Dr. Julia Zakrzewski-Fruer is a Senior Lecturer in Health, Nutrition and Exercise at the University of Bedfordshire, specialising in paediatric physical activity, health and climate change, and is a Co-Lead for Postgraduate Research in the Institute for Health and Well-being Research (IHWR). Prior to this role, Julia completed a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science (First Class Hons) from Loughborough University (2004-2007), an MSc by Research at the University of Gloucestershire (2007-2008) and a PhD at Loughborough University (2008-2011). Julia then worked as a Research Officer at the University of Bath, where she managed the UK site for the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment and collaborated internationally to examine associations between breakfast consumption, physical activity and obesity in children from 12 countries across the world.

Julia’s primary research interests focus on how manipulations in physical activity and nutrition can improve cardiometabolic health in children and adolescents for the prevention of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. With a passion for planetary health, Julia integrates this expertise with climate change mitigation efforts, with research spanning active travel, nature-based physical activity, and human and planetary health co-benefits. Julia has published widely in this area in highly-ranked journals, received funding from various sources (e.g., British Nutrition Foundation, British Academy/Leverhulme Trust) and supervised several research students to completion. Further, Julia is involved in climate action efforts within the field more broadly and is an active member of the Chartered Association for Sport and Exercise Science Climate Action and Sustainability Advisory Group: Climate Action and Sustainability Advisory Group | CASES. Julia has delivered invited research talks at various events and conferences (e.g., hosted by the Nutrition Society, Physiological Society and Charted Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences) and holds an Associate Editor role for the journal Frontiers in Sports and Active Living.

Julia has experience in supervising various PhD and MSc by Research projects and welcomes applications for self- or government-funded PhD studentships related to following areas:

• Childhood and adolescence as critical periods for health behaviours to prevent long term conditions
• Co-benefits of physical activity for human and planetary health (e.g., pro-environmental behaviours)
• Cardiometabolic health, including obesity and glucose control/insulin sensitivity
• Nature-based physical activity, including exposure to green and blue spaces, and nature connections
• Active travel

Please note that the above inter-connected research themes can be examined in the context of childhood and adolescence and according to individual characteristics, such as age, sex, weight status, ethnicity and baseline health/physical activity levels.