Dr Kathryn Weston
Senior Lecturer
Physical Activity and Health
Personal statement
Dr Katy Weston is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Activity for Health at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, contributing to research, knowledge exchange and teaching activities within the Department of Psychological Sciences and Health. Katy holds a BSc (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, an MSc in Physical Activity and Health from Loughborough University, England, and a PhD from Teesside University, England. Her doctorate was awarded in 2014 and focused on the effects of school-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on cardiometabolic health in adolescents. Since then, Katy has held postdoctoral positions at Teesside University and the Qatar Metabolic Institute, and Lectureships at Teesside University and Edinburgh Napier University prior to her move to the University of Strathclyde in 2023. Katy’s research expertise encompasses a broad spectrum of topics within physical activity, health, and exercise science, with a primary focus on children and adolescents. Core research interests include the design, implementation, and evaluation of health-promoting physical activity interventions in schools and workplaces, high-intensity interval training, and physical fitness assessment, monitoring and surveillance. Katy also engages in knowledge co-production and the dissemination of public health research. Katy has authored over 35 peer-reviewed publications, ranging from intervention studies and systematic reviews to methodological papers and international consensus projects. To enhance the reach and real-world impact of her work, Katy actively collaborates with policy-makers and practitioners, employing creative and inclusive approaches to knowledge exchange and research dissemination.
Prize And Awards
Publications
- Feasibility of a school-based peer-led high-intensity interval training intervention : the Young Fitness Leaders project
- Weston Kathryn, Burn Naomi L, Goroski Alexis, Weston Matthew, Galna Brook, Glossop Rosie, Patterson Maddey, Batten Hannah, Gordon Alfie, Basterfield Laura
- BMC Public Health Vol 26 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-26543-w
- The Youth Fitness International Test (YFIT) battery for monitoring and surveillance among children and adolescents: A modified Delphi consensus project with 169 experts from 50 countries and territories
- Ortega Francisco B, Zhang Kai, Cadenas-Sanchez Cristina, Tremblay Mark S, Jurak Gregor, Tomkinson Grant, Ruiz Jonatan R, Keller Katja, Delisle-Nyström Christine, Sacheck Jennifer, Pate Russell, Weston Kathryn, Kidokoro Tetsu, Poon Eric, Wachira Lucy-Joy M, Ssenyonga Ronald, Queiroz Thayse Natacha, Cristi-Montero Carlos, Fraser Brooklyn J, Niessner Claudia, Onywera Vincent O, Liu Yang, Liang Li-Lin, Prince Ware Stephanie, Lubans David R, Lang Justin J, Bardid Farid, Reilly John,
- Journal of Sport and Health Science Vol 14 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2024.101012
- Physical Activity and Health Annual Report 2024
- Reilly John, Harrington Deirdre, Hewitt Allan, Hughes Adrienne, Janssen Xanne, Johnston Evelyn, Kirk Alison, McMichan Lauren, Muirhead Fiona, Weston Kathryn
- (2025)
- Seasonal variation in vascular function : a systematic review and recommendations for future research
- Gordon Alfie, Ross Mark, Weston Kathryn, Neubeck Lis, Muggeridge David J
- International Journal of Environmental Health Research Vol 35, pp. 2227-2243 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2024.2432562
- 'It showed everyone what it was like in lockdown and how we felt' : exploring short film-making with children to produce public health research dissemination
- Basterfield Laura, Batten Hannah, Weston Kathryn L, Burn Naomi L, Galna Brook, Ferguson Helen, Wilson Scott, Rimington Claire, Crosbie Kiz
- European Journal of Public Health Vol 35, pp. 803-805 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaf105
- Application of exercise snacks across youth, adult and clinical populations : a scoping review
- Weston Kathryn L, Little Jonathan P, Weston Matthew, McCreary Sara, Kitchin Vanessa, Gill Amrit, Niven Ailsa, McNarry Melitta A, Mackintosh Kelly A
- Sports Medicine - Open Vol 11 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-025-00829-6
Professional Activities
- Cross-Faculty Connections: Growing Networks and Building Opportunities with and for Children and Young People
- Participant
- 26/2/2026
Projects
- Co-design of scalable and sustainable health & fitness-enhancing interventions for Scottish school pupils
- Weston, Kathryn (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2027
- £8K SFC/DHI MRes studentship for Corinne Payne. Project title -Exploring the views of people who are reducing or have stopped prescribed anti-obesity medications treatment to inform the development of a digital self-management tool to support longer term wellness.
- Kirk, Alison (Principal Investigator) Weston, Kathryn (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2027
- £8K SFC/DHI Masters scholarship for Felix Hale. Project title - Utilising digital technologies and user experiences to explore the feasibility of a workplace-integrated ‘exercise snacks’ intervention
- Kirk, Alison (Co-investigator) Weston, Kathryn (Principal Investigator)
- 15-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2026
- £8K SFC/DHI MRes studentship for Rebecca McLean. Project title - The impact of 60-90 second stair snacks on glucose levels.
- Kirk, Alison (Co-investigator) Weston, Kathryn (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2024 - 30-Jan-2025
- Feasibility into the use of short bouts of high-intensity interval training to improve physical fitness and mental wellbeing in adolescents
- Weston, Kathryn (Principal Investigator)
- 21-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2025
- Intervention effects on health-related physical fitness in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Weston, Kathryn (Principal Investigator) Harrington, Deirdre (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2026
Contact
Dr
Kathryn
Weston
Senior Lecturer
Physical Activity and Health
Email: kathryn.weston@strath.ac.uk
Tel: Unlisted