Dr Richard J Elsworthy PhD, FHEA

• BSc (hons) Sport and Exercise Science (University of Gloucestershire)
• MSc Sport and Exercise Sciences (University of Birmingham)
• PhD Biochemistry (University of Birmingham)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Richard completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Gloucestershire before undertaking a Master’s degree in Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Birmingham. He subsequently spent five years as a postdoctoral researcher investigating how induced pluripotent stem cells can be used to model the brain and Alzheimer’s disease pathology.

He is now an Assistant Professor in Exercise and Brain Health at the University of Birmingham. His current work brings together exercise physiology, blood-based biomarkers and stem-cell models to investigate how exercise influences brain health, ageing and neurodegenerative disease.

Alongside his research, Richard contributes to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and supervises research projects across exercise science and physiotherapy.

In his spare time, Richard is a keen runner and enjoys competing in ultramarathons, where he applies his knowledge of exercise physiology, metabolism and performance to his own training and racing.

Dr Elsworthy contributes to the BSc Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences and BSc Sport, Physical Education and Coaching Science programmes, teaching across Exercise Biochemistry, Metabolic Perspectives in Exercise and Nutrition, and Introduction to Sport Science. His teaching focuses on exercise physiology, biochemistry and metabolism in health and disease.

He is also the Year 3 and 4 Tutor and supervises final-year undergraduate and taught Master’s dissertation projects within the Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences and Physiotherapy programmes (BSc and MSc/MSci).

Richard is interested in supervising doctoral research examining how exercise and physical activity influence brain health, ageing and neurodegenerative disease. Potential projects may use human exercise interventions, blood-based biomarkers, and induced pluripotent stem cell models of brain and skeletal muscle to investigate mechanisms linking exercise, metabolism and brain health.

Areas of particular interest include exercise-responsive biomarkers of brain health, lactate and metabolic signalling, muscle–brain communication, cellular models of exercise and neurodegeneration, and exercise strategies to reduce dementia risk or support healthy ageing.

Richard’s research investigates how exercise and physical activity influence brain health, with a particular focus on the biological mechanisms linking exercise, metabolism, ageing and neurodegenerative disease. His work spans human exercise studies, blood-based biomarkers, and induced pluripotent stem cell models of brain and skeletal muscle.

• Exercise, biomarkers and brain health

A major focus of Richard’s research is understanding how acute and chronic exercise influence circulating biomarkers associated with brain health and neurodegeneration. This includes markers of neuronal injury, astrocytic activity and tau pathology, alongside neuroprotective and metabolic signals. His work also examines how these responses vary with exercise dose, ageing and cardiometabolic risk.

• Exercise metabolism and brain ageing

Richard is interested in how metabolic responses to exercise contribute to brain health across the lifespan. Current work includes investigating lactate as a potential signalling molecule linking exercise and brain function, including how brain and blood lactate responses differ with age and exercise dose, and how these responses relate to circulating markers of brain health.

• Stem-cell models of exercise and neurodegeneration

Richard uses induced pluripotent stem cell-derived models of neurons, astrocytes and skeletal muscle to investigate cellular mechanisms linking exercise, metabolism and neurodegenerative disease. This work includes studying metabolic signalling, amyloid biology and communication between skeletal muscle and the brain, including the potential role of extracellular vesicles and other exercise-responsive factors.

• Exercise and dementia prevention

Richard also develops and evaluates exercise and physical-activity approaches aimed at supporting brain health and reducing dementia risk. This work ranges from mechanistic studies in people at elevated cardiometabolic risk through to community-based activity programmes for people affected by dementia.

His research is interdisciplinary and collaborative, combining exercise physiology, biochemistry, neuroscience, cell biology and neuroimaging to better understand how exercise can be used to promote brain health and resilience across the lifespan.

Richard is a member of several professional bodies to support his research including: The Biochemical Society and The Society for Free Radical Research. Richard has presented his work at a number of scientific and public meetings such as U3A dementia awareness events. Richard has also organised Dementia research days at the University funded by ARUK. Richard is currently the Alzheimer’s Research UK Early Career Researcher.