Role
Dr Neil Williams is a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition and teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. Neil is module leader for the final year module Current Topics in Sport and Exercise Nutrition. Neil contributes to several other modules on the undergraduate and postgraduate degree pathways with an emphasis on nutrition, exercise physiology, respiratory physiology, and extreme environments.
Dr Williams completed his PhD at Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé focused on the aetiology of asthma and investigating novel dietary interventions for the management of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Dr Williams’s current research focuses on investigating the role of dietary interventions and the gut microbiota in respiratory health (asthma and upper respiratory symptoms); athlete health and exercise performance. In relation to respiratory health the research primarily focuses on the use of prebiotic interventions to reduce airway inflammation and asthma severity. Neil is also interested in the role of the gut microbiota in exercise performance and athlete health and whether favourable manipulation through diet using pre- and probiotics can have a positive effect for the athlete and recreational exerciser.
Dr Williams is an Academic Associate with the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENR).
Career overview
Previously Neil has worked on projects involving the physiological assessment of the armed forces for the MOD and commercial clients in a range of extreme environments; and consulted with athletes and ex-Olympians in supporting British runners in the Marathon de Sables.
Previous work includes:
- Exercise and Thermal Physiologist, QinetiQ Ltd. Experienced in the physiological assessment of armed forces in a range of extreme environments.
- Lead physiologist forTV Documentary for Discovery Channel UK. Responsible for heat acclimation protocol design, and field data collection of an ex-Olympic athlete
- Occupational Physiologist,
Research areas
Dr William's is a member of the Sport, Health and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) Research Group.
His research is primarily focused on exercise physiology and nutrition, with emphasis on the aetiology of asthma and novel dietary interventions to reduce exercise induced-bronchoconstriction and airway inflammation. Dr Williams’s research also focuses on the role the gut microbiota play in respiratory disease and exercise performance, with studies investigating the gut microbiota as a novel therapeutic target through dietary prebiotics.
Opportunities arise to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil / PhD in the areas identified above. Further information may be obtained on the NTU Research Degrees website /research/research-degrees-at-ntu
Current PhD Students:
- Connor Parker
- Cristina Parenti
- Nikita Lad
- James Brown
- Louis Hall
- Sam Abbott
External activity
Professional affiliations and activities
- Academic Associate with the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENR).
- Peer reviewer for numerous scientific journals
- Dissemination of research at numerous internationally-renowned scientific conferences
- Invited speaker on topics related to athlete health, asthma, nutrition and the gut microbiota
Neil is able to act as a consultant in the following areas:
- Physiological responses to exercise and assessment of fitness
- Preparation and acclimation for exercise in extreme environments
- Diagnostic assessments of exercise induced asthma and measurement of pulmonary function
Sponsors and collaborators
Current and recent research is being conducted with the collaboration, funding and/or support of:
Internal Collaborators:
Dr Stephanie McCardle, Senior Research Fellow, Biosciences
Dr Kirsty Hunter, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition
Dr Graham Sharpe, Principal Lecturer in Exercise Physiology
Dr Mike Johnson, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology
External Collaborators:
Dr Gemma Walton, Lecturer in Metagenomics, University of Reading
Dr Dominick Shaw, City Hospital, Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé
Food Microbial Sciences Research Group, University of Reading
Clasado Biosciences Ltd.
Publications
LAD, N., MURPHY, A.M., PARENTI, C., NELSON, C.P., WILLIAMS, N.C., SHARPE, G.R. and MCTERNAN, P.G., 2021. Clinical Science, 135 (24), pp. 2729-2748. ISSN 0143-5221
JOHNSON, M.A., SHARPE, G.R., NEEDHAM, R.S. and WILLIAMS, N.C., 2021. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. ISSN 0195-9131
JOHNSON, M.A., WILLIAMS, N.C., GRAHAM, A.W., INGRAM, L.A.L., COOPER, S.B. and SHARPE, G.R., 2020. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. ISSN 0195-9131
WILLIAMS, N.C., KILLER, S.C., SVENDSEN, I.S. and JONES, A.W., 2019. European Journal of Sport Science, 19 (1), pp. 49-61. ISSN 1746-1391
WILLIAMS, N.C., HUNTER, K.A., SHAW, D.E., JACKSON, K.G., SHARPE, G.R. and JOHNSON, M.A., 2017. British Journal of Nutrition, 117 (10), pp. 1379-1389. ISSN 0007-1145
WILLIAMS, N.C., JOHNSON, M.A., SHAW, D.E., SPENDLOVE, I., VULEVIC, J., SHARPE, G.R. and HUNTER, K.A., 2016. British Journal of Nutrition, 116 (5), pp. 798-804. ISSN 0007-1145
JOHNSON, M.A., SHARPE, G.R., WILLIAMS, N.C. and HANNAH, R., 2015. Journal of Applied Physiology, 119 (7), pp. 840-850. ISSN 8750-7587
WILLIAMS, N.C., JOHNSON, M.A., HUNTER, K.A. and SHARPE, G.R., 2015. Respiratory Medicine, 109 (10), pp. 1262-1267. ISSN 0954-6111
JOHNSON, M.A., SHARPE, G.R., WILLIAMS, N.C. and HANNAH, R., 2015. Journal of Applied Physiology, 119 (12), p. 1521. ISSN 8750-7587
MILLS, D.E., JOHNSON, M.A., MCPHILIMEY, M.J., WILLIAMS, N.C., GONZALEZ, J.T., BARNETT, Y.A. and SHARPE, G.R., 2014. Journal of Applied Physiology, 116 (8), pp. 970-979. ISSN 8750-7587
WILLIAMS, N.C., SCOTT, J.P.R., BARKER, N., GILMOUR, K. and WICKES, S., 2014. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 54 (1), pp. 34-42. ISSN 0022-4707
MILLS, D.E., JOHNSON, M.A., MCPHILIMEY, M.J., WILLIAMS, N.C., GONZALEZ, J.T., BARNETT, Y.A. and SHARPE, G.R., 2013. Journal of Applied Physiology, 115 (8), pp. 1163-1172. ISSN 8750-7587
BLACKER, S.D., WILLIAMS, N.C., FALLOWFIELD, J.L. and WILLEMS, M.E.T., 2011. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 111 (8), pp. 1901-1908. ISSN 1439-6319
BLACKER, S.D., WILLIAMS, N.C., FALLOWFIELD, J.L., BILZON, J.L.J. and WILLEMS, M.E.T., 2010. Journal of the Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé Society of Sports Nutrition, 7 (1), p. 2. ISSN 1550-2783
Book Chapter:
WILLIAMS, N.C., JOHNSON, M.A., ADAMIC, E.M. and MICKLEBOROUGH, T.D., 2020. In: J.W. DICKINSON and J.H. HULL, eds., Complete guide to respiratory care in athletes. Routledge, pp. 86-98. ISBN 9780429492341
Press expertise
- The effects of extreme environments on the human body
- Respiratory conditions in athletes
- Role of the gut microbiota in health and exercise
- Prebiotic and probiotic dietary interventions