Zoe is an Associate Professor in Clinical Exercise Physiology at the University of Southampton, and an honorary researcher at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. She was one of the first registered Clinical Exercise Physiologists in the UK and a former international rugby union player. Her work bridges clinical research, applied physiology, and athlete welfare, with a strong focus on the role of physical activity and exercise in the prevention, treatment, and management of long-term conditions across the lifespan.
Zoe holds a BSc in Sports Science and an MSc in Exercise Rehabilitation from Bangor University, and a PhD in Paediatric Clinical Exercise Physiology from the University of Exeter, where her doctoral work focused on exercise limitation in children with cystic fibrosis. From 2014 to 2024, she established and led the Physical Activity, Health and Rehabilitation research group at the University of Portsmouth. In 2024, she joined the University of Southampton’s School of Health Sciences, where she established and now leads the Physiology of Health, Lifestyle and Exercise (PHLEX) team within the Active Living Research Group.
Her work spans the core clinical conditions within the scope of practice for Clinical Exercise Physiology, including respiratory, cardiovascular, renal, metabolic, musculoskeletal, neurological, frailty, mental health, and cancer. She is a recognised world leader in exercise and respiratory disease, particularly in understanding its multisystemic impacts, and in developing evidence-based strategies to assess and support long-term health and quality of life across the lifespan. She also specialises in long-term athlete health, with a particular focus on female athletes.
Zoe is Research Lead for the European Cystic Fibrosis Society’s Exercise Working Group and holds leadership roles across professional bodies including The Physiological Society, European College of Sport Science, Clinical Exercise Physiology UK (where she now sits on the board), and the Rugby Players’ Association. She is Chair of the Rugby Players’ Association Women’s Welfare Advisory Board and advisor to the UK Government's DCMS Board of Women's Sport, contributing to national and international policy and advocacy in sport and health.
She is currently Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Sport Science (the flagship journal of the European College of Sport Science), and serves on several editorial boards and funding review panels. A passionate educator and mentor, she lectures globally and supports the development of future clinical and academic leaders. Her work is driven by a commitment to enabling safe, equitable, and effective physical activity and exercise for all.
