The GSK Human Performance Lab Expert Team
Mark Langley
General Manager
Mark was previously responsible for Maxinutrition, Europe’s biggest protein science brand, and is a former professional rugby player. Mark is responsible for commercial activity and managing sporting partnerships.
Dr. Ken van Someren
Head of R&D
Former Director of Sports Sciences at the English Institute of Sport, Ken’s experience working with athletes during the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games covers everything from exercise-induced muscle damage, recovery strategies and the physiological determinants of sports performance.
Vanessa Duncan
Global Expert Science Lead
Vanessa has worked at GSK for the past 4 years and currently leads the Global Expert Science programme for the GSK Human Performance Lab. She graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biochemistry and Physiology and a Master of Health Science (Hons).
Dr. Barry O'Neill
Principal Scientist & Cognition Lead
At the GSK HPL, Barry is spearheading research into brain processes in high performers in an effort to assess, monitor and train aspects of cognitive function that are directly relevant to elite performance.
Dr. Phill Bell
Senior Scientist
Phill joined the HPL team in late 2013 following an exercise physiology lecturing role at Nottingham Trent University. He completed his PhD at Northumbria University in Exercise Physiology in 2015.
Tessa Morris
Senior Scientist
Tess is a Senior Scientist and has been at the GSK Human Performance Lab since June 2013, leading on discovery research and collaborating with elite partners. She has previously worked at Liverpool John Moores University, before starting as a Performance Scientist for Lucozade.
Matt Furber
Senior Scientist
Matt has been working as an applied and research scientist at the GSK Human Performance Lab since it opened in 2013. He leads on a number of elite applied sport partnerships within the HPL, including close work with British Triathlon Federation and GB Canoeing.
Ana Anton-Solanas
Dietitian
Before joining the HPL team in early 2013, Ana worked as a Nutritionist in the Nutrition and Medical Affairs team at GSK Consumer Healthcare. She has previous experience working as a lecturer assistant and researcher at the University of Navarre (Spain).
PhD Students
The GSK HPL works in collaboration with selected universities to fund and assist with PhD research projects. We currently have 4 PhD students completing their research at the lab, studying novel developments in cognition, recovery and adaptation as well as contributing to wider sport science support and discovery R&D.
The Expert Panel
Prof. Vincent Walsh
Professor of Human Brain Research – UCL
As Professor of Human Brain Research at UCL, Vincent specialises in human brain stimulation and plasticity, supervising over 30 PhD students across a variety of diverse fields such as memory, dyslexia, time perception and decision making and stress in sport.
Dr. Kevin Currell
Head of Performance Nutrition – English Institute of Sport
Kevin is responsible for leading the development of the Performance Nutrition service at the EIS. Overseeing a team of 22, he works across a range of Olympic, Paralympic and professional sports throughout England.
Dr. Duncan French
Dir Performance Sciences - University of Notre Dame, USA
As the Director of Performance Sciences for the University of Notre Dame, USA, Duncan is responsible for coordinating the high performance structures that deliver science and medicine services to 25 NCAA men’s and women’s sports for the Fighting Irish Department of Athletics.
Dr. Scott Drawer
Athletic Performance Manager, RFU
At the Rugby Football Union, Scott is responsible for the men’s and women’s international science and medicine performance teams (Saxons, Under 20s, 18s and Sevens) outside the England Senior Elite Player Squad.
Dame Kelly Holmes
Performance Advisor
Kelly began her sporting career in the army as a Sergeant specialising in Physical Education. She left the army in 1997 to focus on athletics and in 2004 won two Olympic gold medals in the 800m and 1500m races in Athens. Since retiring from professional athletics in 2005, she has been made a Dame, inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame and became President of Commonwealth Games England and an adviser for London 2012.