Elsewhere on Ulster
Harnessing movement and creativity to improve health and wellbeing.
How can movement and creativity transform lives? At Ulster University, Professor Ruth Lowry, Chartered Health and Sport and Exercise Psychologist, is answering that question through an ambitious programme of research. Her work explores how physical activity, active living, and even music-making can bring psychological, social, and physical benefits, particularly for those who are often overlooked in traditional health approaches.
One of Ruth’s flagship projects is CITY-MOVE, a Horizon Europe–funded initiative that spans six cities across three continents. The project evaluates 13 physical activity interventions using the WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity (GAPPA) as a framework.
By focusing on people who are the least active, CITY-MOVE aims to generate robust evidence on what works, where, and why. The outcome will be an evaluation framework that demonstrates how effective, urban interventions can be scaled and adapted internationally, helping cities everywhere create environments that encourage movement and wellbeing.
Ruth also contributes to the long-running Clem Burke Drumming Project, which examines the health and wellbeing benefits of learning to play the drums. This unique collaboration bridges music and psychology, with research demonstrating improvements in social connectedness, cognitive development, and physical health.
The project has worked extensively with children and adolescents, particularly those with emotional, developmental, and learning difficulties, including Autism Spectrum Disorder. Beyond research, the project has had significant public engagement impact, featuring at the Royal Society Summer of Science Exhibition (2023 ) and in a Sky Arts documentary on Clem Burke’s life, My View: Clem Burke (2019).
Partnerships with commercial collaborators such as Roland have helped sustain momentum, with exhibitions in Norwich, Manchester, and the UK Drum Show. Schools, charities, and drumming instructors have also been central to delivering drumming lessons, turning the research into meaningful, community-based activity.
Ruth’s broader research portfolio reflects her commitment to co-design and co-production, ensuring that health interventions are developed with the people they are intended to serve. Previous EU-funded projects include:
These projects highlight Ruth’s expertise in tackling sensitive, complex, and often overlooked health issues, while embedding solutions in community settings.
Ruth’s work thrives on collaboration. She has built partnerships with the NHS, councils, charities, NGOs, companies, and academic partners to ensure her research creates meaningful impact. By combining rigorous evaluation with real-world application, she is helping to shape interventions that are scalable, sustainable, and socially relevant.
Her projects don’t just produce academic findings, they create career opportunities for students and early career researchers, provide training for community health champions, and influence policy and practice across Europe.
Through CITY-MOVE, the Clem Burke Drumming Project, and her wider portfolio of work, Ruth is proving that when research is rooted in community collaboration, it has the power to transform lives.
