Group members

We bring together researchers from various disciplines to understand the biological, social and physiological aspects of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and produce knowledge to improve cardiovascular and metabolic health.

With the development of the Medical School, our group is home to cardiologists and researchers with relevant area of research. Our research group will be based in the Centre for Inflammation and Translational Medicine (CIRTM). Most members for the proposed research group would base in, or affiliated with the CIRTM, as well as the Centre for Health and Wellbeing across the Life-course. Dr Pazoki leads the cardiovascular research group.

Leader(s)

raha pazok md phd fhea is a medical doctor and an epidemiologist. she studied epidemiology at the netherlands institute for health sciences (nihes) and in the university of amsterdam. she worked with various cohort and case control studies such as the arrhythmia genetics in the netherlands (agnes), the rotterdam study, the airwave health monitoring study and the uk bio bank. in 2016, she joined the department of epidemiology and bio-statistics at imperial college london as a research associate. in 2020, she started a teaching & research academic position at brunel university london. dr pazoki specializes in the field of health data research, with a primary focus on the epidemiology of cardiometabolic diseases. she holds a particular interest in exploring causal inference and precision medicine by leveraging genomics and extensive health data sets with sample sizes exceeding 500,000 individuals. her expertise spans various domains, including precision medicine, global health, interventions, and the application of artificial intelligence for predicting health outcomes. she harbors a keen interest in identification of the relationship between circulating molecules and biomarkers, nutrition, lifestyle choices, genetic factors, and their collective contribution to the modulation of health risk factors and outcomes. she was the first to identify 517 novel genetic loci associated with liver enzymes and the first to show the causal effect of liver dysfunction on cardiovascular diseases. in addition, she is the first to show the effect of the alcohol consumption wdpcp gene in lipid metabolism, and liver cirrhosis. available phd projects: exploring artificial intelligence for precision medicine, focusing on the interplay between gene and environemnt cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke, remain the leading causes of mortality worldwide and their prevalence continues to rise. these conditions are influenced by a combination of modifiable (e.g., diet, physical inactivity, smoking) and non‑modifiable (e.g., age, sex, genetic background) risk factors. genetic variation, in particular, plays an important role in differentiating individuals at high and low risk, enabling more precise and targeted prevention strategies. as precision medicine advances, artificial intelligence (ai) and data‑driven approaches offer powerful tools for integrating genetic, environmental, and lifestyle information to better predict disease risk and improve population health outcomes.this umbrella project brings together a series of phd opportunities focused on applying ai‑enabled precision‑medicine approaches to understand how genetic and environmental factors, such as alcohol consumption, smoking, mental‑health‑related exposures, and other lifestyle variables, contribute to cardiovascular diseases. using data from the uk biobank comprising 500,000 participants, students will employ statistical and machine‑learning methods to conduct advanced analyses at scale. (genetic) epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases big data genome-wide association studies genetic risk scores mendelian randomization machine learning dr. raha pazoki’s research focuses on health data science with a strong emphasis on cardiometabolic and ageing-related diseases. her work integrates genomics, epidemiology, and artificial intelligence to uncover genetic and environmental determinants of conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, liver dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease. she was the first to identify 517 novel genetic loci linked to liver enzymes and demonstrated their causal role in heart disease. using mendelian randomization, she clarifies causal pathways between biomarkers (e.g., liver enzymes, lipid levels) and age-related conditions, improving understanding of how genetic predispositions interact with lifestyle factors like diet, alcohol, and physical activity. her studies also show that lifestyle interventions, such as exercise, can mitigate genetic risk, offering actionable insights for prevention and healthy ageing. the impact of her work spans clinical and societal domains. clinically, she advances precision medicine by integrating genetic risk scores with lifestyle and clinical data to enable personalized treatment strategies, particularly for ageing populations with complex health profiles. her research supports early detection of stroke, liver cirrhosis, and metabolic syndrome, and informs screening guidelines for at-risk individuals. societally, her findings guide public health campaigns promoting healthy behaviours tailored to genetic risk, reduce health inequities through inclusive genomic research, and leverage ai to predict health outcomes in ageing populations. by bridging big data with clinical practice, dr. pazoki’s work not only addresses global challenges in cardiometabolic and ageing diseases but also shapes the future of personalized medicine, prevention strategies, and wellbeing across diverse populations. scorll down this page for full detail of her research. dr paozki is a founder and director of the cardiovascular and metabolic research group hosting researchers and academics across brunel university with direct or indirect research interest involving cardiometabolic aetiology, prevention, and health. we work in various areas to identify causes of cardiometabolic diseases (environmental, lifestyle, molecular, and clinical) and provide insight into how they interplay. we use the information for better prevention of cardiometabolic diseases in the community. if you are a msc graduates (with upper second class degree or higher) in the relevant field to the above research area, please contact dr raha pazoki (raha.pazoki@brunel.ac.uk). postgraduate fees and funding | brunel university london or scholarships and bursaries | brunel university london and other funding | brunel university london selected list of publications by dr raha pazoki karkia, r., maccarthy, g., payne, a., karteris, e., pazoki, r., & chatterjee, j. (n.d.). the association between metabolic syndrome and the risk of endometrial cancer in pre- and post-menopausal women: a uk biobank study. journal of clinical medicine, 14(3), 751. doi:10.3390/jcm14030751 hezekiah, c., & pazoki, r. (2024). physical activity and favourable adiposity genetic liability reduce the risk of hypertension among high body mass individuals. doi:10.1101/2024.12.18.24319295 maccarthy, g., & pazoki, r. (2024). using machine learning to evaluate the value of genetic liabilities in the classification of hypertension within the uk biobank. journal of clinical medicine, 13(10), 1-20. doi:10.3390/jcm13102955 hezekiah, c., blakemore, a. i., bailey, d. p., & pazoki, r. (2024). physical activity alters the effect of genetic determinants of adiposity on hypertension among individuals of european ancestry in the ukb. scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports, 34(5), 1-13. doi:10.1111/sms.14636 o’farrell, f., aleyakpo, b., mustafa, r., jiang, x., pinto, r. c., elliott, p., . . . pazoki, r. (2023). evidence for involvement of the alcohol consumption wdpcp gene in lipid metabolism, and liver cirrhosis. scientific reports, 13(1), 1-13. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-47371-7 hezekiah, c., blakemore, a. i., bailey, d. p., & pazoki, r. (2023). physical activity reduces the effect of adiposity genetic liability on hypertension risk in the uk biobank cohort. doi:10.1101/2023.09.22.23295992 roa-díaz, z. m., teuscher, j., gamba, m., bundo, m., grisotto, g., wehrli, f., . . . muka, t. (2022). gene-diet interactions and cardiovascular diseases: a systematic review of observational and clinical trials. bmc cardiovascular disorders, 22(1), 1-22. doi:10.1186/s12872-022-02808-1 o'farrell, f., jiang, x., aljifri, s., & pazoki, r. (2022). molecular alterations caused by alcohol consumption in the uk biobank: a mendelian randomisation study. nutrients, 14(14), 1-14. doi:10.3390/nu14142943 jiang, x., anasanti, m. d., drenos, f., blakemore, a. i., & pazoki, r. (2022). urinary sodium excretion enhances the effect of alcohol on blood pressure. healthcare, 10(7), 1-13. doi:10.3390/healthcare10071296 jiang, x., anasanti, m., drenos, f., blakemore, a., & pazoki, r. (2022). urinary sodium excretion enhances the effect of alcohol on blood pressure. doi:10.20944/preprints202205.0385.v1 said, s., pazoki, r., karhunen, v., võsa, u., ligthart, s., bodinier, b., . . . dehghan, a. (2022). genetic analysis of over half a million people characterises c-reactive protein loci. nature communications, 13(1), 1-10. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-29650-5 roa-díaz, z. m., asllanaj, e., amin, h. a., rojas, l. z., nano, j., ikram, m. a., . . . muka, t. (2021). age at natural menopause and blood pressure traits: mendelian randomization study. journal of clinical medicine, 10(19), 1-13. doi:10.3390/jcm10194299 jiang, x., gao, h., elliott, p., & pazoki, r. (2022). percentage of explained variance in alcohol consumption by genetic risk score in the uk biobank. in european journal of human genetics vol. 30 (pp. 528-529). online. doi:10.1038/s41431-021-01026-1 evangelou, e., suzuki, h., bai, w., pazoki, r., gao, h., matthews, p. m., & elliott, p. (2021). alcohol consumption in the general population is associated with structural changes in multiple organ systems. elife, 10. doi:10.7554/elife.65325 pazoki, r., vujkovic, m., elliott, j., evangelou, e., gill, d., mohsen, g., . . . elliott, p. (2021). genetic analysis in european ancestry individuals identifies 517 loci associated with liver enzymes. nature communications, 12, 1-12. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22338-2 pazoki, r., lin, b. d., van eijk, k. r., schijven, d., de zwarte, s., guloksuz, s., & luykx, j. j. (2020). phenome-wide and genome-wide analyses of quality of life in schizophrenia. bjpsych open, 7(1), 1-7. doi:10.1192/bjo.2020.140 cabrera, c. p., pazoki, r., giri, a., hellwege, j. n., evangelou, e., ramirez, j., . . . warren, h. r. (2020). multi-trait genome-wide association analysis of blood pressure identifies 45 additional loci. in european journal of human genetics vol. 28 (pp. 105). virtual conference. doi:10.1038/s41431-020-00740-6 elliott, p., muller, d. c., schneider-luftman, d., pazoki, r., evangelou, e., dehghan, a., . . . tzoulaki, i. (2020). estimated 24-hour urinary sodium excretion and incident cardiovascular disease and mortality among 398628 individuals in uk biobank. hypertension, 76(3), 683-691. doi:10.1161/hypertensionaha.119.14302 robinson, o., chadeau hyam, m., karaman, i., climaco pinto, r., ala-korpela, m., handakas, e., . . . vineis, p. (2020). determinants of accelerated metabolomic and epigenetic aging in a uk cohort. aging cell, 19(6), 1-13. doi:10.1111/acel.13149 schmidt, a. f., holmes, m. v., preiss, d., swerdlow, d. i., denaxas, s., fatemifar, g., . . . dehghan, a. (2019). phenome-wide association analysis of ldl-cholesterol lowering genetic variants in pcsk9. bmc cardiovascular disorders, 19(1). doi:10.1186/s12872-019-1187-z pazoki, r., lin, b. d., van eijk, k. r., schijven, d., guloksuz, s., & luykx, j. j. (2019). phenome-wide and genome-wide analyses of quality of life in schizophrenia. biorxiv, preprint. doi:10.1101/744045 pazoki, r., evangelou, e., mosen-ansorena, d., pinto, r., karaman, i., blakeley, p., . . . dehghan, a. (2019). pathways underlying urinary sodium and potassium excretion and the link to blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. in journal of hypertension vol. 37 (pp. e74). ovid technologies (wolters kluwer health). doi:10.1097/01.hjh.0000571108.82708.c0 pazoki, r., evangelou, e., mosen-ansorena, d., pinto, r. c., karaman, i., blakeley, p., . . . dehghan, a. (2019). gwas for urinary sodium and potassium excretion highlights pathways shared with cardiovascular traits. nature communications, 10(1), 1-11. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-11451-y evangelou, e., gao, h., chu, c., ntritsos, g., blakeley, p., butts, a. r., . . . elliott, p. (2019). new alcohol-related genes suggest shared genetic mechanisms with neuropsychiatric disorders. nature human behaviour, 3(9), 950-961. doi:10.1038/s41562-019-0653-z luykx, j., pazoki, r., lin, b., guloksuz, s., schijven, d., van eijk, k., & group collaborators. (2019). t168. phenome-wide and genome-wide analyses of quality of life in patients with psychosis. in biological psychiatry vol. 85 (pp. s194). elsevier bv. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.03.491 pazoki, r. (2019). cardiovascular disease, abo locus, and markers of platelet functionality. international journal of cardiology, 286(1 july 2019), 162-163. doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2019.03.061 de vries, p. s., brown, m. r., bentley, a. r., sung, y. j., winkler, t. w., ntalla, i., . . . giulianini, f. (2019). multiancestry genome-wide association study of lipid levels incorporating gene-alcohol interactions. american journal of epidemiology, 188(6), 1033-1054. doi:10.1093/aje/kwz005 robinson, o., hyam, m. c., karaman, i., pinto, r. c., fiorito, g., gao, h., . . . vineis, p. (2018). determinants of accelerated metabolomic and epigenetic ageing in a uk cohort. biorxiv, preprint. doi:10.1101/411603 kilpeläinen, t. o., bentley, a. r., noordam, r., sung, y. j., schwander, k., winkler, t. w., . . . krieger, j. e. (2019). multi-ancestry study of blood lipid levels identifies four loci interacting with physical activity. nature communications, 10(1). doi:10.1038/s41467-018-08008-w ashar, f. n., mitchell, r. n., albert, c. m., newton-cheh, c., brody, j. a., müller-nurasyid, m., . . . sotoodehnia, n. (2018). a comprehensive evaluation of the genetic architecture of sudden cardiac arrest. european heart journal, 39(44), 3961-3969. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehy474 evangelou, e., warren, h. r., mosen-ansorena, d., mifsud, b., pazoki, r., gao, h., . . . gandin, i. (2018). genetic analysis of over 1 million people identifies 535 new loci associated with blood pressure traits. nature genetics, 50(10), 1412-1425. doi:10.1038/s41588-018-0205-x davies, g., lam, m., harris, s. e., trampush, j. w., luciano, m., hill, w. d., . . . kleineidam, l. (2018). study of 300,486 individuals identifies 148 independent genetic loci influencing general cognitive function. nature communications, 9(1). doi:10.1038/s41467-018-04362-x pazoki, r., dehghan, a., evangelou, e., warren, h., gao, h., caulfield, m., . . . tzoulaki, i. (2018). genetic predisposition to high blood pressure and lifestyle factors: associations with midlife blood pressure levels and cardiovascular events. in circulation vol. 137 (pp. 653-661). doi:10.1161/circulationaha.117.030898 pazoki, r. (2018). methods for polygenic traits. international journal of cardiology, 1793, 145-156. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-7868-7_10 code and academic year title level credits % teaching contribution bb3711-2022/3 introduction to epidemiology and disease prevention (block leading and delivery) 6 20 95 bb3711-2023/4 introduction to epidemiology and disease prevention (block leading and delivery) 6 20 100 bb3711-2024/5 introduction to epidemiology and disease prevention (block leading and delivery) 6 20 100 bb3804-2023/4 synoptic examinations 3 (leading and marking) 6 20 75 bb3804-2024/5 synoptic examinations 3 (leading and marking) 6 20 75 bb3804-2021/22 synoptic examination 3 (marking, cross moderating) 6 20 5 bb1719-2021/22 introduction to data analysis (leading, delivering, marking) 4 20 90 bb3091-2021/22 final year project (leading, delivering, marking) 6 40 50 bb3091-2022/23 final year project (support of leading, marking, delivering, supervision) 6 40 20 bb3091-2023/24 final year project (marking, delivering, supervision) 6 40 6 bb3091-2024/25 final year project (marking, delivering, supervision) 6 40 6 bb3803-2022/23 biomedical sciences examinations 3 (marking, question design) 6 20 20 bb3803-2023/24 biomedical sciences examinations 3 (marking, question design) 6 20 20 bb3803-2024/25 biomedical sciences examinations 3 (marking, question design) 6 20 20 bb1804-2023/24 practical skills 3: molecular analysis (marking) 4 20 20 bb1804-2022/23 practical skills 3: molecular analysis (marking) 4 20 20 bb2710-2021/22 analytical biochemistry (moderation) 5 20 3 bb2709-2021/22 genetics, genomics and human health 5 20 15 bb2709-2024/5 genetics, genomics and human health 5 20 15 bb3801-2022/3 scientific communication -essay (coursework design & delivery, marking) 6 20 20 bb3801-2023/4 scientific communication -essay (coursework design & delivery, marking) 6 20 20 bb3801-2024/5 scientific communication -essay (coursework design & delivery, marking) 6 20 20 bb2801-2021/22 career skills 5 20 5 bb2555-2022/23 placement 5 20 5 bb2555-2023/24 placement 5 20 5 bb2555-2021/22 placement 5 20 5 bb1801a-2023/24 research and communication skills - presentation 4 20 3 bb1801a-2024/25 research and communication skills - presentation 4 20 3 bb1801c-2023/24 research and communication skills - portfolio 4 20 3 bb1806-2023/24 synoptic examination 1 (marking) 4 20 3 bb1806-2022/23 synoptic examination 1 (marking) 4 20 3 bb2802-2021/22 primary literature interrogation and synthesis (supervision, marking) 5 20 3 bb2802-2022/23 primary literature interrogation and synthesis (supervision, marking) 5 20 3 bb2802-2023/24 primary literature interrogation and synthesis (supervision, marking) 5 20 3 bb2804-2023/24 data analysis, interpretation and presentation (poster, marking) 5 20 3 bb2804-2021/22 data analysis, interpretation and presentation (poster, marking) 5 20 3 bb2805-2021/22 biomedical sciences examinations 2 (moderation) 5 20 3 bb2805-2022/23 biomedical sciences examinations 2 (moderation) 5 20 3 bb2805-2023/24 biomedical sciences examinations 2 (moderation) 5 20 3 bb3801-2021/22 scientific communication – presentation (marking) 6 20 3 bb3801b (term 1)-2022/23 scientific communication – presentation (marking) 6 20 3 bb3801b (term 1)-2023/24 scientific communication – presentation (marking) 6 20 3 bb3802b (term 2)-2023/24 problem solving and data analysis – reflection (marking) 6 20 3 bb3802b (term 2)-2022/23 problem solving and data analysis – reflection (marking) 6 20 3 bb1801a-2022/23 research and communication skills - presentation 4 20 3 bb1801-2021/22 research and communication skills - presentation 4 20 3 pgt modules: code and academic year title credits core/option (c/o) module leader (y/n) % teaching contribution (excluding pgt dissertation supervision) bb5716-2024/2025 vaccines and treatment for infection and inflammation 7 20 n 10 bb5716-2023/2024 vaccines and treatment for infection and inflammation 7 20 n 10 bb5713-2022/2023 radiation, toxicology and pollution 7 20 n 10 bb5713-2021/2022 radiation, toxicology and pollution 7 20 n 10 bb5804-2024/25 scientific communication 7 20 n 10 bb5804-2021/22 scientific communication 7 20 n 10 pgt dissertation supervision: code and academic year title number primary supervisions number of secondary supervisions 2024/25-bb5604 mendelian randomisation study of lipid levels on alcohol consumption using mr-base 1 0 2022/23-bb5604 genetic risk score of alcohol consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes 1 0

Dr Raha Pazoki

Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences

Raha Pazok MD PhD FHEA is a medical doctor and an epidemiologist. She studied Epidemiology at the Netherlands Institute for Health Sciences (NIHES) and in the University of Amsterdam. She worked with various cohort and case control studies such as the Arrhythmia Genetics in the Netherlands (AGNES), the Rotterdam Study, the Airwave Health Monitoring Study and the UK Bio bank. In 2016, she joined the Department of Epidemiology and Bio-statistics at Imperial College London as a Research Associate. In 2020, she started a Teaching & Research academic position at Brunel University London. Dr Pazoki specializes in the field of health data research, with a primary focus on the epidemiology of cardiometabolic diseases. She holds a particular interest in exploring causal inference and precision medicine by leveraging genomics and extensive health data sets with sample sizes exceeding 500,000 individuals. Her expertise spans various domains, including precision medicine, global health, interventions, and the application of artificial intelligence for predicting health outcomes. She harbors a keen interest in identification of the relationship between circulating molecules and biomarkers, nutrition, lifestyle choices, genetic factors, and their collective contribution to the modulation of health risk factors and outcomes. She was the first to identify 517 novel genetic loci associated with liver enzymes and the first to show the causal effect of liver dysfunction on cardiovascular diseases. In addition, she is the first to show the effect of the alcohol consumption WDPCP gene in lipid metabolism, and liver cirrhosis. Available PhD projects: Exploring artificial Intelligence for precision medicine, focusing on the interplay between gene and environemnt Cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke, remain the leading causes of mortality worldwide and their prevalence continues to rise. These conditions are influenced by a combination of modifiable (e.g., diet, physical inactivity, smoking) and non‑modifiable (e.g., age, sex, genetic background) risk factors. Genetic variation, in particular, plays an important role in differentiating individuals at high and low risk, enabling more precise and targeted prevention strategies. As precision medicine advances, artificial intelligence (AI) and data‑driven approaches offer powerful tools for integrating genetic, environmental, and lifestyle information to better predict disease risk and improve population health outcomes.This umbrella project brings together a series of PhD opportunities focused on applying AI‑enabled precision‑medicine approaches to understand how genetic and environmental factors, such as alcohol consumption, smoking, mental‑health‑related exposures, and other lifestyle variables, contribute to cardiovascular diseases. Using data from the UK Biobank comprising 500,000 participants, students will employ statistical and machine‑learning methods to conduct advanced analyses at scale. (Genetic) Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases Big Data Genome-wide Association Studies Genetic risk scores Mendelian Randomization Machine Learning Dr. Raha Pazoki’s research focuses on health data science with a strong emphasis on cardiometabolic and ageing-related diseases. Her work integrates genomics, epidemiology, and artificial intelligence to uncover genetic and environmental determinants of conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, liver dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease. She was the first to identify 517 novel genetic loci linked to liver enzymes and demonstrated their causal role in heart disease. Using Mendelian randomization, she clarifies causal pathways between biomarkers (e.g., liver enzymes, lipid levels) and age-related conditions, improving understanding of how genetic predispositions interact with lifestyle factors like diet, alcohol, and physical activity. Her studies also show that lifestyle interventions, such as exercise, can mitigate genetic risk, offering actionable insights for prevention and healthy ageing. The impact of her work spans clinical and societal domains. Clinically, she advances precision medicine by integrating genetic risk scores with lifestyle and clinical data to enable personalized treatment strategies, particularly for ageing populations with complex health profiles. Her research supports early detection of stroke, liver cirrhosis, and metabolic syndrome, and informs screening guidelines for at-risk individuals. Societally, her findings guide public health campaigns promoting healthy behaviours tailored to genetic risk, reduce health inequities through inclusive genomic research, and leverage AI to predict health outcomes in ageing populations. By bridging big data with clinical practice, Dr. Pazoki’s work not only addresses global challenges in cardiometabolic and ageing diseases but also shapes the future of personalized medicine, prevention strategies, and wellbeing across diverse populations. Scorll down this page for full detail of her research. Dr Paozki is a founder and director of the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research Group hosting researchers and academics across Brunel university with direct or indirect research interest involving cardiometabolic aetiology, prevention, and health. We work in various areas to identify causes of cardiometabolic diseases (environmental, lifestyle, molecular, and clinical) and provide insight into how they interplay. We use the information for better prevention of cardiometabolic diseases in the community. If you are a MSc graduates (with upper second class degree or higher) in the relevant field to the above research area, please contact Dr Raha Pazoki (raha.pazoki@brunel.ac.uk). Postgraduate fees and funding | Brunel University London or Scholarships and Bursaries | Brunel University London and Other funding | Brunel University London Selected list of publications by Dr Raha Pazoki Karkia, R., Maccarthy, G., Payne, A., Karteris, E., Pazoki, R., & Chatterjee, J. (n.d.). The Association Between Metabolic Syndrome and the Risk of Endometrial Cancer in Pre- and Post-Menopausal Women: A UK Biobank Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(3), 751. doi:10.3390/jcm14030751 Hezekiah, C., & Pazoki, R. (2024). Physical activity and favourable adiposity genetic liability reduce the risk of hypertension among high body mass individuals. doi:10.1101/2024.12.18.24319295 MacCarthy, G., & Pazoki, R. (2024). Using Machine Learning to Evaluate the Value of Genetic Liabilities in the Classification of Hypertension within the UK Biobank. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(10), 1-20. doi:10.3390/jcm13102955 Hezekiah, C., Blakemore, A. I., Bailey, D. P., & Pazoki, R. (2024). Physical activity alters the effect of genetic determinants of adiposity on hypertension among individuals of European ancestry in the UKB. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 34(5), 1-13. doi:10.1111/sms.14636 O’Farrell, F., Aleyakpo, B., Mustafa, R., Jiang, X., Pinto, R. C., Elliott, P., . . . Pazoki, R. (2023). Evidence for involvement of the alcohol consumption WDPCP gene in lipid metabolism, and liver cirrhosis. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 1-13. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-47371-7 Hezekiah, C., Blakemore, A. I., Bailey, D. P., & Pazoki, R. (2023). Physical activity reduces the effect of adiposity genetic liability on hypertension risk in the UK Biobank cohort. doi:10.1101/2023.09.22.23295992 Roa-Díaz, Z. M., Teuscher, J., Gamba, M., Bundo, M., Grisotto, G., Wehrli, F., . . . Muka, T. (2022). Gene-diet interactions and cardiovascular diseases: a systematic review of observational and clinical trials. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 22(1), 1-22. doi:10.1186/s12872-022-02808-1 O'Farrell, F., Jiang, X., Aljifri, S., & Pazoki, R. (2022). Molecular Alterations Caused by Alcohol Consumption in the UK Biobank: A Mendelian Randomisation Study. Nutrients, 14(14), 1-14. doi:10.3390/nu14142943 Jiang, X., Anasanti, M. D., Drenos, F., Blakemore, A. I., & Pazoki, R. (2022). Urinary Sodium Excretion Enhances the Effect of Alcohol on Blood Pressure. Healthcare, 10(7), 1-13. doi:10.3390/healthcare10071296 Jiang, X., Anasanti, M., Drenos, F., Blakemore, A., & Pazoki, R. (2022). Urinary Sodium Excretion Enhances the Effect of Alcohol on Blood Pressure. doi:10.20944/preprints202205.0385.v1 Said, S., Pazoki, R., Karhunen, V., Võsa, U., Ligthart, S., Bodinier, B., . . . Dehghan, A. (2022). Genetic analysis of over half a million people characterises C-reactive protein loci. Nature Communications, 13(1), 1-10. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-29650-5 Roa-Díaz, Z. M., Asllanaj, E., Amin, H. A., Rojas, L. Z., Nano, J., Ikram, M. A., . . . Muka, T. (2021). Age at natural menopause and blood pressure traits: Mendelian randomization study. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(19), 1-13. doi:10.3390/jcm10194299 Jiang, X., Gao, H., Elliott, P., & Pazoki, R. (2022). Percentage of explained variance in alcohol consumption by genetic risk score in the UK Biobank. In EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS Vol. 30 (pp. 528-529). Online. doi:10.1038/s41431-021-01026-1 Evangelou, E., Suzuki, H., Bai, W., Pazoki, R., Gao, H., Matthews, P. M., & Elliott, P. (2021). Alcohol consumption in the general population is associated with structural changes in multiple organ systems. eLife, 10. doi:10.7554/eLife.65325 Pazoki, R., Vujkovic, M., Elliott, J., Evangelou, E., Gill, D., Mohsen, G., . . . elliott, P. (2021). Genetic analysis in European ancestry individuals identifies 517 loci associated with liver enzymes. Nature Communications, 12, 1-12. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22338-2 Pazoki, R., Lin, B. D., van Eijk, K. R., Schijven, D., de Zwarte, S., Guloksuz, S., & Luykx, J. J. (2020). Phenome-wide and genome-wide analyses of quality of life in schizophrenia. BJPsych Open, 7(1), 1-7. doi:10.1192/bjo.2020.140 Cabrera, C. P., Pazoki, R., Giri, A., Hellwege, J. N., Evangelou, E., Ramirez, J., . . . Warren, H. R. (2020). Multi-trait genome-wide association analysis of blood pressure identifies 45 additional loci. In EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS Vol. 28 (pp. 105). Virtual Conference. doi:10.1038/s41431-020-00740-6 Elliott, P., Muller, D. C., Schneider-Luftman, D., Pazoki, R., Evangelou, E., Dehghan, A., . . . Tzoulaki, I. (2020). Estimated 24-Hour Urinary Sodium Excretion and Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality among 398628 Individuals in UK Biobank. Hypertension, 76(3), 683-691. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.119.14302 Robinson, O., Chadeau Hyam, M., Karaman, I., Climaco Pinto, R., Ala-Korpela, M., Handakas, E., . . . Vineis, P. (2020). Determinants of accelerated metabolomic and epigenetic aging in a UK cohort. Aging Cell, 19(6), 1-13. doi:10.1111/acel.13149 Schmidt, A. F., Holmes, M. V., Preiss, D., Swerdlow, D. I., Denaxas, S., Fatemifar, G., . . . Dehghan, A. (2019). Phenome-wide association analysis of LDL-cholesterol lowering genetic variants in PCSK9. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 19(1). doi:10.1186/s12872-019-1187-z Pazoki, R., Lin, B. D., van Eijk, K. R., Schijven, D., Guloksuz, S., & Luykx, J. J. (2019). Phenome-wide and Genome-wide Analyses of Quality of Life in Schizophrenia. bioRxiv, preprint. doi:10.1101/744045 Pazoki, R., Evangelou, E., Mosen-Ansorena, D., Pinto, R., Karaman, I., Blakeley, P., . . . Dehghan, A. (2019). PATHWAYS UNDERLYING URINARY SODIUM AND POTASSIUM EXCRETION AND THE LINK TO BLOOD PRESSURE AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. In Journal of Hypertension Vol. 37 (pp. e74). Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). doi:10.1097/01.hjh.0000571108.82708.c0 Pazoki, R., Evangelou, E., Mosen-Ansorena, D., Pinto, R. C., Karaman, I., Blakeley, P., . . . Dehghan, A. (2019). GWAS for urinary sodium and potassium excretion highlights pathways shared with cardiovascular traits. Nature Communications, 10(1), 1-11. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-11451-y Evangelou, E., Gao, H., Chu, C., Ntritsos, G., Blakeley, P., Butts, A. R., . . . Elliott, P. (2019). New alcohol-related genes suggest shared genetic mechanisms with neuropsychiatric disorders. Nature Human Behaviour, 3(9), 950-961. doi:10.1038/s41562-019-0653-z Luykx, J., Pazoki, R., Lin, B., Guloksuz, S., Schijven, D., van Eijk, K., & GROUP collaborators. (2019). T168. Phenome-Wide and Genome-Wide Analyses of Quality of Life in Patients With Psychosis. In Biological Psychiatry Vol. 85 (pp. S194). Elsevier BV. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.03.491 Pazoki, R. (2019). Cardiovascular disease, ABO locus, and markers of platelet functionality. International Journal of Cardiology, 286(1 July 2019), 162-163. doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2019.03.061 De Vries, P. S., Brown, M. R., Bentley, A. R., Sung, Y. J., Winkler, T. W., Ntalla, I., . . . Giulianini, F. (2019). Multiancestry Genome-Wide Association Study of Lipid Levels Incorporating Gene-Alcohol Interactions. American Journal of Epidemiology, 188(6), 1033-1054. doi:10.1093/aje/kwz005 Robinson, O., Hyam, M. C., Karaman, I., Pinto, R. C., Fiorito, G., Gao, H., . . . Vineis, P. (2018). Determinants of accelerated metabolomic and epigenetic ageing in a UK cohort. bioRxiv, preprint. doi:10.1101/411603 Kilpeläinen, T. O., Bentley, A. R., Noordam, R., Sung, Y. J., Schwander, K., Winkler, T. W., . . . Krieger, J. E. (2019). Multi-ancestry study of blood lipid levels identifies four loci interacting with physical activity. Nature Communications, 10(1). doi:10.1038/s41467-018-08008-w Ashar, F. N., Mitchell, R. N., Albert, C. M., Newton-Cheh, C., Brody, J. A., Müller-Nurasyid, M., . . . Sotoodehnia, N. (2018). A comprehensive evaluation of the genetic architecture of sudden cardiac arrest. European Heart Journal, 39(44), 3961-3969. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehy474 Evangelou, E., Warren, H. R., Mosen-Ansorena, D., Mifsud, B., Pazoki, R., Gao, H., . . . Gandin, I. (2018). Genetic analysis of over 1 million people identifies 535 new loci associated with blood pressure traits. Nature Genetics, 50(10), 1412-1425. doi:10.1038/s41588-018-0205-x Davies, G., Lam, M., Harris, S. E., Trampush, J. W., Luciano, M., Hill, W. D., . . . Kleineidam, L. (2018). Study of 300,486 individuals identifies 148 independent genetic loci influencing general cognitive function. Nature Communications, 9(1). doi:10.1038/s41467-018-04362-x Pazoki, R., Dehghan, A., Evangelou, E., Warren, H., Gao, H., Caulfield, M., . . . Tzoulaki, I. (2018). Genetic predisposition to high blood pressure and lifestyle factors: Associations with midlife blood pressure levels and cardiovascular events. In Circulation Vol. 137 (pp. 653-661). doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.030898 Pazoki, R. (2018). Methods for polygenic traits. International journal of cardiology, 1793, 145-156. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-7868-7_10 Code and Academic Year Title Level Credits % teaching contribution BB3711-2022/3 Introduction to Epidemiology and Disease Prevention (Block leading and delivery) 6 20 95 BB3711-2023/4 Introduction to Epidemiology and Disease Prevention (Block leading and delivery) 6 20 100 BB3711-2024/5 Introduction to Epidemiology and Disease Prevention (Block leading and delivery) 6 20 100 BB3804-2023/4 Synoptic Examinations 3 (Leading and marking) 6 20 75 BB3804-2024/5 Synoptic Examinations 3 (Leading and marking) 6 20 75 BB3804-2021/22 Synoptic Examination 3 (marking, cross moderating) 6 20 5 BB1719-2021/22 Introduction to Data Analysis (Leading, delivering, marking) 4 20 90 BB3091-2021/22 Final Year Project (Leading, delivering, marking) 6 40 50 BB3091-2022/23 Final Year Project (support of leading, marking, delivering, supervision) 6 40 20 BB3091-2023/24 Final Year Project (marking, delivering, supervision) 6 40 6 BB3091-2024/25 Final Year Project (marking, delivering, supervision) 6 40 6 BB3803-2022/23 Biomedical Sciences Examinations 3 (marking, question design) 6 20 20 BB3803-2023/24 Biomedical Sciences Examinations 3 (marking, question design) 6 20 20 BB3803-2024/25 Biomedical Sciences Examinations 3 (marking, question design) 6 20 20 BB1804-2023/24 Practical Skills 3: Molecular Analysis (marking) 4 20 20 BB1804-2022/23 Practical Skills 3: Molecular Analysis (marking) 4 20 20 BB2710-2021/22 Analytical Biochemistry (moderation) 5 20 3 BB2709-2021/22 Genetics, Genomics and Human Health 5 20 15 BB2709-2024/5 Genetics, Genomics and Human Health 5 20 15 BB3801-2022/3 Scientific Communication -Essay (Coursework design & delivery, marking) 6 20 20 BB3801-2023/4 Scientific Communication -Essay (Coursework design & delivery, marking) 6 20 20 BB3801-2024/5 Scientific Communication -Essay (Coursework design & delivery, marking) 6 20 20 BB2801-2021/22 Career Skills 5 20 5 BB2555-2022/23 Placement 5 20 5 BB2555-2023/24 Placement 5 20 5 BB2555-2021/22 Placement 5 20 5 BB1801a-2023/24 Research and Communication Skills - Presentation 4 20 3 BB1801a-2024/25 Research and Communication Skills - Presentation 4 20 3 BB1801c-2023/24 Research and Communication Skills - Portfolio 4 20 3 BB1806-2023/24 Synoptic Examination 1 (marking) 4 20 3 BB1806-2022/23 Synoptic Examination 1 (marking) 4 20 3 BB2802-2021/22 Primary Literature Interrogation and Synthesis (supervision, marking) 5 20 3 BB2802-2022/23 Primary Literature Interrogation and Synthesis (supervision, marking) 5 20 3 BB2802-2023/24 Primary Literature Interrogation and Synthesis (supervision, marking) 5 20 3 BB2804-2023/24 Data Analysis, Interpretation and Presentation (poster, marking) 5 20 3 BB2804-2021/22 Data Analysis, Interpretation and Presentation (poster, marking) 5 20 3 BB2805-2021/22 Biomedical Sciences Examinations 2 (moderation) 5 20 3 BB2805-2022/23 Biomedical Sciences Examinations 2 (moderation) 5 20 3 BB2805-2023/24 Biomedical Sciences Examinations 2 (moderation) 5 20 3 BB3801-2021/22 Scientific Communication – Presentation (marking) 6 20 3 BB3801b (term 1)-2022/23 Scientific Communication – Presentation (marking) 6 20 3 BB3801b (term 1)-2023/24 Scientific Communication – Presentation (marking) 6 20 3 BB3802b (term 2)-2023/24 Problem Solving and Data Analysis – Reflection (marking) 6 20 3 BB3802b (term 2)-2022/23 Problem Solving and Data Analysis – Reflection (marking) 6 20 3 BB1801a-2022/23 Research and Communication Skills - Presentation 4 20 3 BB1801-2021/22 Research and Communication Skills - Presentation 4 20 3 PGT Modules: Code and Academic Year Title Credits Core/Option (C/O) Module leader (Y/N) % teaching Contribution (excluding PGT dissertation supervision) BB5716-2024/2025 Vaccines and Treatment for Infection and Inflammation 7 20 N 10 BB5716-2023/2024 Vaccines and Treatment for Infection and Inflammation 7 20 N 10 BB5713-2022/2023 Radiation, Toxicology and Pollution 7 20 N 10 BB5713-2021/2022 Radiation, Toxicology and Pollution 7 20 N 10 BB5804-2024/25 Scientific Communication 7 20 N 10 BB5804-2021/22 Scientific Communication 7 20 N 10 PGT Dissertation Supervision: Code and Academic Year Title Number Primary supervisions Number of Secondary supervisions 2024/25-BB5604 Mendelian Randomisation study of lipid levels on alcohol consumption using MR-Base 1 0 2022/23-BB5604 Genetic Risk score of Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes 1 0

Members

christina joined brunel in october 2009. she is professor of gerontology and public health in the college of health, medicine and life sciences and associate pvc-research culture and governance. she is also chair of the university research ethics committee. christina started her academic career as a geographer with a particular interest in the spatial distribution of health and illness and access to, and provision of, health and social care. she has a ba in geography from swansea university and an m phil in medical geography from nottingham. it was whilst working at the medical school in cardiff that she developed her interests in gerontology and her phd investigated outcome after discharge for older people in wales and she now focuses her interests in public health/population medicine on to the experiences of old age and later life. she has a special interest in researching loneliness and isolation. christina’s initial research interests were focussed upon health and health inequalities and the evaluation of services for older people. more recently she developed a keen interest in loneliness and isolation; the benefits of exercise and activity in later life and the experiences of old age and later life amongst minority communities and the experience of ageing for people with intellectual disabilities. she has received funding for her research from a range of funders including esrc, nihr, dunhill medical trust, leverhulme and the british academy. christina has written over 400 peer reviewed articles and published 8 books in the field of gerontology. she is a fellow of the faculty of public health and an academician of the academy of social sciences. in 2017 christina was awarded the lifetime achievement award of the british society of gerontology and awarded fellowship of the gerontological society of america. her work has been cited 27,000 times and her h idex is 83. she has 3 articles in the list of the 100 most cited articles in the field of loneliness and is ranked as one of the top 100 social science and humanities researchers in the uk. qualifications: phd, m phil, ba ageing and later life wellbeing across the lifecourse loneliness and isolation my principal research interests are focussed around understanding the social context of ageing and later life. more specifically i have specialist interests around loneliness and social isolation in later life; care and caring; growing old amongst minority communities; physical activity, exercise and later life and the use of secondary data analysis in gerontological research. i also am active in the broad areas of service evaluation, health inequalities and public health aspects of old age and population ageing, especially in the developing world. teaching responsibilities: contributor to research methods and evidence based public health modules contribute to modules focusing upon older people msc dissertation supervisor

Professor Christina Victor

Director of Research Institute / Professor

Christina joined Brunel in October 2009. She is Professor of Gerontology and Public Health in the College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences and Associate PVC-Research Culture and Governance. She is also Chair of the University Research Ethics Committee. Christina started her academic career as a geographer with a particular interest in the spatial distribution of health and illness and access to, and provision of, health and social care. She has a BA in Geography from Swansea University and an M Phil in medical geography from Nottingham. It was whilst working at the Medical School in Cardiff that she developed her interests in gerontology and her PhD investigated outcome after discharge for older people in Wales and she now focuses her interests in public health/population medicine on to the experiences of old age and later life. She has a special interest in researching loneliness and isolation. Christina’s initial research interests were focussed upon health and health inequalities and the evaluation of services for older people. More recently she developed a keen interest in loneliness and isolation; the benefits of exercise and activity in later life and the experiences of old age and later life amongst minority communities and the experience of ageing for people with intellectual disabilities. She has received funding for her research from a range of funders including ESRC, NIHR, Dunhill Medical Trust, Leverhulme and the British Academy. Christina has written over 400 peer reviewed articles and published 8 books in the field of gerontology. She is a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health and an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences. In 2017 Christina was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award of the British Society of Gerontology and awarded Fellowship of the Gerontological Society of America. Her work has been cited 27,000 times and her H idex is 83. She has 3 articles in the list of the 100 most cited articles in the field of loneliness and is ranked as one of the top 100 social science and humanities researchers in the UK. Qualifications: PhD, M Phil, BA Ageing and later life Wellbeing across the lifecourse Loneliness and isolation My principal research interests are focussed around understanding the social context of ageing and later life. More specifically I have specialist interests around loneliness and social isolation in later life; care and caring; growing old amongst minority communities; physical activity, exercise and later life and the use of secondary data analysis in gerontological research. I also am active in the broad areas of service evaluation, health inequalities and public health aspects of old age and population ageing, especially in the developing world. Teaching Responsibilities: Contributor to research methods and evidence based public health modules Contribute to modules focusing upon older people MSc Dissertation supervisor

career history louise mansfield is professor of sport, health and social sciences and vice dean for research in the college of health medicine and life sciences. she is director of the centre for health and wellbeing across the lifecourse. her research focuses on the relationship between sport, physical activity and public health and wellbeing. louise's expertise are in partnership and community approaches in sport and physical activity and issues of health, wellbeing, inequality and diversity. she has led research projects for the department of health, youth sport trust, sportscotland, economic and social research council, medical research council, macmillan cancer support, public health england and sport england. she sits on the editorial boards for leisure studies, qualitative research in sport, exercise and health and the international review for the sociology of sport and is managing editor of annals of leisure research. louise is known for developing evidence to inform policy and practice. community approaches to sport, public health and wellbeing sociology of sport; gender and feminist theories, social inequalities, public health and wellbeing, coproduction and partnership qualitative research methods and process evaluations intervention and evaluation strategies in community sport research evidence reviews for research, policy and practice including focus on qualitative synthesis translation, dissemination and mobilisation of evidence strategies and practices for uk and international sport and culture sector audiences in policy and practice and both academic and non-academic organisations. community sport, physical activity and public health and wellbeing. sociology of sport and social inequalities. participatory and coproduction strategies and methods in developing evidence to inform policy and practice in the culture and sports sectors. i am a fellow of the he academy. i embrace a research led teaching approach. my teaching skills have been established in both further and higher education and i hold postgraduate teaching qualifications. i advocate a teaching philosophy that embraces a mix of styles from the traditional large lecture to more interactive student-led approaches using new technology. i have designed and delivered a range of modules at undergraduate and postgraduate level that draw from across theoretical and methodological perspectives in the social sciences to understand sport, physical activity, health and well-being and i continue to engage in on-going curriculum developments in those fields.

Professor Louise Mansfield

Professor - Sport, Health and Social Sciences

Career History Louise Mansfield is Professor of Sport, Health and Social Sciences and Vice Dean for Research in the College of Health Medicine and Life Sciences. She is Director of the Centre for Health and Wellbeing across the Lifecourse. Her research focuses on the relationship between sport, physical activity and public health and wellbeing. Louise's expertise are in partnership and community approaches in sport and physical activity and issues of health, wellbeing, inequality and diversity. She has led research projects for the Department of Health, Youth Sport Trust, sportscotland, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, Macmillan Cancer Support, Public Health England and Sport England. She sits on the editorial boards for Leisure Studies, Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health and the International Review for the Sociology of Sport and is Managing Editor of Annals of Leisure Research. Louise is known for developing evidence to inform policy and practice. Community approaches to sport, public health and wellbeing Sociology of sport; gender and feminist theories, social inequalities, public health and wellbeing, coproduction and partnership Qualitative research methods and process evaluations Intervention and evaluation strategies in community sport research Evidence reviews for research, policy and practice including focus on qualitative synthesis Translation, dissemination and mobilisation of evidence strategies and practices for UK and international sport and culture sector audiences in policy and practice and both academic and non-academic organisations. Community sport, physical activity and public health and wellbeing. Sociology of sport and social inequalities. Participatory and coproduction strategies and methods in developing evidence to inform policy and practice in the culture and sports sectors. I am a Fellow of the HE Academy. I embrace a research led teaching approach. My teaching skills have been established in both further and higher education and I hold postgraduate teaching qualifications. I advocate a teaching philosophy that embraces a mix of styles from the traditional large lecture to more interactive student-led approaches using new technology. I have designed and delivered a range of modules at undergraduate and postgraduate level that draw from across theoretical and methodological perspectives in the social sciences to understand sport, physical activity, health and well-being and I continue to engage in on-going curriculum developments in those fields.

dr daniel bailey is a reader in sedentary behaviour and health in the department of sport, health and exercise sciences. he is director of research for the department having previously been director of the centre for physical activity in health and disease. dr bailey's research investigates the relationship between sedentary behaviour and chronic health conditions, with a particular focus on non-communicable disease. this research includes the epidemiology of sedentary behaviour and associations with non-communicable disease risk, controlled laboratory studies examining the acute effects of breaking up prolonged sitting on cardiometabolic biomarkers, and the development and evaluation of interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour and increase physical activity in a range of population groups and long-term conditions including type 2 diabetes, office workers, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, fabry disease and frailty. dr bailey has been awarded multiple research grants from funding bodies and industry partners to support his research and has published many research articles in his field of research. he has delivered multiple conference presentations and invited talks across the uk and europe and was technical advisor for the qatar national physical activity guidelines 2nd edition, 2021. dr bailey is chair of the chartered association of sport and exercise sciences (cases) physical activity for health division and was chair of the cases 2024 conference planning group. dr bailey was also a member of the scientific global leadership committee for the 8th international society for physical activity and health (ispah) congress. dr bailey has a wealth of experience teaching physical activity, sedentary behaviour and health topics at undergraduate and postgraduate level and uses innovative teaching approaches in his practice including research-informed teaching, bleneded and authentic learning, and flipped classrooms. dr bailey's research investigates the relationship between sedentary behaviour and long-term health conditions. his research has spanned from the epidemiological analysis of sedentary behaviour and chronic disease risk, laboratory-based studies examining the benefits of breaking up prolonged sitting time on markers of health to provide proof-of-concept, leading to the development and evaluation of interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour. dr bailey has established an interdisciplinary and multi-institutional network of collaborators to deliver this programme of research. his research has been conducted in a range of population groups and settings, including young people, workplaces, people with type 2 diabetes, spinal cord injury, older adults with frailty, multiple sclerosis, fabry disease and cardiac rehabilitation. his research is conducted in collaboration with external partners such as local councils, the nhs, health charities and community organisations. dr bailey’s research has shown that high amounts of daily sitting time are associated with an increased risk of long-term health conditions. he has also published a large number of studies showing that regularly breaking up sitting time with short, frequent bouts of light, moderate or high-intensity physical activity leads to improvements in a range of metabolic biomarkers including blood glucose, lipid levels and blood pressure. his first laboratory based study published in 2014 was the first to show benefits to glucose in response to breaking up sitting with light-intensity walking in healthy adults. dr bailey has led successful research grant applications to various funding bodies to support his research, such as: ms society, istep-ms ii: a physical activity and sedentary behaviour intervention for reducing fatigue in people living with multiple sclerosis, £541,494. mps society, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in the enhancement of mental health and quality of life in fabry disease, £84,007. diabetes uk, a tailored intervention to reduce sitting behaviour in people with type 2 diabetes: a randomised-controlled feasibility study, £137,510. abbeyfield research foundation, reducing sarcopenia and maintaining independent living in frail older adults via reductions in sitting time: the frail-less (less sitting and sarcopenia in frail older adults) intervention, £73,247. heart research uk, the benefits of breaking up prolonged sedentary time on cardiovascular disease risk markers in people with spinal cord injury, £86,434. he has also supervised a number of phd students to completion in addition to supervising current phd students studying in fields related to physical activity, sedentary behaviour and long-term health conditions.

Dr Daniel Bailey

Reader - Sedentary Behaviour and Health

Dr Daniel Bailey is a Reader in Sedentary Behaviour and Health in the Department of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences. He is Director of Research for the Department having previously been Director of the Centre for Physical Activity in Health and Disease. Dr Bailey's research investigates the relationship between sedentary behaviour and chronic health conditions, with a particular focus on non-communicable disease. This research includes the epidemiology of sedentary behaviour and associations with non-communicable disease risk, controlled laboratory studies examining the acute effects of breaking up prolonged sitting on cardiometabolic biomarkers, and the development and evaluation of interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour and increase physical activity in a range of population groups and long-term conditions including Type 2 diabetes, office workers, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, Fabry disease and frailty. Dr Bailey has been awarded multiple research grants from funding bodies and industry partners to support his research and has published many research articles in his field of research. He has delivered multiple conference presentations and invited talks across the UK and Europe and was Technical Advisor for the Qatar National Physical Activity Guidelines 2nd edition, 2021. Dr Bailey is Chair of the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (CASES) Physical Activity for Health Division and was Chair of the CASES 2024 Conference Planning Group. Dr Bailey was also a member of the scientific global leadership committee for the 8th International Society for Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH) Congress. Dr Bailey has a wealth of experience teaching physical activity, sedentary behaviour and health topics at undergraduate and postgraduate level and uses innovative teaching approaches in his practice including research-informed teaching, bleneded and authentic learning, and flipped classrooms. Dr Bailey's research investigates the relationship between sedentary behaviour and long-term health conditions. His research has spanned from the epidemiological analysis of sedentary behaviour and chronic disease risk, laboratory-based studies examining the benefits of breaking up prolonged sitting time on markers of health to provide proof-of-concept, leading to the development and evaluation of interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour. Dr Bailey has established an interdisciplinary and multi-institutional network of collaborators to deliver this programme of research. His research has been conducted in a range of population groups and settings, including young people, workplaces, people with Type 2 diabetes, spinal cord injury, older adults with frailty, multiple sclerosis, Fabry disease and cardiac rehabilitation. His research is conducted in collaboration with external partners such as local councils, the NHS, health charities and community organisations. Dr Bailey’s research has shown that high amounts of daily sitting time are associated with an increased risk of long-term health conditions. He has also published a large number of studies showing that regularly breaking up sitting time with short, frequent bouts of light, moderate or high-intensity physical activity leads to improvements in a range of metabolic biomarkers including blood glucose, lipid levels and blood pressure. His first laboratory based study published in 2014 was the first to show benefits to glucose in response to breaking up sitting with light-intensity walking in healthy adults. Dr Bailey has led successful research grant applications to various funding bodies to support his research, such as: MS Society, iStep-MS II: a physical activity and sedentary behaviour intervention for reducing fatigue in people living with multiple sclerosis, £541,494. MPS Society, Physical activity and sedentary behaviour in the enhancement of mental health and quality of life in Fabry disease, £84,007. Diabetes UK, A tailored intervention to reduce sitting behaviour in people with Type 2 Diabetes: A randomised-controlled feasibility study, £137,510. Abbeyfield Research Foundation, Reducing sarcopenia and maintaining independent living in frail older adults via reductions in sitting time: The Frail-LESS (LEss Sitting and Sarcopenia in Frail older adults) intervention, £73,247. Heart Research UK, The benefits of breaking up prolonged sedentary time on cardiovascular disease risk markers in people with spinal cord injury, £86,434. He has also supervised a number of PhD students to completion in addition to supervising current PhD students studying in fields related to physical activity, sedentary behaviour and long-term health conditions.

Get in touch

We are open to collaborations and partnerships. Researchers with a more experimental focus benefit from accessing bioinformaticians, biostatisticians and epidemiologists and researchers with computational research will benefit from insight and input into biological aspects of their research. Please get in touch!

We benefit from our existing national and international collaborations with Dr Luis Martins (Mitochondria research); Professor Munir PirMohammed (pharmacology), Professor Ioanna Tzoulaki (epidemiology), Professor Paul Elliott (epidemiology & public health medicine), Professor Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin (life course epidemiology).

We are currently collaborating with Imperial College London on the use metabolomics in cardiovascular research. We are also in collaboration with University of Cambridge on the use of Drosophila models to better understand biological pathways in relation to risk factors of Cardiovascular and Metabolic disorders.