DrAnne Turner

Anne leads stress physiology research in the Institute of Physical Activity and Nutrition. She leads a program of research focused on strengthening the evidence-base investigating the impact of psychological stress on human health and health behaviours and interventions to increase resilience and reduce the impact of psychological stress on health and wellbeing. Her work involves the application of objective methods for measuring and interpreting the impact of psychological stress on physical and mental health and wellbeing, understanding the role of psychological stress in health and disease outcomes, determining the toll of long-term or repeated exposure to life stress on the body manifesting as cumulative wear and tear on the physiological systems (allostatic load) and determining health behaviours to inform interventions to assist people to adopt healthy, sustainable and disease-free lives. She also has an interest in how climate and biodiversity action can improve physical and mental health and wellbeing through reducing psychological stress and cumulative physiological load.

Anne leads several projects in stress physiology:

• The value of allostatic load as a biomarker in physical activity and nutrition research
• Psychological stress reactivity and future health and disease outcomes
• The role of health behaviours (particularly physical activity and nutrition) in the relationship between stress and allostatic load
• The role of high salt intake in the production of cortisol and the development of obesity
• The role of green exercise in reducing stress and allostatic load in adults
• Physical activity as a method to ameliorate the effects of early life stress on physical and mental health in adulthood