A former gym instructor from South Shields who left school with just five GCSEs has achieved a PhD while working full-time as a technician at Northumbria University and his groundbreaking research could change NHS exercise guidelines for older adults.
Dr Liam Pearson-Noseworthy's journey from Sport Central's gym floor to doctoral graduate is a testament to determination and the transformative power of education and passion.
After having nothing planned for after school, to securing a last-minute place via interview at Gateshead College to study sports coaching, Liam never imagined he would one day be conducting research alongside professional athletes and publishing in leading academic journals.
His path began in 2010 when his college tutor, who also worked at Sport Central – Northumbria University's world-class £30 million sports complex – recognised his potential and encouraged him to apply for some jobs coming up at the then new Sport Central and become a personal trainer.
Liam spent five years working at the University's gym, leading exercise classes and helping build the facility into what it is today. His dedication earned him a Queen's Award for services to sport and health, and he met Her Majesty the Queen at a Garden Party to celebrate his achievements.
But Liam's appetite for knowledge didn't stop there. In 2015, he went back into education, first spending a year at Newcastle College completing an ‘Access to HE’ course, then in 2016 enrolled as an undergraduate student at Northumbria University to study Applied Sports Science with Coaching.
Throughout his degree, he volunteered to help with teaching and founded the Northumbria Olympic Weightlifting Club. He financed his studies through freelance teaching and professional training work with British Weightlifting and ActiveIQ, where he worked as a tutor, alongside government funding available to students from single-parent households.
After completing his degree, Liam stayed on at Northumbria to complete a Master’s degree in Sport Science (MRes) after having enjoyed his Undergraduate degree and seeing how good the facilities and staff were. Liam spent a year then working for Newcastle Falcons and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) as a Further Education tutor and fitness instructor. However, when an opportunity arose to return to Northumbria as a technician for the University's Sport and Exercise Science laboratories, he jumped at the chance.
And his ambitions didn't end there. While working full-time as a technician, Liam was accepted onto a fully funded open PhD research project within the School of Sport and Exercise Science, which he graduated from in May 2025.
His doctoral research, titled 'The Investigation into the effects of Minimal-Dose Resistance Training on the Quality-of-Life, Functional Capacity, and Strength in Older Adults: How Much is Just Enough?' – challenging current NHS guidelines that recommend regular, even daily exercise for this age group.
"With professional athletes you've got to train them, but not break them," said Dr Pearson-Noseworthy. "That principle fits equally with older adults, so I coach older adults how I would a professional athlete, with minimal dose. Older adults are currently being urged to exercise up to four days a week at a variety of intensities, but my research shows that less can be more when it comes to improving the fitness and health of people in this age range."
As part of his PhD, Liam worked with elite athletes, including Team GB Skiing, Newcastle Eagles women’s team and Netball Super league, applying the same training principles to improve the health and movement of older adults. With nine papers to date already published in leading research journals, his goal is to influence NHS guidelines and achieve real-world impact for his research.
Dr Pearson-Noseworthy continues to work full-time as a technician at Northumbria University while pursuing his research career – pushing the boundaries of what a technician role typically involves.
"I'm pushing the boundaries of a technician, who wouldn't normally pursue a research career" he said. "But I would like to take my research further with the long-term goal of influencing NHS guidelines and gaining maximum impact for my research."
Dr Pearson-Noseworthy attributes a lot of his success to the support and guidance he received from colleagues at Northumbria, throughout his coaching and now academic career. In particular, his BSc dissertation tutor, Dr Gill Barry, who then became his primary supervisor for his PhD.
The University’s School of Sport, Exercise, & Rehabilitation at Northumbria University has a growing reputation for excellence in teaching and research.
For more information visit https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/our-schools/school-of-sport-exercise-and-rehabilitation/
