Profile

Dr Sinead McDonagh
Research Fellow
2758
+44 (0) 1392 722758
Smeall building 110
Smeall Building, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
Overview
Sinead completed her BSc in Sport Sciences at Brunel University in 2011. She then moved to the University of Exeter to study for a MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine.
During her time as a Masters student, Sinead became very interested in the effects of dietary nitrate supplementation and lifestyle choices on cardiovascular health and exercise tolerance and went on to pursue a PhD in this area.
In 2017, Sinead joined the University of Exeter Medical School Primary Care department as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow where her research focuses on the detection and management of postural hypotension, hypertension and atrial fibrillation in primary care and the implementation of a home-based cardiac rehabilitation programme (REACH-HF) in the NHS.
Qualifications
- BSc Sport Sciences (Brunel University)
- MSc Sport and Exercise Medicine (University of Exeter)
- PhD Exetercise Physiology and Nutrition (University of Exeter)
- AFHEA
Research
Research interests
- Recognition and management of postural hypotension in primary care
- Improving blood pressure control in patients with hypertension
- Significance and implications of a difference in blood pressures between arms
- Lowering blood pressure and improving exercise capacity through dietary nitrate supplementation
- Heart failure and cardiac rehabilitation
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Access to primary care
- Multimorbidity and decision making about healthcare
Research projects
DROP: Detecting risks of postural hypotension
Cochrane Review: Allied health professional-led interventions for improving control of blood pressure in patients with hypertension
INTERPRESS-IPD: The inter-arm blood pressure difference individual patient data collaborations
ABLE-BP: Arm Based on LEg Blood Pressure: An individual participant data mea-analysis using data from the INTERPRESS-IPD Collaboration
REACH-HF: Rehabilitation Enablement in Chronic Heart Failure
ImPULSE: Sensitivity and specificity of a mobile lead-one ECG like device for the detection of Atrial Fibrillation
Cochrane Review: Interventions for involving older patients with multimorbidity in decision-making during primary care consultations
RETAIN: Recruitment and retention of staff in rural dispensing practice
Group-based interventions for hypertension care
Conferences
McDonagh STJ, Dalal H, van Beurden S, Daw P , Greaves C, Doherty P, Taylor RS, on behalf of the REACH-HF Study Investigators. (2020). REACH-HF Beacon Site Project: Developing and evaluating a network of practice for the implementation of home-based heart failure rehabilitation across the UK. Poster presentation at the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Conference, London.
McDonagh STJ, Sheppard J, Warren F, Boddy K, Farmer L, Lewis P, Baumber R, Martin U, Clark CE. (2020). Arm Based on LEg blood pressures (ABLE-BP): Can leg blood pressure measurements predict brachial blood pressure? An individual participant data meta-analysis from the INTERPRESS-IPD Collaboration. Oral presentation at South West Society for Academic Primary Care Conference, Bristol.
McDonagh STJ, Norris B, Fordham AJ, Greenwood MR, Richards SH, Campbell JL, Clark CE. (2019). Impact of inter-arm blood pressure difference on cardiovascular risk estimation in primary care. Poster presentation at the British and Irish Hypertension Society Conference, Birmingham.
McDonagh STJ, Norris B, Fordham AJ, Greenwood MR, Richards SH, Campbell JL, Clark CE. (2019). Impact of inter-arm blood pressure difference on cardiovascular risk estimation in primary care. Oral presentation at the Society for Academic Primary Care Conference, Exeter.
McDonagh STJ, Norris B, Fordham AJ, Greenwood MR, Richards SH, Campbell JL, Clark CE. (2019). Impact of inter-arm blood pressure difference on cardiovascular risk estimation in primary care. Poster presentation at the European Society of Hypertension Conference, Milan.
McDonagh STJ, Norris B, Fordham AJ, Greenwood MR, Richards SH, Campbell JL, Clark CE. (2019). Impact of inter-arm blood pressure difference on cardiovascular risk estimation in primary care. Oral presentation at the South West Society for Academic Primary Care Conference, Southampton.
McDonagh STJ, Mejzner N, Clark, CE. (2018). Prevalence of postural hypotension in primary, community and institutional care: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Poster presentation at the British and Irish Hypertension Society Conference, Cambridge.
Clark CE, Smith LFP, Cloutier L, Konya J, Todkar SK, McDonagh STJ, Clark OM, Glynn LG, Taylor RS, Campbell J. (2018). Interventions to improve control of hypertension; what works (and what doesn’t)? Poster presentation at the British and Irish Hypertension Society Conference, Cambridge.
Clark CE, McDonagh STJ, McManus RJ. (2018) Accuracy of automated blood pressure measurements in the presence of atrial fibrillation: systematic review and meta-analysis. Poster presentation at the British and Irish Hypertension Society Conference, Cambridge.
McDonaghSTJ, Mejzner N, Clark CE. Prevalence of postural hypotension in primary, community and institutional care: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Oral presentation at the 2018 Society for Academic Primary Care Conference, London.
McDonaghSTJ, Mejzner N, Clark CE. Prevalence of postural hypotension in primary, community and institutional care: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Oral presentation at the 2018 South West Society for Academic Primary Care Conference, Plymouth.
McDonagh STJ, Vanhatalo A, Fulford J, Wylie LJ, Bailey SJ, Jones AM. (2015). Effects of blood donation and nitrate ingestion on the physiological response to moderate-intensity and incremental exercise. Oral presentation at the 2015 Physiological Society Conference, Cardiff.
McDonagh STJ, Vanhatalo A, Fulford J, Wylie LJ, Bailey SJ, Jones AM. (2015). Effects of blood donation and nitrate ingestion on the physiological response to moderate-intensity and incremental exercise. Oral presentation at the 2015 ECSS Annual Conference, Malmo.
McDonagh STJ, Vanhatalo A, Fulford J, Wylie LJ, Bailey SJ, Jones AM. (2015). Effects of blood donation and nitrate ingestion on the physiological response to moderate-intensity and incremental exercise. Oral presentation at the 2015 GSSI Nutrition Award ECSS Annual Conference, Malmo.
McDonagh STJ, Vanhatalo A, Fulford J, Wylie LJ, Bailey SJ, Jones AM. (2015). Effects of blood donation and nitrate ingestion on the physiological response to moderate-intensity and incremental exercise. Oral presentation at the 2015 BASES Student Conference.
McDonagh STJ, Wylie LJ, Winyard PG, Vanhatalo A, Jones AM (2014). Antibacterial mouthwash attenuates the physiological effects of chronic nitrate supplementation in humans. Mini Oral presentation at the 2014 ECSS Annual Conference.
McDonagh STJ, Wylie LJ, Winyard PG, Vanhatalo A, Jones AM (2014). Antibacterial mouthwash attenuates the physiological effects of chronic nitrate supplementation in humans. Oral presentation at the 2014 GSSI Nutrition Award ECSS Annual Conference.
McDonagh STJ, Wylie LJ, Winyard PG, Vanhatalo A, Jones AM (2014). Antibacterial mouthwash attenuates the physiological effects of chronic nitrate supplementation in humans. Oral presentation at the 2014 BASES Student Conference.
Academic Awards
Above & Beyond nomination by Professor Rod Taylor, Professor Colin Greaves and Dr Hasnain Dalal for contribution to REACH-HF. University of Exeter, 2020.
The BMJ Awards. REACH-HF shortlisted in the Stroke and Cardiovascular category, April 2020.
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) South West Research Awards. REACH-HF nominated for the ‘Innovation Award’ and ‘Outstanding Research Contribution Team Award’, February 2020.
Young Investigator Placement Programme Award to visit University of Oxford. British and Irish Hypertension Society, 2019.
Young Investigator Bursary for attendance and presentation of two posters at the British and Irish Hypertension Society Conference 2019, Birmingham.
Above & Beyond nomination by Dr Christopher Clark for contribution to ‘Allied health professional-led interventions for improving control of blood pressure in patients with hypertension’ Cochrane review. University of Exeter, 2018.
Young Investigator Bursary for attendance and presentation of three posters at the British and Irish Hypertension Society Conference 2018, Cambridge.
Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) Nutrition Award winner at the European College of Sport Sciences (ECSS) Conference 2015, Malmö. ‘Effects of blood donation and nitrate ingestion on the physiological response to moderate-intensity and incremental exercise’.
Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) Nutrition Award Finalist at the European College of Sport Sciences (ECSS) Conference 2014, Amsterdam. ‘Antibacterial mouthwash attenuates the physiological effects of chronic nitrate supplementation in humans’.
Recipient of the 2010-2011 Brunel University Best Undergraduate Dissertation Award for thesis entitled “Effects of Short Term Plyometric Training on Bone Mineral Density, Bone Mineral Content and Body Composition of Males in Non-Weight Bearing Sports’.
Recipient of the 2010-2011 Physiological Society Undergraduate Dissertation Award.
Recipient of the 2010-2011 Ede & Ravenscroft Undergraduate Dissertation Prize.
Research grants
- 2020 National Institute for Health Research
We will develop a digitally delivered version of the training course for the REACH-HF home-based cardiac rehabilitation programme. We aim to test the feasibility and acceptability of the revised training and compare the resulting quality of delivery with benchmarks set in the REACH-HF trial. This will ensure that quality of intervention delivery can be maintained when moving to a less intensive training format. - 2020 SW AHSN
The aim of this project was to adapt the home-based cardiac rehabilitation (REACH-HF) healthcare professional training programme so that it could be delivered online during the COVID-19 pandemic. This enabled clinicians to provide heart failure patients and caregivers an alternative to rehabilitation classes that are traditionally provided in hospital or community centres but are currently unavailable during the COVID-19 outbreak. - 2020 BHF Research Project
The aim of this project is to create a digital version of the home-based cardiac rehabilitation programme for patients with heart failure (REACH-HF) to improve patient choice of, and accessibility to, cardiac rehabilitation. - 2019 The Stroke Association
Using data from the INTERPRESS-IPD Collaboration, which holds >33,000 individual records from 14 international studies, we aim to i) examine the relationship between arm and leg blood pressure; ii) develop and validate a multivariable model predicting arm blood pressure from leg blood pressure; iii) investigate the prognostic role of leg blood pressure in cardiovascular event and mortality risk prediction. - 2019 The Thalidomide Trust
The aim of this project is to support Thalidomide Trust beneficiaries in collaborating with researchers, as public advisors, in determining the relationship between arm and leg blood pressure using an IPD meta-analysis (project funded by the Stroke Association) - 2019 National Centre for Rural Health and Care
The aim of this study is to understand the facilitators of, and barriers to, taking up and/or remaining in rural dispensing primary care employment. We also aim to elucidate the value placed on dispensing from the perspectives of the multidisciplinary team.
Publications
Key publications | Publications by category | Publications by year
Key publications
Publications by category
Journal articles
Publications by year
In Press
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
Sinead_McDonagh Details from cache as at 2021-03-07 05:42:12
Teaching
Sinead has an interest in physiology and has had the opportunity to teach and provide feedback to students on a number of different undergraduate physiology modules over 4 years (see below). She has also conducted individual and group workshops for students aiming to improve their writing skills and understanding of basic chemistry and biology.
- ESS1502 Sports Training Physiology
- ESS1703 Bioenergetics
- ESS1005 Foundations of Exercise Physiology
- ESS1007 Human Physiology
- ESS1506 Foundations of Sports Nutrition
- ESS2001 Exercise Physiology
- ESS2502 Exercise Programming
- ESS3302 Dissertation