Rate My Professor Angus Leahy

Dr. Angus Leahy serves as a Lecturer and postdoctoral researcher in the School of Education at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He obtained his Bachelor of Teaching (Health and Physical Education) with Honours from the University of Newcastle in 2016 and completed his PhD in Education there in 2021. His doctoral thesis focused on the Burn 2 Learn intervention, a school-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program for senior secondary students (Years 11 and 12), evaluating its effects on physiological, psychological, cognitive health, and on-task behavior. Leahy's research interests center on innovative strategies for physical activity promotion within schools, including scalable designs for primary and secondary settings and adaptations for students with disabilities. He is a member of the Centre for Active Living and Learning (CALL) and collaborates with the NSW Department of Education on professional development workshops and dissemination of school-based interventions. Since 2017, he has taught and coordinated undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Health and Physical Education.

Leahy has garnered numerous awards, including the 2024 Best Early Career Researcher presentation from the Asia-Pacific Society for Physical Activity, the 2024 Excellence Award for Early Career Research from the University of Newcastle's College of Human and Social Futures, and the 2022 Best Higher Degree Research Thesis award. As a chief investigator, he has attracted over $900,000 in competitive funding. Notable publications include the book chapter "Integrating High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) into the School Setting: Benefits, Criticisms, and Recommendations" (2024, co-authored with Smith, Eather, Harris, Lubans), and "Physical Activity, Fitness, and Executive Functions in Youth: Effects, Moderators, and Mechanisms" (2022, co-authored with Lubans et al.). He co-designed an online module for teachers on physical activity, completed by 390 educators reaching approximately 18,000 students. Leahy's conference presentations highlight findings from Burn 2 Learn adapted trials, such as activity breaks improving on-task behavior for adolescents with disabilities (2024-2025). His scholarship has over 800 citations, influencing public health and education through evidence-based physical activity interventions.