Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
Dylan Thompson is Professor of Human Physiology in the Department for Health at the University of Bath and Co-Director of the Centre for Nutrition, Exercise and Metabolism (CNEM).
Professor Thompson is internationally recognised for his research in physical activity and nutrition. Recent and ongoing research projects include, (1) a BBSRC-funded project in partnership with the European Space Agency examining the impact of bed rest and a nutritional ‘countermeasure’ on adipose tissue function, (2) an MRC-funded project examining the impact of weight loss on metabolism, including the gut microbiota, (3) a BBSRC-funded project examining whether exercise helps to mobilise vitamin D from adipose tissue (4) an NIHR-funded feasibility project examining whether an intensive 12-month exercise/dietary intervention has the potential to reverse Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and (5) a BBSRC-funded project examining the impact of adipose tissue inflammation on the regulation of skeletal muscle protein metabolism.
Professor Thompson has authored over 150 original articles and various reviews. He has held editorial roles with several academic journals and he has served on grant panels in the UK (e.g., BBSRC, MRC) and internationally (e.g., Finland, Norway). He was an expert member for the Chief Medical Officer’s 2019 update to UK physical activity guidelines. He was a member of panel C24 in REF2021 and also a panel member for Slovakian equivalent to REF in 2022 (Health Sciences Panel). He is a Fellow of The Physiological Society and the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences.
Professor Thompson has supervised more than thirty PhD/MD students to completion and he has attracted in excess of £8 million in external funding to support his research.
Professor Thompson strongly supports public engagement activities through articles and interviews for mainstream newspapers (e.g., The New York Times, Le Figaro) and television programmes (e.g., BBC, Channel 4). He has acted as a consultant for several major multi-national companies.
Research interests
- Physical activity, energy balance and chronic disease
- Interaction between nutrition/physical activity and adipose tissue function
- Exercise, nutrition and metabolism (including immunometabolism)
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
Carpe DIEM: Impact of Diet-induced Change in Energy Balance in Endurance Athletes: the Carpe DIEM Study
Bakker-Dyos, J. (CoI), Gonzalez, J. (PI) & Thompson, D. (CoI)
1/04/25 → 1/04/26
Project: Other
-
HEaLth iMpact of E-bikes and e-scooTers (HELMET)
Thompson, D. (PI)
National Institute for Health Research
1/01/25 → 31/12/26
Project: Central government, health and local authorities
-
CHARACTERISING RHYTHMICITY IN HUMAN SKELETAL MUSCLE METABOLISM
Betts, J. (PI), Gonzalez, J. (CoI), Koumanov, F. (CoI), Thompson, D. (CoI) & Walhin, J.-P. (CoI)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
1/12/24 → 31/05/27
Project: Research council
-
Long-term health in adults with cystic fibrosis post-modulator therapy: exploring cardiovascular risk factors via clinical phenotyping and longitudinal population registry data
Thompson, D. (PI) & McDowell, R. (Researcher)
1/10/24 → 30/09/27
Project: UK charity
-
ESTABLISHING THE ROLE OF ADIPOSE TISSUE INFLAMMATION IN THE REGULATION OF MUSCLE MASS IN OLDER PEOPLE
Thompson, D. (PI) & Koumanov, F. (CoI)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
1/07/24 → 30/06/27
Project: Research council
-
Analysing longitudinal wearable physical activity data using Non-stationary Time Series models
Del Angel, M., Nunes, M., Peacock, O., Cranwell, E. & Thompson, D., 1 Jul 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 22, 88.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Continuous glucose monitor overestimates glycemia, with the magnitude of bias varying by postprandial test and individual – A randomized crossover trial.
Hutchins, K., Betts, J., Thompson, D., Hengist, A. & Gonzalez, J., 26 Feb 2025, In: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access3 Citations (SciVal) -
EXERCISE WITHOUT WEIGHT LOSS PREVENTS SEASONAL DECLINE IN VITAMIN D METABOLITES: The VitaDEx Randomized Controlled Trial
Perkin, O. J., Davies, S. E., Hewison, M., Jones, K. S., Gonzalez, J. T., Betts, J. A., Jenkinson, C., Lindsay, M. A., Meadows, S. R., Parkington, D. A., Koulman, A. & Thompson, D., 12 Jun 2025, In: Advanced Science. 12, 22, 2416312.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Reply to Pemberton and Brown
Hutchins, K. M., Betts, J. A., Thompson, D., Hengist, A. & Gonzalez, J. T., 30 Jun 2025, In: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 121, 6, p. 1432-1434 3 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review
-
Response to Dr Zittermann
Davies, S., Perkin, O. J., Betts, J. A., Gonzalez, J. T., Thompson, D., Hewison, M., Jenkinson, C., Jones, K. S., Meadows, S. R., Parkington, D., Koulman, A. & Thompson, D., 1 Mar 2025, In: The Journal of Physiology. 603, 5, p. 1329 1 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review
Datasets
-
Dataset for Health Education Journal, 'The promise of teacher-led physical activity strategies informed by pupil data'
Wort, G. (Creator), Wiltshire, G. (Creator), Sebire, S. (Creator), Peacock, O. (Creator) & Thompson, D. (Creator), University of Bath, 10 Oct 2024
DOI: 10.15125/BATH-01438
Dataset
-
Dataset for 'Prior exercise alters the difference between arterialised and venous glycaemia – implications for blood sampling procedures'
Edinburgh, R. (Creator), Hengist, A. (Creator), Smith, H. (Creator), Walhin, J.-P. (Creator), Betts, J. (Creator), Gonzalez, J. (Creator) & Thompson, D. (Supervisor), University of Bath, 15 Jun 2017
DOI: 10.15125/BATH-00352
Dataset
-
Data set for 'Habitual physical activity levels do not predict leg strength and power in healthy, active older adults'
Perkin, O. (Creator), McGuigan, P. (Creator), Thompson, D. (Creator) & Stokes, K. (Creator), University of Bath, 22 Jun 2018
DOI: 10.15125/BATH-00491
Dataset
-
Feeding influences adipose tissue responses to exercise in overweight men
Chen, Y.-C. (Creator), Travers, R. (Researcher), Walhin, J.-P. (Researcher), Gonzalez, J. (Researcher), Koumanov, F. (Researcher), Betts, J. (Researcher) & Thompson, D. (Project Leader), University of Bath, 2017
DOI: 10.15125/BATH-00361
Dataset
-
Dataset for "The Effect of an Acute Bout of Exercise on Circulating Vitamin D Metabolite Concentrations: A Randomised Crossover Study in Healthy Adults"
Davies, S. (Creator), Perkin, O. (Creator), Thompson, D. (Creator), Betts, J. (Creator) & Gonzalez, J. (Creator), University of Bath, 30 Jul 2024
DOI: 10.15125/BATH-01406
Dataset