Role
Dr Karah Dring is a Senior Lecturer in Exercise and Health in the Department of Sport Science within the School of Science and Technology.
Dr Dring joined NTU as a Lecturer in 2019 teaching exercise and health related modules across the undergraduate degree programmes. Karah teaches predominantly on the BSc. Sport Science, Health and Nutrition degree programme.
Dr Dring's research expertise includes examining the potential for physical activity to enhance the cardiometabolic health and cognitive function of young people, specifically those with ADHD and Autism, and those living with socio-economic disadvantage.
Dr Dring is also the Physical Activity and Health Across the Lifespan (PAHAL) Research Group lead, supporting her colleagues within the field of exercise and health to produce high quality research, that has the potential to create impact for those who need it most within our communities.
Career overview
Dr Dring completed her BSc in Sport and Exercise Science at Nottingham Trent University, before going on to complete a MSc in Integrated Physiology in Health and Disease at the University of Nottingham.
Following this, Karah returned to NTU to undertake her PhD, which examined the benefits of physical activity for adolescent cardiometabolic health and physical fitness.
During her time at NTU as a Senior Lecturer, Karah has been successful in producing high quality research within her field (physical activity for the cardiometabolic health and cognition of young people and their families). To support her research, Karah has been successful in obtaining >£210,000 of external grant income as Principal Lecturer, with all projects running on time and to budget. For her research success, Dr Dring won the Vice Chancellor Research Excellence Award in 2023/24.
Karah also leads the Physical Activity and Health Across the Lifespan Research Group. Through this role Karah supports colleagues and postgraduate researchers to develop their research skills to produce high-quality research outputs, secure external grant funding and improve the impact of the research outputs.
Dr Dring also manages several PhD candidates, as both Director of Studies and Co-Supervisor. Students include those with university funding and those opting to self-fund.
Research areas
Dr Dring is a member of the Sport, Health and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) Research Group. Her research interests include:
- Potential for physical activity to enhance the cardiometabolic health and cognitive function of young people and their families.
- Specialist interest in the power of physical activity for young people with ADHD and Autism, and those living with socio-economic disadvantage.
- The potential for forest schools and woodland groups to support the mental health of parents, and the development of young people.
Sponsors and collaborators
Internal Collaborators:
Dr Simon Cooper, Dr John Morris, Dr Caroline Sunderland, Dr Ryan Williams, Dr Ruth Boat, Dr Grace Walters, and Dr Robert Needham.
External Collaborators
- John van Geest Cancer Research Centre
- Nottingham City Council Childhood Obesity Working Group
- Active Notts and Active Derbyshire
- The Waterloo Foundation
- Rosetrees Trust
Publications
WILLIAMS, R.A., DRING, K.J., MORRIS, J.G., SUNDERLAND, C., NEVILL, M.E. and COOPER, S.B., 2022. Effect of two-weeks of school-based sprint training on physical fitness, risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases and cognitive function in adolescent girls: a randomized controlled pilot trial. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 4: 884051. ISSN 2624-9367
WILLIAMS, R.A., COOPER, S.B., DRING, K.J., HATCH, L., MORRIS, J.G., SUN, F.-H. and NEVILL, M.E., 2022. Physical fitness, physical activity and adiposity: associations with risk factors for cardiometabolic disease and cognitive function across adolescence. BMC Pediatrics, 22: 75. ISSN 1471-2431
HATCH, L.M., DRING, K.J., WILLIAMS, R.A., SUNDERLAND, C., NEVILL, M.E. and COOPER, S.B., 2021. Effect of differing durations of high-intensity intermittent activity on cognitive function in adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (21): 11594. ISSN 1661-7827
HATCH, L.M., WILLIAMS, R.A., DRING, K.J., SUNDERLAND, C., NEVILL, M.E., SARKAR, M., MORRIS, J.G. and COOPER, S.B., 2021. The Daily Mile™: acute effects on children’s cognitive function and factors affecting their enjoyment. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 57: 102047. ISSN 1469-0292
HATCH, L.M., WILLIAMS, R.A., DRING, K.J., SUNDERLAND, C., NEVILL, M.E. and COOPER, S.B., 2021. Activity patterns of primary school children during participation in The Daily Mile. Scientific Reports, 11: 7462. ISSN 2045-2322
WILLIAMS, R.A., COOPER, S., DRING, K.J., HATCH, L., MORRIS, J.G., SUNDERLAND, C. and NEVILL, M.E., 2021. Effect of acute football activity and physical fitness on glycaemic and insulinaemic responses in adolescents. Journal of Sports Sciences. ISSN 0264-0414
KINNEAR, W., DRING, K., KINNEAR, K., HANSEL, J. and SOVANI, M., 2021. How to eat, drink and speak on non-invasive ventilation. Chronic Respiratory Disease, 18. ISSN 1479-9723
WILLIAMS, R.A., COOPER, S.B., DRING, K.J., HATCH, L., MORRIS, J.G., SUNDERLAND, C. and NEVILL, M.E., 2020. Effect of football activity and physical fitness on information processing, inhibitory control and working memory in adolescents. BMC Public Health, 20 (1): 1398.
WILLIAMS, R.A., DRING, K.J., COOPER, S.B., MORRIS, J.G., SUNDERLAND, C. and NEVILL, M.E., 2020. Predictors of postprandial glycaemia, insulinaemia and insulin resistance in adolescents. British Journal of Nutrition. ISSN 0007-1145
DRING, K.J., COOPER, S.B., WILLIAMS, R.A., MORRIS, J.G., SUNDERLAND, C. and NEVILL, M.E., 2020. Effect of exercise duration on postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses in adolescents. Nutrients, 12 (3): 754. ISSN 2072-6643
DRING, K.J., COOPER, S.B., MORRIS, J.G., SUNDERLAND, C., FOULDS, G.A., POCKLEY, A.G. and NEVILL, M.E., 2019. Cytokine, glycemic and insulinemic responses to an acute bout of games-based activity in adolescents. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 29 (4), pp. 597-605. ISSN 0905-7188
DRING, K.J., COOPER, S.B., MORRIS, J.G., SUNDERLAND, C., FOULDS, G.A., POCKLEY, A.G. and NEVILL, M.E., 2019. Multi-stage fitness test performance, V˙O2 peak and adiposity: effect on risk factors for cardio-metabolic disease in adolescents. Frontiers in Physiology, 10: 629. ISSN 1664-042X
COOPER, S.B., DRING, K.J., MORRIS, J.G., SUNDERLAND, C., BANDELOW, S. and NEVILL, M.E., 2018. High intensity intermittent games-based activity and adolescents’ cognition: moderating effect of physical fitness. BMC Public Health, 18: 603. ISSN 1471-2458
COOPER, S.B., DRING, K.J., MORRIS, J.G., COUSINS, B.E.W., NUTE, M.L. and NEVILL, M.E., 2017. Sex differences in adolescents' glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to high and low glycaemic index breakfasts: a randomised control trial. British Journal of Nutrition, 117 (4), pp. 541-547. ISSN 0007-1145
COOPER, S.B., BANDELOW, S., NUTE, M.L., DRING, K.J., STANNARD, R.L., MORRIS, J.G. and NEVILL, M.E., 2016. Sprint-based exercise and cognitive function in adolescents. Preventive Medicine Reports, 4, pp. 155-161. ISSN 2211-3355
COOPER, S.B., DRING, K.J. and NEVILL, M.E., 2016. High-intensity intermittent exercise: effect on young people’s cardiometabolic health and cognition. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 15 (4), pp. 245-251. ISSN 1537-890X
Press expertise
- Physical Activity and Health in Young People
- Physical Activity and Cognitive Function in Young People
- Specialist populations include those with ADHD and Autism, and those living with socio-economic disadvantage