Claire Cleland

I am a Research Fellow at the Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast. My research focus is the interconnected themes of ageing, physical activity and the environment (built and social). In particular, determining the best approach to healthy active ageing. 

My current research involves providing a public health insight into the "is 20 plenty for health?" 20mph speed limit evaluations in Belfast and Edinburgh. My work focuses on the impact of the built environment intervention on liveability and the potential mechanisms of behaviour change. In addition, having collected objective physical activity, location data (GPS) and health data on the Healthy Urban Living and Ageing in Place Project I work to investigate the influence that the environment has on the physical activity levels, sedentary behaviour and health and well-being of older adults in the UK and Brazil (collaboration with researchers from Washington University, St Louis and Pontifical Catholic University of Parana).   

My previous postdoctoral work and PhD studies focused on the design and development of physical activity and nutrition interventions, the evaluation of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 and the evaluation of built environment interventions on physical activity and health.

I have experience of delivering lectures and tutorials to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. The areas which I have lectured in includes global health in a social context, health and the environment, public health and planning, human nutrition and behaviour change techniques. I have also given tutorials in leadership, global health, research studies and diagnostic studies. 

I am also involved in the supervision of undergraduate and Masters students and advise on PhD student projects specifically in the areas of physical activity, the environment and ageing.

• Fredrik and Catherine Eaton Fellowship (International Research Development Office, Queen’s University Belfast) to further my research at the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of New Brunswick.
• Royal Town Planning Institute Awards for Research Excellence, 2016. Early Career Researcher Award – Commended. Spatial scale, time and process in mega-events: the complexity of host community perspectives on neighbourhood change.