Fellowship accolade for influential Brighton sport and exercise scientist

Dr Neil Maxwell has received a prestigious Fellowship from the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES).

Dr Maxwell – Reader of Environmental Physiology at the University of Brighton’s School of Sport and Health Sciences – has contributed for many years to diverse health, occupational and sporting communities to help people engage in safe and effective exercise across an array of environments, as well as helping reduce the incidence of illness. 

Dr Maxwell has also been a member of the BASES COVID Special Interest Group Steering Committee, contributing expertise to guide government policy on health and exercise during the pandemic. Through his work with the University’s Environmental Extremes Lab, he also provided important research with regard to Heat Mitigation at the Tokyo Olympics and the upcoming Paralympics, which begin this week.

Austrian cyclist Anna Kiesenhofer, who won this year’s Tokyo road cycling gold, cited research from Dr Maxwell’s team as part of her preparation, while for the upcoming Paralympics, Dr Maxwell teamed up with the University’s Professor Nick Webborn – Chair of the British Paralympic Association – and Dr Mark Hayes to create guides for para-athletes.

Following his BASES Fellowship accolade, Dr Maxwell said: “I have been here at the University of Brighton for 24 years now, having given a lot to my teaching, research and knowledge exchange. When you start out in your career, you look up to those experts in the field who are recognised in this way by their respective professional bodies. So, receiving this BASES Fellowship has been really rewarding for me. It was nice to hear my Mum and Dad saying they were really proud too! 

“I found it very humbling reading the letters of support that go alongside your BASES Fellowship application. However, I know that many others have contributed to my outputs and achievements and I am very fortunate to work with a great team of people who are part of the Environmental Extremes Lab.”

Twitter: @UoB_EEL