Rachel Gifford earned her BSc in Sport, Exercise, and Health Sciences from Brunel University before completing a PGCE in Primary Education at Canterbury Christ Church University. She spent two years teaching at Wexham Court Primary School, where she served as Assistant Head of PE, before transitioning back into research.
Rachel is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Birmingham’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences. Her research focuses on exercise physiology, thermal physiology, health, and female physiology. During this time, she worked as a research assistant for three years, investigating the effects of acute heat stress and heat acclimation on exogenous carbohydrate oxidation during steady-state aerobic exercise. This research, conducted with Professor Gareth Wallis, was funded by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command.
Rachel is now the Centre Manager at Centre-UB, where she oversees operations and facilitates collaborations between academics and industry partners. She is always happy to connect with researchers and practitioners interested in the work being conducted at Centre-UB.