Rate My Professor Kate Edwards

Professor Kate Edwards is the Professor of Exercise Immunology and Head of Discipline for Exercise and Sport Science in the Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, at the University of Sydney. She holds a PhD in Behavioural Medicine from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Edwards joined the University of Sydney in 2011 as an early career academic and has progressed to her current leadership role. Her career emphasizes the integration of exercise physiology with immunology, focusing on practical applications in health and disease.

Edwards' research specializations encompass the effects of acute exercise on vaccine-induced immune responses, including influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations, physical activity interventions for populations with visual impairments, cancer patients, pregnant individuals, and those with chronic conditions, as well as stress-induced immune changes, cryotherapy impacts on immune cells, yoga and meditation for stress management, and dog walking as a physical activity promoter. She has produced over 106 peer-reviewed publications, cited more than 3,200 times. Key works include "Effects of exercise on vaccine-induced immune responses" (Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 2014), "Acute exercise enhancement of pneumococcal vaccination response: new implications for a traditional vaccine" (American Journal of Translational Research, 2012), "Progenitor cells are mobilized by acute psychological stress but not sustained attention" (Journal of Applied Physiology, 2015), "Hallmarks of improved immunological responses in the vaccination of more physically active elderly females" (Exercise Immunology Review, 2019), and "Is dog walking suitable for physical activity promotion?" (Preventive Medicine Reports, 2024). In education, her teaching centers on exercise physiology, earning multiple teaching awards. Edwards serves as President of the Council of Heads of Exercise and Sport Management Sciences (CHESMS).