Dylan Thompson

Dylan Thompson is Professor of Human Physiology in the Department for Health at the University of Bath. Professor Thompson is also Director of Research in the Department for Health with responsibility for research management and performance.

Professor Thompson is internationally recognised for his research in physical activity, exercise and nutrition. He has a particular interest in (1) the role of adipose tissue in health and disease and (2) the use of novel wearable technologies for the assessment and characterisation of non-laboratory ‘real-world’ behaviour and function.

Current research projects include (1) a BBSRC-funded project in partnership with the European Space Agency that will examine the impact of bed rest and a nutritional ‘countermeasure’ (2) an MRC-funded project that will examine the impact of exercise and weight loss on various aspects of metabolism, including the gut microbiota and (3) a BBSRC-funded project that will examine whether exercise helps to mobilise vitamin D from adipose tissue.

Professor Thompson has authored over 100 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 2018 update to UK physical activity guidelines and he will be a member of panel C24 in REF2021.  

Professor Thompson has supervised more than twenty PhD/MD students to completion and he has attracted in excess of £5 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
• Physical activity assessment, measurement and feedback
• Nutrition, physical activity and adipose tissue function
• Exercise, nutrition and metabolism (including immunometabolism)