Dr Malika Felton
- u_feltonm at bournemouth dot ac dot uk
- Senior Lecturer in Health and Exercise Physiology
Biography
Malika joined BU in 2017 to complete her PhD in Health Sciences and joined the Department of Rehabilitation and Sport Sciences in February 2021 as a Lecturer in Health and Exercise Science. In September 2023, she was promoted to Senior Lecturer and was the Programme Leader for BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy between 2021-2025. She currently teaches physiology, research and innovation units across Sports Therapy and Sport and Exercise Science.
Her research interests are in women's health, especially related to maternal health, and in the areas of physical activity and non-pharmacological treatment methods. She won the Early Career Researcher Award at the Women in Sport & Exercise Academic Network (WiSEAN) Conference in 2023 and the Best Oral Presentation at the same conference in 2024.
Malika is passionate about improving the quality of women's health research and supporting academics and students within this area. She will be a WiSEAN mentor for the 2024/25 academic year, and is happy to hear from anyone looking to study within this area (see research summary below)...
Malika is a This Mum Moves Ambassador and plans to use this role to teach the next generation of healthcare professionals the importance of physical activity during and after pregnancy. She is also an ISAK Level Two Anthropometrist, trained as a technician in the measurement of body composition, and assists in teaching Level One ISAK courses in the UK and Ireland.
moreResearch
After submitting her PhD in 2021, Malika joined the University of Exeter as a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join the Moving Through Motherhood (MTM) research team. The MTM group is a multi-disciplinary team from University of Exeter, University of Bath, University of Bristol, Cardiff University and King's College London, funded by the GW4 Alliance. Malika's role was to organise and run a series of co-design virtual workshops aimed to discuss how we can improve the information, resources and services that women receive regarding physical activity during and after pregnancy. The workshops were attended by pregnant women, new mothers and key stakeholders including healthcare professionals from maternity care, physios, local government, public health and physical activity providers from across the South West of England and South Wales. Malika remains part of the Moving Through Motherhood research team and won the Early Career Researcher Award at the WiSEAN Conference (Women in Sport and Exercise Academic Network) 2023, for presenting this work.
To take forward the outcomes of this post-doc work, Malika has contributed to the work led by the Active Pregnancy Foundation by supporting the ongoing development of a national physical activity directory for pregnant women and new mothers. She is also a This Mum Moves Ambassador to share physical activity and guidance with the next generation of healthcare professionals at Bournemouth University.
Recently, Malika has supported the development of the Maternal & Infant Health Equity Research Centre (MIHERC), led by Sheffield Hallam University, in partnership with BU... MIHERC is one of the nine NIHR-funded groups as part of the NIHR Challenge Call: Maternity Disparities Consortium. She looks forward to supporting projects under MIHERC in the future.
Malika is part of the SwimHer Research Network, including experts from the fields of cold water physiology, exercise physiology, fertility, obstetrics, maternal health, water epidemiology, and community cold water swimming organisations. The group are looking to build an evidence base for cold water swimming during/after pregnancy, and are also researching the cold water benefits related to women's health such as menstrual and perimenopausal symptoms (see publications). Malika presented the group's work at the WiSEAN Conference in 2024 and won the award for Best Oral Presentation.
Malika's PhD investigated the influence of pregnancy on the cardiovascular responses to slow and deep breathing during pregnancy, with the aim to pilot the feasibility of using a slow and deep breathing as an intervention to treat high blood pressure during pregnancy. Further funding is being sought to continue this work, however the breathing element of her PhD is being integrated in a new app aimed at supporting the early (latent) phase of labour. Malika is working with a group of cross-faculty researchers, combining the breathing graphic used within her own PhD alongside content from other BU PhDs including use of a birth ball, co-designed early labour information and pain catastrophisation. NIHR funding has been granted to support undergraduate interns to develop and test the prototype of the app with women, midwives and birthing partners.
Continuing Malika's work within blood pressure and pregnancy, she is in discussions with a local company called Xim, to help develop a protocol to collect data to train their Lifelight app to be used within a pregnant population. Malika is currently completing funded consultancy work with Xim to collect additional data in non-pregnant populations to support the algorithm development of Lifelight, including a funding bid to test its real world usability and accuracy.
Malika is open to supervising students in the areas of women's or maternal health in the areas of physiology and physical activity. Projects using co-design methodology or non-pharmacological interventions for health conditions are particularly welcome.
moreExpertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person's work contributes towards the following SDGs:
Good health and well-being
"Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages"
Journal Articles
- Mosley, E., Felton, M., Kavanagh, E., Iskra, M., Savlotti, C., Zammit, N., Laborde, S., 2026. How breathing faster or slower can improve performance and wellbeing. Frontiers Young Minds.
- Rattley, C.A., Ansdell, P., Burgess, L., Felton, M., Dewhurst, S., Armstrong, M., Neal, R., 2025. Ventilation differences in the menstrual cycle: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology, 337.
- Rattley, C.A., Ansdell, P., Armstrong, M., Felton, M., Dewhurst, S., Yendole, K., Neal, R.A., 2025. Aerobic capacity and cardiopulmonary variables are not different between premenopausal, late premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women. Physiological Reports, 13 (15).
- Shawe, J., Felton, M., Harper, J.C., Harper, C.M., Stidson, R., Tipton, M., Blowers, S., Fraser, K., Hingley, S., McGrath, E., Bainbridge, G., Heather, M., 2025. Cold Water Swimming and Pregnancy: A Scoping Review and Consensus Recommendations. Lifestyle Medicine, 6 (1).
- Rattley, C.A., Felton, M., Ansdell, P., Dewhurst, S., Neal, R.A., 2025. Comparison of predicted aerobic capacity to measured aerobic capacity in menopausal women: an analysis of three methods. Climacteric, 28 (6), 709-714.
- Rattley, C.A., Ansdell, P., Armstrong, M., Felton, M., Dewhurst, S., Yendole, K., Neal, R.A., 2025. The effect of intensity on metabolic and ventilatory responses to steady-state exercise in women across the adult lifecycle. European Journal of Applied Physiology.
- Rattley, C.A., Ansdell, P., Burgess, L.C., Felton, M., Dewhurst, S., Neal, R.A., 2024. Influence of Oestradiol Fluctuations in the Menstrual Cycle on Respiratory Exchange Ratio at Different Exercise Intensities: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis and Pooled-Data Analysis. PHYSIOLOGIA, 4 (4), 486-505.
- Pound, M., Massey, H., Roseneil, S., Williamson, R., Harper, C.M., Tipton, M., Shawe, J., Felton, M., Harper, J.C., 2024. How do women feel cold water swimming affects their menstrual and perimenopausal symptoms? Post Reproductive Health, 30 (1), 11-27.
- Pound, M., Massey, H., Roseneil, S., Williamson, R., Harper, M., Tipton, M., Shawe, J., Felton, M., Harper, J., 2024. The swimming habits of women who cold water swim. Women S Health, 20.
- Felton, M., Hundley, V.A., Grigsby, S., McConnell, A.K., 2021. Effects of slow and deep breathing on reducing obstetric intervention in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension: a feasibility study protocol. Hypertension in Pregnancy, 40 (1), 81-87.
Conferences
- Felton, M., Shaw, J., Harper, J.C., Harper, C.M., Stidson, R., Tipton, M., Blowers, S., Fraser, K., Hingley, S., McGrath, E., Bainbridge, G., Massey, H., 2024. Cold Water Swimming and Pregnancy: A Scoping Review and Consensus Recommendations. In: Women in Sport & Exercise Academic Network (WiSEAN) Conference 26/06/2024 Portsmouth.
- Rattley, C.A., Felton, M., Dewhurst, S., Neal, R., 2024. Investigating the impact of menopause on fuel utilisation and energy expenditure during exercise. In: European Congress of Sport Science 02/07/2024 Glasgow, UK.
Theses
- Felton, M.. The influence of pregnancy upon acute cardiovascular responses to slow and deep breathing. Bournemouth University, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences.
Posters
- Felton, M., 2023. Moving Through Motherhood: Supporting physical activity during and after pregnancy. In: Women in Sport & Exercise Academic Network (WiSEAN) Conference.
- Felton, M., Hundley, V., McConnell, A.K., 2022. Acute cardiovascular responses to slow and deep breathing in normotensive non-pregnant and pregnant women. In: EuroPhysiology 2022.
- Felton, M., Hundley, V., McConnell, A., 2019. Acute cardiovascular responses to slow and deep breathing in healthy women. In: Physiology 2019.
- Brock, K., Felton, M., Stone, K., Fryer, S., Brown, H., Cotterill, S., Faulkner, J., 2018. Within day reliability of single position near infra-red spectroscopy probes varies dependent on position. In: British Psychological Society Cognitive Section Conference.
- Ryan-Stewart, H., Felton, M., Crane, A., Cotterill, S., Jobson, S.. Reliability of the Terason ultrasound for measurement of muscle thickness and pennation angle. In: BASES Conference.
- Felton, M.. The frequency effect of carbohydrate mouth rinse on cycling performance. In: BASES Conference.
- Batten, J., Felton, M., Stevens, M.. An exploration of the informational cues individuals utilise to form an initial impression of fitness professional. In: BASES Conference.
PhD Students
- Megan Chesters. MRes - The effect of menstrual cycle phase and symptoms on rate of force production, fatigability and movement strategy, (In progress)
- Kate Rattley. The physiological responses to exercise of women throughout the menopause stages, (In progress)
- Aung Hein. MRes - Blood pressure variability and ambulatory arterial stiffness index in predicting major adverse cardiovascular events, (Completed)
Grants
- Consultancy Research: Using the Lifelight® application for the non-invasive measurement of blood pressure in people with hypotension, hypertension and normotension (Xim, 24 Jul 2024). Awarded
- This Mum Moves Ambassador Training (BU's Womens Academic Network (WAN), 05 Jun 2024). Completed
- Use of technology for social support during pregnancy (NIHR Wessex ARC, 18 Oct 2023). Completed
- Use of technology for social support during pregnancy (NIHR Wessex ARC, 18 Oct 2023). Completed
- Early Labour App (Bournemouth University (pump priming), 28 Nov 2022). Completed
- Consultancy Research: Non-invasive measurement of blood pressure: Lifelight® app and blood pressure wavewform (Xim, 16 May 2022). Completed
- Consultancy Research: Non-invasive measurement of blood pressure: Lifelight® app and blood pressure wavewform (Xim, 16 May 2022). Completed
- Early Career Conference Grant (Association of Commonwealth Universities, 09 Mar 2022). Completed
- Effects of slow and deep breathing on reducing obstetric intervention in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension: A feasibility study (Bournemouth University (pump priming), 01 Oct 2021). Completed
- Effects of slow and deep breathing on reducing obstetric intervention in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension: A feasibility study (Bournemouth University (pump priming), 01 Oct 2021). Completed
- Travel Grant (Physiological Society, 19 Jun 2019). Completed
External Responsibilities
- The Physiological Society, Rep for Bournemouth University
Internal Responsibilities
- REF Review Panel Member, REF UOA3
- PGR Representative, University Research Ethics Committee (Feb 2020 - June 2021)
- iWell steering group PGR member, iWell Research Centre (Integrative Wellbeing), (2017 - 2019)
Public Engagement & Outreach Activities
- Science not magic: Breathe your way to better health (Pint of Science)
- Breathe your way to lower blood pressure (Festival of Learning)
- Seafront stand promoting BU and research (Bournemouth Airshow)
- Deep breathing to lower blood pressure (Cafe Scientifique)
Consultancy Activities
- Lifelight® app, Using the Lifelight® application for the non-invasive measurement of blood pressure. Xim Ltd
Attended Training
- This Mum Moves Ambassador, 20 Jun 2024
- NIHR Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Refresher E-Learing, 02 Sep 2022
- Automatic External Device (AED) First Aid Training, 27 Oct 2021
- International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry Level Two Anthropometrist
Qualifications
- BU Certificate in Programme Leadership (Bournemouth University, 2022)
- PhD in Health Sciences (Bournemouth Unviersity, 2021)
- PgCert in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (University of Winchester, 2016)
- MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Science (University of Winchester, 2014)
- BSc (Hons) in Sport Science (University of Brighton, 2009)
Honours
- Best Oral Presentation - Cold Water Swimming and Pregnancy: A Scoping Review and Consensus Recommendations (Women in Sport & Exercise Academic Network (WiSEAN) Conference, 2024)
- Early Career Researcher Award (Women in Sport & Exercise Academic Network (WiSEAN) Conference, 2023)
- Gold Researcher Development Award (Bournemouth University, 2020)
Memberships
- British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), Member,
- International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK), Level Two Anthropometrist,
- Higher Education Academy (HEA), Fellow,
- The Physiological Society, Member,
- American Physiological Society, Member,
Social Media Links
- Author's Website, https://www.instagram.com/drmalikafelton/
- Google+, https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=Kp8u-_oAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra
- Twitter, https://twitter.com/DrMalikaFelton
- LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/malika-felton/
Website Links
- WiSEAN Blog - Swimming Through Pregnancy: The Cold Water Experience, https://www.wisean.net/post/swimming-through-pregnancy-the-cold-water-experience
- The Conversation - How to recover from childbirth – an expert guide, https://theconversation.com/how-to-recover-from-childbirth-an-expert-guide-212305