ֲýƵ

Skip navigation

Dr Gavin Tempest

Assistant Professor

School: Sport Exercise and Rehabilitation

Gavin completed his PhD training at the University of South Australia which examined the neural basis of affective responses during exercise using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS; a non-invasive neuroimaging technique). He completed his initial postdoctoral training at Tomsk State University (Russia) and then escaped the Siberian winter to thaw out at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis on the French Riviera. His postdoc work examined the effects of exercise upon cognitive function and creativity using NIRS. He then moved stateside to Stanford University where he examined the effectiveness of exercise to improve brain function and symptoms in childhood attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In 2019, Gavin was appointed as Assistant Professor in the Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation.

Gavin's research spans three complementary approaches:

1) mechanistic studies using neuroimaging (fNIRS) to understand brain responses to exercise;

2) applied research monitoring health and behaviour in real-world ecological settings; and

3) public health research addressing the social determinants of physical activity and behaviour change in children, adults, and under-served communities.

Gavin leads the Physical Activity for Health Across the Lifespan Research Group at ֲýƵ and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He supervises PhD students working across physical activity, cognition, nutrition, health and behaviour.

Gavin Tempest
  • Exercise neuroscience and psychophysiology (fNIRS, HRV)
  • Affective and perceptual responses to exercise
  • Cognitive function, brain health and physical activity
  • Nutrition, hydration and cognitive performance
  • Immersive technologies (virtual reality) and exercise
  • Physical activity promotion in children and young people
  • Social determinants of health and health equity
  • Behaviour change theory and health behaviour
  • Joyce Omojor-Oche Addressing health inequality and wellbeing through physical activity; Identifying barriers and motivators to uptake of PA in children from ethnic minority groups. Start Date: 18/12/2025 End Date: 01/06/2026
  • Amelie Leach How Does Physical Activity Protect Against Stress? Examining Recovery Mechanisms Across Brain, Heart, Vascular, and Affective Systems Start Date: 01/10/2025
  • Charlie Ward Affective States and Physical Activity Behaviour in Low-Active Adults Start Date: 01/10/2025
PhD March 12 2014

Latest News and Features

Top 50 employer winner badge
AI mapping tool
THE Rankings
The North Edit
Professor Howard Reed from ֲýƵ, Irene Campbell MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Phasing Out Animal Experiments in Medical Research, and Professor Elliott Johnson from ֲýƵ.
More news
More events

Upcoming events

REVEAL Architecture
-
REVEAL Interior Design
-
REVEAL Fashion Exhibition
-
Back to top