Dr Emily Cox

Dr Emily Cox

Brief Profile / Biography

Dr Emily Cox is a Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology at the University of Newcastle. As an early career researcher (PhD conferred September 2020), she has an emerging track record in exercise prescription and adherence for people with type 2 diabetes. She also has significant clinical experience designing and delivering exercise interventions, having worked as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist in chronic disease management for over eight years. A strong clinical background allows her to conduct research that can translate into practice.

Dr Cox has published numerous manuscripts in high-quality scientific journals including Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, European Journal of Sport Science, and Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. As of 2022, she has presented at 13 national and international conferences (5 as award finalist) and was awarded the prestigious Early Career Researcher for Exercise Science & Health award at the 2022 Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) Research to Practice Conference. In 2020, Dr Cox was selected for the Warren Walsh Memorial Award for the most outstanding contribution to the discipline by a PhD graduate from the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland. She has been awarded more than $210,000 in competitive grant and equipment funding (100% as a Principal/Chief Investigator).

 

Research Interests

  • Understanding and influencing the role of exercise in the prevention and management of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity
  • Identifying strategies to enable people to adopt and adhere to optimal levels of self-directed exercise in the long-term
  • Enhancing the delivery of exercise interventions in clinical practice via the development of exercise guidelines, optimisation of the scope and use of compensable schemes such as Medicare, and improved access to Exercise Physiologists

 

Why did you get into research?

We all know exercise is good for us, but most of us to struggle to do enough each week to reap the benefits, whether they be physical, mental, or otherwise. I got into research to get more people, doing more exercise, more of the time. I chose to focus on people with metabolic disease as I have a strong family history of these conditions and have seen firsthand how beneficial exercise can be for managing them.

 

What would be the ultimate goal for your research?

I want my research to make a positive impact on the lives of those living with metabolic disease. This includes finding what types and amounts of exercise are best for health, how can we get people exercising long-term, and how we can enhance the delivery of exercise in clinical practice.

 

Future Focus

While working as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist in clinical practice, I noticed the discord between research and clinical practice, so in becoming a researcher, I am passionate about bridging this gap. Therefore, my focus into the future is to disseminate my research not only to the scientific community, but also to healthcare professionals and the public, to ensure the best care possible is given to the community.

 

Specialised/Technical Skills

  • Randomised controlled trials
  • Pragmatic interventions
  • Exercise and physical activity interventions
  • Exercise assessments

 

Affiliations

  • Active Living Research Program, HMRI
  • Exercise and Sports Science Australia
  • New South Wales Cardiovascular Research Network
  • Journal of Physical Activity and Health