Medical Research

What are your research interests?

• Design and evaluation of school- and community-based interventions to increase physical activity in child and adolescent populations.
• Identifying measurable cost-effective interventions to promote physical activity that address socio-economic inequalities.
• Integrating technology and changing individuals' perceptions of their physical environment to promote physical activity and fitness.
• Investigating the effects and maximising the benefits of physical activity and fitness on mental health outcomes in young people.
• Adaptation of high intensity interval training and resistance training for population health. 

Why did you get into research?

Physical inactivity has been described as a 'global pandemic', with extensive health, economic, environmental and social implications. I have been working in physical activity promotion for over 20 years and I regularly witness the barriers (both perceived and actual) to physical activity faced by people of all ages. We know that physical activity levels decline dramatically during adolescence and that behavioural patterns track into adulthood. My program of research has been focused on providing young people with the motivation, confidence and competence to be physically active now and throughout their lifetime.

What would be the ultimate goal for your research?

My goal is to see more people, more active, more of the time. My program of research is focused on providing innovation and evidence to build social and physical environments that promote physical activity. 

Brief Profile

Professor David Lubans is the Deputy Director of the University of Newcastle’s Centre for Active Living and Learning. He is a former Australian Research Council Future Fellow and current National Health and Medical Research Council Senior Research Fellow. 

Professor Lubans has published extensively (>300 peer reviewed articles) and secured funding (>$45M as a chief investigator) from competitive sources including the ARC, NHMRC, Sciences and Humanities Research Council Canada, Health Research Council New Zealand, and Hong Kong General Research Fund.

He has been recognised as a ‘Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher’ (top 1% most cited for subject field and year of publication) for the 3 years (2019, 2020 and 2021). He is internationally recognised as an expert in the design, evaluation and dissemination of school-based physical activity interventions. Much of his research has involved inter-sectoral partnerships with government and non-government organisations. His secondary area of interest is studying the effects of physical activity and fitness on young people’s mental health and cognition. Professor Lubans is regularly invited to serve on expert committees to guide physical activity policy and practice.

Specialised/Technical Skills

• Randomised controlled trials
• Interventions
• Physical activity measurement
• Measurement and analysis of mediators of behaviour change.

Affiliations

• Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition
• Sports Medicine Australia
• ABC Network