Dr Kristen (Kris) Clements

Dr Kristen (Kris) Clements is a Translation Lead specialising in public health, rehabilitation, and patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE). Kris completed her undergraduate degree and PhD at the University of Bristol. She began her career as a research scientist in musculoskeletal biology, completing academic and industry roles at Imperial College London, Cornell University, AstraZeneca, and MARS Petcare, where she worked on research programmes in inflammation, osteoarthritis, and metabolic health. Kris joined Loughborough University in 2012, moving into a professional services research development and cross‑sector partnership building role before joining SSEHS in 2015 as a senior translational scientist.

Kris was appointed to the role of Translation Lead in 2024 and works on programmes across public health, evaluation, implementation science, and knowledge mobilisation. Kris has responsibility for PPI activity across SSEHS and is co-chair of the Loughborough University Centre Operations and Research Enablement (LU-COReNet) cross-campus Equity, Diversity and Inclusion staff network.

As Translation Lead – Sport, Physical Activity and Health, Kris works to bridge the gap between research and real‑world impact across public health, rehabilitation, and patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE). Her research focuses on knowledge mobilisation, implementation science, and co‑production, ensuring that evidence generated within universities is translated into meaningful changes in policy, practice, and community wellbeing.

This work is often at the intersection of research, public services, and communities, where she leads programmes that evaluate, translate, and upscale innovative interventions. For example, within the NIHR‑funded PHIRST Light programme, she contributes to and leads evaluations of local authority public health interventions, ensuring findings are co‑produced with stakeholders and communicated through accessible formats such as animations, briefings, and creative dissemination tools.

Kris also works with the veteran community through the Veterans Resilience Programme, a collaboration between Loughborough University and the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA).

Funded research and public engagement

• Veterans Resilience- Family Focus Programme (2026) Jamie Barker and Kristen Clements. The Armed Forces Covenant Trust, £95,000
• Co-Creation of RAF Resilience Programme (2026) Jamie Barker and Kristen Clements. RAFA, £65,000
• RAFA Kidz PhD Studentship - Examining the impact of RAFAKidz on Social Connectedness, Social Support, Loneliness, and Mental Health of Serving RAF Personnel and their families (2025) Jamie Barker, Carolyn Plateau, Kristen Clements. RAFA, £66,000
• Exploring the impact of the Physical Activity Clinical Champions programme on patient physical activity and health related outcomes (2025) Lauren Sherar, Florence Kinnafick, Caron Walpole, Kristen Clements. Sport England, £67,000
• Revolutionising Rehabilitation featured at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in 2023 and 2024, with attendance funded by the Royal Society. Co-ordinators: Kristen Clements, Anna Leather.
• White, R., Harwood, C. G., Clements, K., Clift, K., Barker, J. B. (2022). The use of physical activity to enhance mental wellbeing and social and psychological resilience. Funder: Economic and Social Research Council; Midlands Doctoral Training College Postdoctoral Fellowship. Awarded June 2022; Start date Oct 2022-Sept 2023. £115,058.
• Armed Forces Covenant Trust Funding for the Veterans Resilience Programme; 2020 £70,000 and 2024 £88, 500. Dr Jamie Barker, principal investigator.

• NCCPE (National Co‑ordinating Centre for Public Engagement) – member of the network for public engagement professionals
• PRiSM Network – member of network for Professional Research Investment and Strategy Managers
• WHEN Network – member of the Women's Higher Education Network

• Goosey-Tolfrey, V. L., van der Scheer, J. W., Lexell, J., Clements, K., Martin Ginis, K. A., & International SCI Exercise Guidelines Project Group (2018). Development of scientific exercise guidelines for adults with spinal cord injury. British journal of sports medicine, 52(18), 1166–1167. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099202
• Produced on behalf of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences by Prof Vicky L Goosey-Tolfrey FBASES, Dr Jan W van der Scheer, Dr Kristen Clements, Prof Jan Lexell and Prof Kathleen A Martin Ginis. The BASES Expert Statement on the Process and Outcomes of Developing Exercise Guidelines for Adults with Spinal Cord Injury.

Resources for local authorities and policy makers

• Dr Aron Sherry, Dr Yvanna Todorova, Professor Holly Blake, Dr Kris Clements, Dr Jane Bourke, Professor Lauren Sherar, Professor Elizabeth Orton, Swati Madhavji, Pam Rees. Evaluation of Thrive at Night – Research Briefing, March 2025.  
• Dr Aron Sherry, Dr Florence Kinnafick, Professor Lauren Sherar, Dr Kris Clements, Dr Louisa Pereira-Vargas, Pam Rees, Pradeep Khuti. Local authority briefing report, Councillor Mental Health Training Evaluation, December 2024.