Thomas E. Yates

Professor Tom Yates is based at the Diabetes Research Centre where he is the Director of the Leicester Lifestyle and Health Research Group. His research is aimed at harnessing the power of lifestyle behaviours to empower multi-ethnic populations with or at risk of long-term conditions (LTCs) to live longer and better lives with expertise that spans the 5 S’s (sleep, sedentary behaviour, stepping, sweating and strengthening). He is also the co-theme lead for the Lifestyle theme of the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre.

Professor Tom Yates lead the Leicester Lifestyle and Health Research Group to a £14 million Expanding Excellence in England award from Research England that is enabling a step change in the capability and capacity for undertaking lifestyle research at the University of Leicester. This builds upon a growing portfolio of research excellence evidenced by Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF2021) where Prof Tom Yates lead the University of Leicester's first submission to Unit of Assessment 24 (Sports Science) where the quality of the research outputs, impact and environment were all rated as world leading or internationally excellent.

Prof Yates leads a broad portfolio of research investigating how lifestyle behaviours can be optimised as therapies in the prevention and management of chronic disease. This encompasses new research investigating how physical activity and exercise can be used in synergy with the latest generations of weight management medications to promote the preservation of muscle mass and maximise whole body health. Prof Yates led the set-up of the new OPAL study, an ongoing adaptive platform trial, that is investigating whether combining exercise therapy with different weight loss interventions can promote better functional health.

His research spans the translation gaps from epidemiology and early phase experimental research through to phase 3 clinical trials and on to implementing research into routine care pathways.