Dr Meegan Walker contributes to teaching and research in the School of Health at UniSC.
Dr Walker teaches in the clinical exercise physiology program with a focus on exercise for chronic disease management, occupational rehabilitation, and evidence-based professional practice. She is an accredited exercise physiologist and she provides applied clinical skills training for students.
Dr Walker’s research focus is cardiovascular adaptations to exercise and vascular control of blood flow. She is an active member and emerging leader within the VasoActive Research Group at UniSC. Her research has helped to characterise the impact of oxidative stress on endothelial function and arterial stiffness in older adults and patients with peripheral arterial disease. She also identified approaches that can enhance vascular function, including dietary nitrate and passive movement. Her work is both applied and mechanistic, linking the physiological steps between exercise, dietary choices, and healthy blood vessels. Dr Walker is a member of the Queensland Cardiovascular Research Network Steering Committee and she regularly contributes to patient education initiatives by Cancer Council Australia.
Dr Meegan Walker’s specialist areas of knowledge include cardiovascular adaptations to exercise and dietary interventions, blood flow control, and vasoactive enzymes. She is known for her work using beetroot juice supplementation to enhance vascular function. Current projects include:
- characterising the changes in blood vessel stiffness across the menopause transition
- examining the vascular impact of consuming highly processed foods
- testing the effectiveness of passive movement and muscle stimulation on blood flow and walking capacity in peripheral arterial disease patients
- exercise for cancer patients with bone metastases
Additional areas of interest for collaborative work and HDR research projects include:
- Vascular health during and after cancer treatment
- Blood flow through cancerous tumours
Research areas
- Cardiovascular adaptations to exercise
- Blood flow control
- Vasoactive enzymes
Teaching areas
Meegan Walker’s specialist areas of knowledge include applied clinical exercise physiology and cardiovascular adaptations to exercise.