Mayada Demashkieh

Research Title: Chronotype, immunology, exercise, and health in women

Mayada’s research interests focus on exercise for health. Her research is interdisciplinary engaging the fields of nutrition, physiology, immunology and aims to reduce the risks of metabolic diseases. Mayada co-led studies on cardiorespiratory fitness, fat oxidation and postprandial fat response to high-fat meals in Asians of different ethnicities. She also explored how exercise and plant sterols interact to attenuate postprandial triglyceride. Mayada was a content expert involved in the creation of a 6-weeks sleep course for students and worked on cognitive neuroscience and neurophysiology projects. Her PhD investigates the correlation between chronotype, cardiometabolic risks and altered inflammatory markers, focusing on women of different ethnicities.

Mayada worked as a dietitian and sport nutritionist, assessing the nutritional status of her clients and prescribing personalised diets to fit patients as well as professional and amateur athletes’ lifestyles, helping them achieve their goals.

During her MSc studies at Loughborough University, Mayada animated presentations and workshops for students visiting the university premises. A wide range of topics was covered on healthy nutritional habits, active lifestyle, sleep, etc.

She also worked as a consultant dietitian, at the Sciences Museum in Beirut, Lebanon. The main objective of this collaboration was to create an exposition for children, promoting the importance of adopting a healthy diet and active lifestyle.

The work Mayada has co-led, as a Research Associate in Singapore, was to a high scientific standard evidenced by her ability to complete an oral presentation at the International Sports and Exercise Nutrition Conference, a prestigious event with a high standing in the scientific community. The abstract of this presentation was published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

Alongside her work as a Research Associate, Mayada demonstrated strong leadership skills by co-supervising 3 final-year project students, managing 2 research assistants, and conducting tutorials. She was also invited to Singapore Polytechnique to lecture students on the importance of nutrition in optimising team sports performance.

• Demashkieh M., Boehm B.O., Dalan R., Burns S.F. Cardiorespiratory fitness, and fat oxidation during exercise in Chinese, Indian, Malay men with elevated body mass index. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/apnm-2022-0106
• Thackray A.E., Willis S.A., Sherry A.P., Clayton D.J., Broom D.R., Demashkieh M., Sargeant J.A., James L.J., Finlayson G., Stensel D.J., King J.A. An acute bout of swimming increases post-exercise energy intake in young healthy men and women. Appetite. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.104785.
• Demashkieh M., Dalan R., Boehm B.O., Burns S.F. No differences in cardiorespiratory fitness or fat oxidation between Indian and Chinese men with elevated body mass index. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 30(S1), S1-1-S1-14