About

Cassie joined Durham University in 2019, following posts at the University of Exeter and the University of Bath. She is a Professor of Physical Activity and Health in the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences and a Research Fellow in Durham’s Institute of Medical Humanities. Cassie is part of a team recently awarded £9 million from Wellcome to develop a new Discovery Research Platform for Medical Humanities, where she leads the Moving Bodies Lab. Part methods incubator, part research hub, Lab activities explicitly seek to identify and bridge different framings of moving bodies from across the social sciences, arts, and humanities, broadening what and how they are understood and included in health and wellbeing contexts.

Cassie’s work on moving bodies has been developed in the context of ageing (specifically mid and later life) and nature encounters (green space, blue space, weather). She is currently leading research on women’s embodied experiences of moving through menopause and is involved in a SSHRC funded collaborative project, led by the University of British Columbia on queering later life physical activity, with a focus on emotions, queer identity, and the psychological adaptation to age-related body changes. Her research has been supported by a range of funders including the Economic and Social Research Council, British Academy, National Institute of Health Research, and World Health Organisation.

She holds Honorary Associate positions in the Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging at McMaster University, and the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter.

Cassie was the Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity in her Department, when it received a Bronze Athena Swan award in recognition of its commitment to support and transform gender inequality within Higher Education and research. She continues to embody and champion feminist principles through her research, teaching and leadership roles.

Key Publications