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Biography

I am a lecturer and work placement coordinator in the Department of Sport & Exercise Science at Waterford Institute of Technology. I completed my PhD in 2018/2019 entitled: An Exercise Intervention for Cancer Fatigue under the supervision of Prof Michael Harrison (WIT), Dr Suzanne Denieffe (WIT), and Prof Niamh Murphy (WIT). This work has been presented at conferences such as the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Conference in the USA and the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons, 14th Annual Scientific Conference, in addition to publications. The work has also been transferred into practice in the form of the Exwell MoveOn Programme which is run at WIT Arena and is benefiting copious cancer patients in the South East.

In my current role, I take great pride in teaching and inspiring students to believe in themselves and support them in whatever way I can to ensure they reach their full potential. At the end of the day, I want students to succeed and I will support them and do everything I possibly can to make this happen.

With regard to assisting in the development and delivery of department outreach programmes, I have helped in the development and implementation of the MedEx at WIT programme (now known as the ExWell at WIT Programme) and I am a member of its steering committee. I have also helped with the delivery of outreach programmes at Mount Sion School, and other outreach programmes ran in conjunction with WIT and numerous primary and secondary schools. 

I am heavily involved in various research projects, and am part of the: Biomedical Research Team, Health Behaviour Research Group at the School of Health Sciences Waterford Institute of Technology, CRF-C HRB Clinical Research Facility Cork and UHW, and American College of Sports Medicine’s Exercise Oncology Specific Interest Group I have created strong links with key individuals and institutions at both national and international levels. I have a good record of research collaborations with key stakeholders within the wider community such University Hospital Waterford, UPMC Whitfield Cancer Centre, Irish Men’s Shed Association, HSE, the Irish Heart Foundation, Solas Cancer Support Centre, and the Irish Cancer Society.

I have lectured across various courses in the Department of Sport and Exercise Science in modules relating to:  Introduction to Sport & Exercise Science (Year 1), Health Promotion in Key Settings (Year 2), Activity Leadership including Exercise to Music (Year2), Data & Measurement (Year 1),  Group Fitness (Year 2- sole responsibility), Exercise Leadership (Year 3), Strength and conditioning (Year 1 & 2), Resistance & Conditioning (Year 1 & 2), Fitness & Movement (Year 1), Dissertation (Year 4), Adapted Physical Activity (Year 3), Work placement (Year 3 & 4), Practical Media Skills (Year 3-sole responsibility), Promoting Physical Activity & Lifestyle Development (Year 4 – sole responsibility). 

Publications

  • Sheehan, P., Denieffe, S., Murphy, N. M., & Harrison, M. (2020). Exercise is more effective than health education in reducing fatigue in fatigued cancer survivors. Supportive Care in Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05328-w
  • Sheehan, P., Denieffe, S., & Harrison, M. (2018). Exercise Is More Effective Than Health Education In Reducing Fatigue In Fatigued Cancer Survivors. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 50, 256-25. DOI:10.1249/01.mss.0000535930.11692.a2
  • Sheehan, P., Denieffe, S., & Harrison, M. (2016). Evaluation of a Sustainable Intervention using Exercise-for Cancer Fatigue (ESIE-CF Trial). Psychooncology, 25, 183–184. http://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pon.4272
  • Undergraduate thesis: Item 102 on the world data base (and only the fourth one for Ireland) for inclusion in the Barry Golding’s book The Men’s Shed Movement: The Company of Men.

Presentations at Conferences

  • Exercise Oncology Twitter Conference 2019 – (Collectively, conference tweets reached 453, 900 unique users, garnering 145,000 impressions (number of times a user saw a tweet), with potential impressions (total number of views possible) equaling 1.8 million.)
  • Exploring the experiences of cancer survivors with documented cancer-related fatigue in an exercise trial.
  • Translational formative evaluation of an exercise intervention for cancer survivors delivered in a higher education fitness centre setting.
  • Irish Cancer Society Living Well with and Beyond Cancer Conference 2019 "Cancer-related fatigue and sleep disorders"
  • The first-ever Exercise Oncology Twitter Conference 2018 "Exercise Is More Effective Than Health Education In Reducing Fatigue In Fatigued Cancer Survivors"
  • Irish Cancer Society National Conference for Cancer Survivorship 2018 "Strategies to help deal/cope with cancer-related fatigue" 
  • ACSM 65th Annual Meeting 2018 (Minneapolis) "Exercise Is More Effective Than Health Education In Reducing Fatigue In Fatigued Cancer Survivors"
  • FSEM Annual Scientific Conference 2017 (Royal College of Surgeons Ireland) "Effects of an exercise intervention compared to a health education intervention for fatigued cancer survivors"
  • The International Psycho-Oncology Society Congress 2016 (Dublin) "Evaluation of a Sustainable Intervention using Exercise-for Cancer Fatigue (ESIE-CF Trial)"
  • 3rd All Ireland Postgraduate Conference in Sport Sciences, Physical Activity and Physical Education 2016 (Waterford) "Evaluation of a Sustainable Intervention using Exercise-for Cancer Fatigue (ESIE-CF Trial"
  • University Hospital Waterford Research Day 2016 & 2014
  • Waterford Institute of Technology Research Day 2016
  • Current and recent research projects
  • Effects of digital home exercise programs on physical activity and well-being during the Coronvirus pandemic: a randomized-controlled, multicenter trial.
  • The effect of a pre- and post-operative exercise program versus standard care on physical fitness in people with oesophageal and gastric cancers: A Randomised Control Trial: The PERIOP-OG Trial.
  • An Evaluation of the Living Well with a Long-Term Health Condition Programme.