Rate My Professor Mike Stembridge

Mike Stembridge is a Professor of Cardiovascular and Environmental Physiology in the Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Having completed his PhD in 2015, his research program centers on the adaptations of the oxygen transport chain in response to exercise and environmental stressors, including high altitude, heat, and hypoxia. Employing integrative physiology techniques such as direct interventional methods and advanced imaging technologies, he assesses cardiac, cerebrovascular, haematological, and neurovascular physiology. Early investigations focused on divergent adaptation pathways in high-altitude populations, such as Sherpas, through laboratory studies and field expeditions to Nepal and Peru. Stembridge has also contributed to supporting elite athletes by authoring guidelines in the second edition of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences Physiology Testing Guidelines.

Current research examines cardiovascular adaptations to various exercise training modes across the lifespan, identifying critical periods like puberty for enhanced cardiac and haematological responses. In addition to his professorial duties, he serves as Laboratory Director for Physiology and Health, development lead for the School Research Degrees Committee, staff representative on the Senior Management and Planning Team, and member of the School Research Excellence Framework Panel and Athena Swan Strategic Action Team. Stembridge holds editorial positions as Senior Editor for Experimental Physiology and Reviewing Editor for The Journal of Physiology. His scholarly impact is evidenced by over 4,500 citations on Google Scholar. Notable publications include "The overlooked significance of plasma volume for successful adaptation to high altitude in Sherpa and Andean natives" (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2019), "Ventricular structure, function, and mechanics at high altitude: chronic remodeling in Sherpa vs. short-term lowlander adaptation" (Journal of Applied Physiology, 2014), "The independent effects of hypovolaemia and pulmonary vasoconstriction on ventricular function and exercise capacity during acclimatisation to 3800 m" (The Journal of Physiology, 2019), and recent articles such as "Mechanisms of haemoglobin mass expansion following heat stress" (Journal of Physiology, 2025) and "Long‐term passive heat acclimation enhances maximal oxygen consumption via haematological and cardiac adaptation in endurance runners" (Journal of Physiology, 2025). Awards include the 1st place Young Investigator Award from the European College of Sport Science (2014), Dean’s Contribution to Research Award (2016), and Outstanding Supervisor of the Year (2022). His work has been funded by organizations including The Physiological Society, FIFA Research Scholarship, and the Mount Everest Foundation.