DrLindsey Smith

I am an experienced academic leader and quantitative researcher specialising in physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and health across the lifespan, with a particular focus on children and adolescents. My research explores physical activity patterns within physical education and everyday contexts, sedentary behaviour and cardiometabolic risk, interventions to reduce prolonged sitting, childhood obesity, and the impact of pedagogical models such as Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) on physical activity, motivation, and self-determination.

I currently serve as Head of School for the School of Sport, Psychology and Social Science at the University of Bedfordshire, providing strategic leadership across education, student experience, and resource management. I have held senior academic leadership roles focused on continuation, retention, and student success, alongside extensive experience in curriculum development, quality assurance, recruitment, and research supervision.

I hold a PhD in Physiology and am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. My academic career spans lecturing, programme leadership, and research roles across multiple institutions, with a strong track record in teaching innovation, postgraduate supervision, and applied research in physical activity, health, and obesity interventions.

I have successfully supervised multiple doctoral and postgraduate research projects in the area of sedentary behaviour, physical activity, and cardiometabolic health. PhD completions include research on sedentary behaviour in coronary heart disease, the cardiometabolic effects of breaking up sedentary time in South Asian adults, and workplace sedentary behaviour interventions. I have also supervised postgraduate research examining sedentary behaviour patterns and cardiometabolic risk in children.

I have an established and sustained peer-reviewed publication record in sedentary behaviour, physical activity, and cardiometabolic health, with impactful research spanning children, adolescents, and adults, including workplace, clinical, and educational settings.