Dr Joseph Welch PhD, MRes, BSc (Hons)

Dr Joseph Welch

School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences
Assistant Professor in Respiratory Physiology

Contact details

Telephone
0121 414 6977
Email
j.f.welch@bham.ac.uk

Dr Welch is a physiologist with expertise in the neural control of breathing, respiratory mechanics, diaphragm fatigue, phrenic nerve stimulation, and exercise physiology. His research focus is to understand how breathing: a) responds and adapts to physiological stressors such as exercise, disease and hypoxia; b) interacts with other body systems; and c) impacts human health and performance.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Kinesiology, University of British Columbia (Canada)
  • MRes in Sport and Exercise, University of Derby (UK)
  • BSc (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science, University of Derby (UK)

Biography

Dr Welch received his BSc (Hons) and MRes in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Derby (UK). He completed his PhD in Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia (Canada) under the supervision of Professor Bill Sheel. His thesis examined sex differences in diaphragmatic fatigue. Dr Welch completed post-doctoral training at the University of Florida (USA) Breathing Research and Therapeutics Centre, mentored by Professor Gordon Mitchell and Dr Emily Fox. His research investigated the mechanisms of acute intermittent hypoxia induced respiratory motor plasticity in healthy individuals, and its potential therapeutic effects in people living with chronic spinal cord injury. Dr Welch joined the University 麻豆精选 as Assistant Professor in September 2022.

Teaching

  • Human Physiology & Exercise (Year 1)
  • Control of Human Movement (Year 2)
  • Applied Exercise Physiology (Year 2)

Postgraduate supervision

Dr Welch invites applications for postgraduate research at both the master’s and doctoral levels. Please contact him to express your interest in postgraduate supervision.

Research

  • Research theme: Rehabilitation and Motor Control
  • Special interest research groups: Integrative Physiology of Exercise, and Neuroscience and Brain Health

Research Interests:

  • Control of breathing
  • Respiratory muscle fatigue
  • Exercise physiology
  • Neuroplasticity
  • Phrenic nerve stimulation
  • Intermittent hypoxia

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Welch, JF, Dale, EA, Nair, J, Davenport, PW, Fox, EJ & Mitchell, GS 2025, '', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 133, no. 2, pp. 522-529.

Oneda, G, Moresco, G, Leonel, DF, Hoinaski, L, Welch, JF, Koch, S & Cruz, R 2025, '', Atmospheric Pollution Research, vol. 16, no. 5, 102467.

Hodgkiss, DD, Balthazaar, SJT, Welch, JF, Wadley, AJ, Cox, PA, Lucas, RAI, Veldhuijzen van Zanten, JJCS, Chiou, S-Y, Lucas, SJE & Nightingale, TE 2025, '', British Medical Journal Open, vol. 15, no. 1, e089756.

Welch, JF, Cretney, BR, Mitchell, GS & Balanos, GM 2025, '', Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 138, no. 2, pp. 426-438.

Welch, J, Vose, AK, Cavka, K, Brunetti, G, DeMark, LA, Snyder, H, Wauneka, CN, Tonuzi, G, Nair, J, Mitchell, GS & Fox, EJ 2024, '', Journal of Neurotrauma, vol. 41, no. 17-18, pp. 2114-2124.

Nair, J, Welch, J, Marciante, AB, Tingting, H, Qing, L, Fox, EJ & Mitchell, GS 2023, '', Function.

Reinhard, PA, Archiza, B, Welch, J, Benbaruj, J, Guenette, JA, Koehle, MS & Sheel, AW 2023, '', Physiological reports, vol. 11, no. 2, e15589.

Burt, JS, Davenport, MP, Welch, J & Davenport, PW 2023, '', Respiratory physiology & neurobiology, vol. 316, 104113.

Welch, JF, Nair, J, Argento, PJ, Mitchell, GS & Fox, EJ 2022, '', The Journal of Physiology, vol. 600, no. 10, pp. 2515-2533.

Molgat-Seon, Y, Dominelli, PB, Peters, CM, Kipp, S, Welch, JF, Parmar, HR, Rabbani, T, Mann, LM, Grift, GO, Guenette, JA & Sheel, AW 2022, '', Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, vol. 54, no. 9, pp. 1428-1436.

Vose, AK, Welch, JF, Nair, J, Dale, EA, Fox, EJ, Muir, GD, Trumbower, RD & Mitchell, GS 2022, '', Experimental Neurology, vol. 347, 113891.

Perim, RR, Sunshine, MD, Welch, JF, Santiago, J, Holland, A, Ross, A, Mitchell, GS & Gonzalez-Rothi, EJ 2021, '', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 126, no. 3, pp. 777-790.

Welch, JF, Perim, RR, Argento, PJ, Sutor, TW, Vose, AK, Mitchell, GS & Fox, EJ 2021, '', Experimental Neurology, vol. 339, 113651.

Review article

Welch, JF & Mitchell, GS 2024, '', Experimental Physiology, pp. 1-21.

Dempsey, JA & Welch, J 2023, '', Seminars in respiratory and critical care medicine.