Dr Alex Ireland is a Reader in Musculoskeletal Physiology at the Musculoskeletal Science and Sports Medicine Research Centre, based at Manchester Metropolitan University. Alex’s research focuses on work with human participants, examining the effects of mechanical loading on bones and joints across lifespan. In particular his work has focused on the earliest stages of life, investigating the role of prenatal movements and postnatal motor development on skeletal health. He also has expertise in neuromuscular health and function in healthy and clinical populations of different ages. Having completed a postdoctoral project on the contribution of motor unit loss and remodelling to age-related muscular decline, he has since examined the influence of skeletal conditions such as osteogenesis imperfecta and hypophosphotemia on physical function. Alex is co-Chair of the ECTS Academy, and a member of the Steering Committee of the International Conference on Children’s Bone Health. He is also an Associate Editor of the ECTS journal Bone Reports, and an Editor of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.