaboration across international boundaries, with significant engagement in multi-center studies that address both acute pandemic responses and longer-term health system challenges. Her work bridges the gap between sport/kinesiology research and clinical medicine, creating unique interdisciplinary connections that address population health challenges from multiple angles.