Dr. Wesley O’Brien, is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Education and Coaching Science, serving as the Programme Director on the B.Ed. in Physical Education, Sports Studies and Arts Degree, in the School of Education, at University College Cork (UCC). Wesley was awarded his PhD in youth physical activity promotion at the School of Health and Human Performance, at Dublin City University in September 2013. His PhD was entitled the “Youth-Physical Activity Towards Health” (Y-PATH) programme which gathered information on levels of physical activity, fundamental movement skills and body mass index amongst adolescents in Irish post-primary schools. This PhD research study (O'Brien et al., 2013; 2015; 2016a; 2016b; 2018; Belton et al., 2014; 2019; 2022) was a unique longitudinal pilot exploratory intervention trial describing the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of the Y-PATH school-based intervention. Wesley has previously lectured at The University of Bolton, Dublin City University and Munster Technological University. Wesley has previously or is presently the Principal Investigator on a sample of longitudinal and postgraduate research projects (Project FLAME, Gaelic for Girls, Gaelic4Mothers&Others, State of Mind Ireland). He is also an active collaborator with Dublin City University, Ulster University, the Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Copenhagen University Hospital and the Irish Heart Foundation on the Y-PATH PE4Me programme, which commenced national dissemination in 2018. In January 2014, Wesley joined the Physical Education, Sports Studies and Arts (School of Education) team at UCC, and delivers modules across the B.Ed and M.Ed programmes, alongside supervising Masters and PhD students. His main teaching responsibilities lie within the delivery of physical education, sports coaching, exercise physiology, movement analysis and health-related physical fitness modules. 

Dr. Wesley O’Brien, is a Physical Education and Coaching Science Senior Lecturer, working in the School of Education, at University College Cork (UCC). Wesley is an active researcher who joined the School of Education in 2014, having completed his PhD at Dublin City University in 2013. His PhD research entitled the “Youth-Physical Activity Towards Health” (Y-PATH) programme focused on physical activity participation among adolescents in a number of Irish post-primary schools. This research has seen Wesley present at many sample conferences (North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, International Motor Development Research Consortium, European Conference on Educational Research, International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Health-Enhancing Physical Activity, European Congress of Sports Science, Early Childhood Ireland, Physical Education-Physical Activity-Youth Sport, Physical Education Association of Ireland) alongside submitting his research to many leading journals (Sports Medicine, Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, European Physical Education Review, British Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal of Motor Learning and Development, Sports, Mental Health and Physical Activity, Irish Educational Studies, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Journal of Sport Sciences, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, BMC Public Health, MOJ Public Health, Advances in Physical Education) on topics that explore physical literacy, physical education, wellbeing, motor competence and physical activity among children, adolescents and adults. Wesley has externally and internally assessed many postgraduate research students at oral examination level, and has been a nominated external examiner at postgraduate and undergraduate degree programme level for other institutions outside of UCC.