Professor Ken Fox

k.r.fox@bristol.ac.uk | 0117 331 1153 (Bristol office)  01392 253761 (Home office)

 

Ken FoxFrom the days of his early career as a physical education teacher, Ken has been dedicated to promoting the field of exercise and public health. He has a strong interest in exercise, weight management, and mental health.  In 2004, he was the Senior Scientific Editor of the  Chief Medical Officer's first report on physical activity and public health and has been a key contributor to the recent UK-wide guidelines Start Active, Stay Active.  He serves or has served in several public offices including the role of physical activity  advisor to the Health Select Committee Enquiry on Obesity,  the Foresight Scientific Advisory Panel for  Obesity, and the scientific advisory team for the government's obesity cross governmental strategy. He is also a Scientific Governor and Trustee of the British Nutrition Foundation and has been a member since its inception in 2005, of the scientific panel for the National Prevention Research Initiative (MRC/ESRC).

Ken's major research interest is in the psychology of exercise. His book entitled The Physical Self: From Motivation to Well-Being was the first of its type in the field and he developed the Physical Self-Perception Profile which is now translated into many different  languages and has been used in many published studies. He has also co-edited a book entitled Physical Activity and Psychological Well-being. Recently, through several funded projects such as Project OPAL and Better Ageing, he has developed a body of research on physical activity and older people.  Over the years, Ken has produced over 300 research and professional papers and has been made a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal College of Physicians, the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, the UK Physical Education Association and an International Fellow of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education for his contributions to the field.  In July 2008, he was the proud recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Coimbra, one of the oldest academic institutions in Europe.  He is married to Linda and has two grown up sons. He still tries to play  5-a-side football and enjoys cycling, and is  seen occasionally playing drums with a modern but ageing jazz group. In August 2011 he took  the title of Professor Emeritus to allow him to focus his energies on research and consultancy in physical activity and public health.

 

Research details

 

2012-17  Researcher  (Theme leader, Nobre, Sub-theme leader Johansen-Berg,  Oxford University).  NIHR/Wellcome  Biomedical  Research Centre Programme Grant.   Cognitive health: The effects of physical activity on brain plasticity and cognitive wellbeing.  £2.5 million.

2012-14.  Research consultant  (PI  Gardner, UCL) MRC-managed National Prevention Research Initiative.  Reducing sedentary behaviour in older adults: Development of a brief habit-based intervention .  £430,220

2012-14.  Co-investigator. (PI Jago, Bristol). MRC-managed National Prevention Research Initiative.  Action330: Promoting children’s physical activity via enhanced after-school leadership . £421,983

2012-14 Co-investigator. (PI Stathi, University of Bath).  MRC-managed Lifelong Health and Well-Being Initiative .  Development and piloting of a model of neighbourhood support for promotion of active ageing: Project ACE (Active, Connected and Engaged). £205,200. Ref:   G1001864

2011-13  Principal investigator. Dunhill Medical Trust.  OPAL-PLUS: How have you been. A 3 year follow up to Project OPAL.  £86,294. Ref: R200/0511

2011-13 Co-investigator (PI Jago).   British Heart Foundation. TEAMPLAY: Parents and children partnering for healthy lifestyles. .  £171,970    Ref: PG/10/25/28302.

2010-11. Principal investigator.  Avon Primary Care Research Collaborative.  Avon Network for Active Ageing in the Community.    £11,940. 

2010-12. Co-investigator.  Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Active lifestyle, use of screen media and obesity in adolescents.  Carmen Peiró-Velert (PI), Universitat de València (Spain).

2009-10  Co-investigator  (PI Stathi, University of Bath). Lifelong Health and Well Being Initiative (MRC).  The Avon Network for Physical Activity Promotion in Active Ageing in the Community (AVONnet). £49K  Ref: G0900040. 

2009-10 Co-investigator. (PI Taylor, University of Exeter).  NHS Health Technology Assessment.  The clinical and cost effectiveness of exercise referral schemes: A systematic review and economic evaluation.  £160K. Ref: HTA08/72/01 

2009-2011 Co-investigator.  (PI Thogersen, University of Birmingham)  BUPA Foundation.    Step by Step: A feasibility study of the promotion of lunchtime walking to increase physical activity and improve mental well-being in sedentary employees. £83K  Ref: TBF08004

2006-9    Principal investigator. MRC/ESRC National Prevention Research Initiative Fund.  Older people and active living: Project OPAL.  £167,600.  Ref:  G0501312

2006-9    Co-investigator  (PI Cooper).  MRC/ESRC National Prevention Research Initiative Fund.  Project PEACH. Children and physical activity.  £243,000.

2007-9  Co-investigator.  (PI Jago) British Heart Foundation.  Parental and peer determinants of physical activity profiles among 10-11 year old children.  £145,451. Ref:       PG/06/142

2005-7    Co-investigator. (PI Holt, University of Alberta) Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.  Psychosocial factors influencing the quality of children’s sport experiences.  £50,000.  

2005-9    Co-investigator. (PI Lewis) NHS Health Technology Assessment Fund.   With Depts of Primary Care, Psychiatry and Exeter University.  TREAD: A pragmatic trial to investigate the effectiveness of exercise prescription on the treatment of depression in primary care.  Total £850,000 (including NHS costs).  Ref:  HTA03/45/07

2004-5    Co-investigator.  National Heart Research Fund.  With BRI Department of Cardiology.  Effect of structured exercise training on quality of life, cardiac function and exercise capacity of adolescents and adults with congenital heart disease. £53,000. 

2007-2010 Co- investigator.  (PI Ness) Wellcome Trust. (renewal grant). With ALSPAC .  Diet, activity and gene interaction in children with the Avon Longitudinal Study on Parents and Children.  Total  £700,000.  EHS section to investigate the development of abdominal obesity through magnetic resonance imaging  £50,000. 

2006-7   Principal investigator. Slimming World.  Evaluation of accelerometers for the assessment of activity in weight loss.  Total  £7000.

2005-6    Principal investigor.  Slimming World.  Survey of consultant promotion of an exercise promotion programme for weight loss – Body Magic.  £6500

2004-7   Co-investigator (PI Ness).  Wellcome Trust.  With ALSPAC .  Diet, activity and gene interaction in children with the Avon Longitudinal Study on Parents and Children.   £734,000.  EHS section to investigate the development of abdominal obesity through magnetic resonance imaging  £50,000. 

2003-5    Principal investigator.  Department of Health.  An appraisal of the evidence supporting new public health messages for the promotion of physical activity:   £22,500.

2003-6    Principal investigator. British Heart Foundation.  A case study of an environmental intervention to promote walking and cycling.   £99,000.

2002-4    Principal investigator.  Department of Health. Review of the scientific case for exercise and health (Chief Medical Officer report).    £53,000.

2002-5    Co-investigator (PI Narici, Manchester Met University).  European Commission Framework V Effects of a standardised exercise programme on the physical activity, mental well-being and quality of life of the frail elderly.  Total grant £900,000.  EHS total £99,000.

2002-5    Principal investigator.  Cancer Research UK  PhD Studentship Exercise, well-being and life quality in cancer patients.  £48,000. 

2002-4    Co-investigator. British Broadcasting Corporation.  Diet trials: A multicentre randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of commercial weight loss programmes.  Total grant £450,000.  EHS total £74,500.

2000-1   Principal investigator.  St. Ivel.  Children activity patterns across weekdays and weekends as measured by accelerometry.  £8000.

2000-1  Co-investigator. NHS South-West Region R& D Feasibility study to evaluate the potential for physical activity in the treatment of obesity in children. £15,000.

 

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Research supervision

Postgraduate advising*

Graduated:

1992 Keith Power MPhil. Mechanisms of goal-setting in sport. (Second advisor after S. Biddle).

1994 Angela Page PhD, Psychology of adolescent weight management. Currently Reader in Exercise and  Health Sciences, University of Bristol.

1994 Derek Peters PhD. Children's fat deposition in early maturation. Currently Professor of Sport, Health,  and Exercise Science, University of Worcester.

1994 Marios Goudas PhD Children's intrinsic motivation and achievement goals in physical education. (Second advisor after S. Biddle). Currently Professor of Sport Psychology, University of Thessaly, Greece.

1995 Herivelto Moreira PhD. Brazilian international scholarship (CEPq). Career motivation profiles of physical educators. Currently Professor of Educational Research, University of Curitiba, Brazil.

1996 Symeon Vlachopoulos PhD.(Second advisor after S. Biddle). Achievement goals, attributions, and affect in children's physical activity. Currently Senior Lecturer in Sport Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

1997 Chris Spray PhD. Goal orientations and motivation in Physical Education. (Second advisor after S. Biddle). Currently Senior Lecturer in Exercise and Sport Psychology, Loughborough University

1997 Mark Sudwell, PhD with ESRC scholarship.(Second supervisor after A Sparkes). Experiences of acute and chronic back pain.

1999  Will James, PhD, Goal profiles in elite sport participants.  Currently Sport psychology and management consultant with Lane4.

1999 Jeff Anderson,  PhD with Fremington Medical Scholarship. Physical activity promotion in primary health care: A randomised controlled trial. Currently Health Services Management, Nottingham.

1999 Laurel Edmunds, PhD, Childhood obesity. Currently Director, Laurel Edmunds Associates, consultancy in childhood obesity and other health issues.

2000 Paul Collins, MPhil, Goal orientations in physical education.  Currently Vice Principal, South Dartmoor Community College, Devon.

2000 Maria Joao Almeida, PhD with Gulbenkian Foundation scholarship.  Physical activity and fatness in Portuguese adolescents. Currently Lecturer in Exercise and Sport, University of Madeira, Portugal.

2000 Sue Bock, PhD Achievement motivation in children's sport.. Currently Senior Teaching Fellow in Sport Coaching, Durham University.

2000 Afroditi Stathi, PhD supported by a Greek scholarship. Physical activity and subjective well-being in older adults.  Currently Lecturer in Exercise Psychology, University of Bath.

2002 Cecilia Thogersen, PhD in Exercise and life satisfaction in corporate employees.  Currently RCUK Roberts Research Fellow, School of Sport and Exercise, University of Birmingham.

2004 David Carless, PhD in Exercise and mental health rehabilitation supported by a Bristol University studentship.  Currently Senior Research Fellow in Exercise, Sport and Mental Health, Leeds Metropolitan University

2004 Kitrina Douglas, PhD in Achievement psychology of international women golfers. Currently independent researcher and consultant in exercise, sport and mental health. 

2004 Pedro Ferreira, PhD in Physical self-perceptions and disability, Gulbenkian Foundation scholarship (Yr3). Currently Associate Professor, Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, Portugal

2005 Clare Stevinson, PhD in Exercise and cancer rehabilitation, Cancer Research UK studentship. Currently Lecturer in Physical Activity and Health, Loughborough University.

2005 PoWen Ku PhD in Physical activity and ageing well, Taiwan Government Scholarship. Currently Associate Professor of Exercise and Health, National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan

2007 Li Jung PhD in Physical activity, eating and obesity in Taiwanese adolescent girls. Taiwan Government Educational Scholarship. (Joint advisor with Anne Haase). Currently Associate  Professor, Department of Exercise Health Science, National Taiwan Sport University, Taiwan

2008 Li Benfield PhD  Abdominal obesity in children measured by magnetic resonance imaging and DEXA. Currently Research Fellow, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol

2008 Tzu Sui Hung PhD in Exercise psychology and obesity in Taiwanese women. Currently travelling and meditating in Buddhist monasteries.

2011 Neal Bowes, PhD  Achievement psychology of youth soccer players. Currently Director of Sport Psychology consultancy, Washington DC, US.A

2011 Janet Withall PhD.  A social marketing approach to recruitment of healthy needy groups to lifestyle-focused health services.  British Heart Foundation Studentship (jointly supervised with Russ Jago). Currently Research assistant, Project OPAL-PLUS, University of Bristol.

Continuing:

2006 Richard Humphrey MPhil/PhD (pt) in Physical activity as therapy for recovery from substance abuse

2006 Jo Coulson MPhil/PhD (pt). The role of neighbourhood in the physical activity and mental well-being of older people.

2009 Andrew Decelis MPhil/PhD (pt) Physical activity and obesity in Maltese schoolchildren. (jointly supervised with Russ Jago). (partly funded by Maltese Government).

2010 Rowan Brockman (PhD). Active play in children. British Heart Foundation Studentship (jointly supervised with Russ Jago).

*  Sole advisor unless stated otherwise

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Responsibilities

Department

External

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