Ali McManus

Professor

School of Health and Exercise Sciences

Phone: 250.807.8192
Email: ali.mcmanus@ubc.ca

Research Summary

McManus's research focuses on the physiological consequences of sedentary behavior in children.

Courses & Teaching

Body Composition, Pediatric Exercise Physiology, and Graduate Statistics

Biography

Dr. Ali McManus earned her doctorate from the University of Exeter, UK and held a faculty position at the University of Hong Kong for 18 years before joining the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at UBC in Kelowna in 2013. She is the current President of the North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine and serves on the editorial board of Pediatric Exercise Science.  She directs the CFI funded Pediatric Inactivity Physiology Laboratory, which focuses on generating a greater appreciation of the cardiopulmonary and vascular impact exercise, physical activity and sedentary behavior play in the health and wellbeing of children.

Websites

https://perl.ok.ubc.ca/

Research Interests & Projects

Dr. McManus’ lab is pursuing the following areas of research:

• creating a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms by which cardiopulmonary and vascular adaptations to exercise occur in the child and adolescent;
• generating a detailed appreciation of the impact prolonged sitting has upon cardiopulmonary and vascular function in childhood;
• developing novel intervention strategies for the prevention and treatment of sitting-induced cardiopulmonary and vascular dysfunction in childhood.

Current Funding: CFI, NSERC, Heart & Stroke Foundation

Selected Publications & Presentations

McManus AM, Armstrong N. Pulmonary function. In N. Armstrong and W. Van Mechelen (Eds.) Oxford Textbook of Children’s Sport and Exercise Medicine. Oxford University Press, Oxford, in press.

McManus AM, Armstrong N. Maximal oxygen uptake. In Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Children and Adolescents, Rowland TW (editor). Champaign IL, Human Kinetics, in press.

Ainslie PN, McManus AM. Big brain, small body: Towards a better understanding of cerebrovascular physiology in children. Journal of Physiology 2016, 594(10):2563.

McManus McManus AM, Ainslie PN, Green DJ, Simair R, Smith K, Lewis N. Impact of prolonged sitting on vascular health in young girls. Experimental Physiology 2015; 100(11):1379-87.

Armstrong N, Barker AR, McManus AM. Muscle metabolism changes with age and maturation with reference to youth sport performance. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2015; 49(13):860-864

Yu CCW, Li AM, Chan KOW, Chook P, Kam JTC, Au CT, So RCH, Sung RYT, McManus AM. Orlistat improves endothelial function in obese adolescents: a randomized trial. Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health 2013; 49(11):969-75.

Yu C, Li A, Au C, McManus A, So R, Lam H, Chu W, So HK, Chiu W, Leung C, Yau Y, Fok T, Sung R. Three-year follow up of aerobic capacity in children affected by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Respirology 2012; 17:513-518.

McManus AM, Armstrong N. Physiology of the elite young female athlete. Medicine and Sport Science 2011; 56:23-4.

Armstrong N, McManus AM. Physiology of the elite young male athlete. Medicine and Sport Science 2011; 56:1-22.

McManus AM, Chu EYW, Yu CCW, Yong H. How children move – activity pattern characteristics in lean and obese Chinese children. Journal of Obesity 2011; 2011:679328.

Mellecker RR, McManus Energy expenditure and cardiovascular responses to seated and active gaming in children. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 2008; 162:886-891.