Professor Adrian Taylor
Research Group Leader

Profile

Prof Adrian Taylor completed his PhD at the University of Toronto in 1989, and spent 10 and 3 years, respectively, at the University of Brighton and De Montfort University in teaching and research posts. He took up the post of Reader in Exercise and Health Psychology from Sept 1st 2003 and leads the research and curriculum developments in sport and exercise psychology, as a Professor.
 
His main research focus is on the effects of exercise on psychological well being, and understanding how best to promote physical activity to enhance such outcomes. He has published studies involving randomised controlled trials, laboratory studies, and qualitative research. Current research focuses on dimensions of mental health, include physical self-perceptions, smoking addiction, cravings and withdrawal symptoms, severe mental illness, depression, and stress reactivity, in response to chronic and acute exercise. Substantial on-going laboratory research, including the use of functional Magnetic Resonance Imagery (fMRI) brain scanning, and eye tracker to assess attentional bias, is focusing on the role of walking on nicotine, alcohol and chocolate cravings, withdrawal symptoms, affect, and psycho-physiological responses to cue-elicited cravings and stress during abstinence.

His research has been published in prestigious international journals such as Health Psychology, Psycho-pharmacology, Annual Reviews of Public Health, Addiction, Epidemiology and Community Health, Biological Psychology, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, Human Psychopharmacology, Sport & Exercise Psychology, Psychology of Sport & Exercise, J of Sport Science, Ageing and Physical Activity. In 2005 he co-edited a book entitled Exercise, Health & Mental Health: Emerging Perspectives.

He has been involved in significant research projects funded by the Leverhulme Trust, South Thames Regional Health Authority, Cancer Research, National Prevention Research Initiative (NPRI- 9 partners including the MRC & ESRC), Health Technology Assessment, and Canadian Tobacco Control. He is currently co-leading the intervention for the largest UK trial on exercise in the treatment of depression in primary care, with colleagues in Bristol University and the Peninsula Medical School (HTA 03/45/07). As Principal Investigator, he is also leading a trial funded by the International Primary Care Respiratory Group to investigate the effects of chronic exercise on Quality of Life among patients with mild COPD.

As former Chair of the Exercise Science Special Committee of the British Association of Sport & Exercise Science, Adrian co-authored the NHS National Quality Assurance Framework for GP exercise referral schemes (www.doh.gov.uk). As a Fellow of BASES he has worked in applied settings with occupational drivers (funded by Dept of Transport), musicians, and various health professionals. He was Co-Editor in Chief of Psychology of Sport and Exercise (2003-7), and is founding Co-Editor of Mental Health and Physical Activity (2008- )(http://ees.elsevier.com/menpa/ )
Within the University of Exeter he is Director of an Interdisciplinary Research Network entitled Mental & Physical Health (MENPHYS): Translating Theory to Practice. It involves colleagues in the Mood Disorders Centre (School of Psychology) and the Peninsula Medical School.

Prof Adrian Taylor is Research Group Leader for  for Physical activity and health across the lifespan.

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