Ashley is a clinical exercise physiologist (CSEP-CEP), certified special population specialist, behaviour change specialist, and implementation support specialist. She holds an BMSc with an honours specialisation in Medical Science (Western University in Canada) and a MSc also in Medical Science (specialisation in pharmacology and physiology from McMaster University in Canada).

Ashley went on to work in clinical trials research in cardiovascular surgery (including coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgical techniques and pharmacological interventions at the Population Health Research Institute in Canada). Her mixed-methods PhD focused on the effects of very heavy load chronic eccentric resistance training in resistance-trained older adults (Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand).

Her first post-doc position and research fellowship looked at the awareness, knowledge, and implementation of the strength component of the UK’s Chief Medical Officers’ physical activity guidelines (University of Manchester in the UK).