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Research area(s)

Dr Bailey's research investigates the relationship between sedentary behaviour and long-term health conditions with examples being cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, sarcopenia and Fabry disease. His research has spanned from the epidemiological analyses 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 and sarcopenia, cardiac rehabilitation patients and police officers. This has been facilitated with external partners such as local councils, the NHS, police forces, 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 cardiovascular disease and diabetes. 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  published in 2014 was the first to show postprandial glucose attenuation in response to breaking up sitting time with light-intensity walking in young healthy adults. This paper has received over 430 citations on  as of May 2024.

Dr Bailey has led successful research grant applications to various funding bodies to support his research, such as:

• 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.

Grants