Dr Miranda Armstrong
BSc (Hons), MPhil (Cantab), PhD (UCT)
Expertise
I am a Physical Activity Epidemiologist. My research focuses on the associations between physical activity and various health outcomes.
Current positions
Associate Professor
School for Policy Studies
Contact
Press and media
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Biography
I joined the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol in 2017 and became Head of the Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences in 2023. My current primary research is in the area of active travel with a specific focus on e-bikes in both clinical poulations and the general population.
I have a BSc. (hons) (Rhodes University, 2003), an MPhil in Computational Biology (University of Cambridge, 2007) and was awarded a PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of Cape Town in 2009. From 2008 - 2017 I was the Physical Activity Epidemiologist for the Million Women Study (http://www.millionwomenstudy.org) in the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford.
Research interests
Miranda Armstrong is a Physical Activity Epidemiologist, Associate Professor in Physical Activity and Health, and Head of the Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences. Her research on physical activity and health has a specific focus on fractures, vascular disease, and more recently e-bike research.
Miranda has a BSc. (hons) (Rhodes University, 2003), an MPhil in Computational Biology (University of Cambridge, 2007) and was awarded a PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of Cape Town in 2009.
Previous Appointment
2008-2017: Physical Activity Epidemiologist on the Million Women Study (http://www.millionwomenstudy.org), Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford.
Within the Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Miranda used data from the Million Women Study (a prospective study of 1.3 Million middle-aged UK Women) to examine the associations between physical activity and body size, and health outcomes including fractures and various vascular diseases.
Projects and supervisions
Research projects
HEaLth iMpact of E-bikes and e-scooTers
Principal Investigator
Description
Physical activity is important for physical and mental health. Walking or cycling between places is one way to be physically active. E-bikes are pedal bikes which have a battery to…Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
01/01/2025 to 31/12/2026
Using co-production to explore physical activity participation and equitable provisions for neurodivergent teenage girls in Bristol
Principal Investigator
Role
Co-Investigator
Description
This project explores physical activity participation and community provisions for neurodivergent teenage girls in Bristol. It uses co-production to gain insights into their views on the importance of being physically…Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
01/08/2024 to 31/07/2025
Nordic Walking for neurodivergent teenage girls – Exploring strategies for meaningful physical activity participation to improve health and wellbeing
Principal Investigator
Role
Co-Principal Investigator
Description
For this knowledge mobilisation project, a workshop will be conducted inviting practitioners supporting neurodivergent teenage girls, researchers working in neurodivergence and physical activity and health, as well as contributors with…Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
01/05/2024 to 31/07/2024
The opportunities for using physiological data in AI-based closed-loop systems for young adults with T1D in the UK
Principal Investigator
Description
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic condition characterised by insufficient insulin production, necessitating insulin injections for blood glucose control [1]. Recent advancements in T1D technology are leading to the…Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
01/12/2023 to 01/06/2024
HEaLth IMpact Of E-bikes And E-scooTers: Baseline Data Collection
Principal Investigator
Description
Physical activity is important for physical and mental health. Walking or cycling between places is one way to be physically active. E-bikes are pedal bikes which have a battery to…Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
01/08/2023 to 31/10/2024
Thesis supervisions
Publications
Recent publications
17/01/2025Integrating Technology into Self-Management Ecosystems
CHI '25: Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Risk of bicycle collisions and ‘safety in numbers’
Injury Prevention
Accelerometer-measured 24-hour movement behaviours over 7 days in Malaysian children and adolescents
PLoS ONE
Accessing Meals on Wheels
Health Expectations
A Theory and Evidence-Informed e-Cycling Intervention for Individuals Diagnosed With Cancer
JMIR cancer
Teaching
I am the unit coordinator for the Physical Activity, Disease and Public health unit on the MSc in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public health Course. I also supervise Masters dissertation projects on the MSc in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public health. I currently co-supervise three Doctoral students.
Related people
Professor Ailsa Cameron
Professor of Health and Social Care
School for Policy Studies
Dr Angeliki Papadaki
Associate Professor in Public Health Nutrition
School for Policy Studies
Dr Ruth Salway
Lecturer in Public Health Improvement
Bristol Medical School (PHS)
Dr Jessica Bourne
Honorary Research Fellow
Bristol Medical School (PHS)
Dr Becky Lambert
Senior Research Associate
Bristol Medical School (PHS)