Professor Charlotte Edwardson

Charlotte is a world-leading researcher in physical activity and sedentary behaviour interventions and accelerometry, whose work has had significant academic and public health impact.

She completed her undergraduate and postgraduate training at Loughborough University, culminating in a PhD in Physical Activity and Health (2010). Early in her career, she worked as a Research Associate specialising in physical activity interventions in young people before moving into diabetes prevention research at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, where she contributed to and helped lead large-scale randomised controlled trials targeting physical activity and sedentary behaviour in individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes.

In 2013, Charlotte was appointed Lecturer in the Diabetes Research Centre at the University of Leicester, becoming Associate Professor in 2016 and Professor in 2023. Over the past decade, with Professor Yates, she has established the Leicester Lifestyle and Health Research Group, an internationally recognised group focused on understanding how movement behaviours can prevent and manage long-term conditions such as type 2 diabetes. In 2024, they secured £14 million from Research England through the Expanding Excellence scheme to further expand this work, growing the group to over 60 researchers and PhD students; she serves as Deputy Director.

She has led and co-led large randomised controlled trials of physical activity and sedentary behaviour change interventions across a range of populations and settings. For example, she led the largest multi-site cluster randomised controlled trial worldwide of a novel sitting reduction intervention in desk-based workers across local government in England. She is also part of the team that developed, evaluated, and implemented the SHIFT (Structured Health Intervention for Truckers) programme, which has received national recognition and is now embedded in professional training for HGV drivers within UK logistics companies, benefiting thousands of drivers.

Charlotte is internationally recognised for her expertise in accelerometry. She has been instrumental in developing widely used methods for processing accelerometer data, which are now adopted by researchers globally. She has also led the development of infrastructure to embed accelerometer assessment of physical behaviours across large-scale studies within the Leicester Diabetes Centre and the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, enabling accelerometer assessment in over 14,000 participants over the past 15 years. Her leadership in this field is reflected in her role as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour (2023–present) and her membership of the UK Biobank Wearables Working Group (2024–present).

Her research has directly informed national and international physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines, contributing to improvements in public health policy and practice. It has also inspired the development of commercial self-monitoring technologies and received extensive positive media coverage, highlighting its relevance and reach beyond academia.

Charlotte co-led the University of Leicester’s submission to Unit of Assessment 24 in REF 2021—the University’s first submission to this unit—which ranked second out of 61 UK higher education institutions. She currently sits on the UoA24 criteria-setting and assessment panel for REF 2029.

She has published over 180 peer-reviewed articles (h-index 58) and secured approximately £25 million in research funding from major funders, including NIHR, MRC, UKRI, and the European Commission.

Charlotte’s current research encompasses developing and evaluating interventions to reduce sitting time and increase physical activity, establishing valid and reliable assessment of physical behaviours and developing robust methods for cleaning and processing accelerometer data.

Charlotte's main studies over the past few years include:

• A three arm cluster randomised controlled trial to test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the SMART Work & Life intervention for reducing daily sitting time in office workers (Funded by NIHR PHR)
• The Regulate your Sitting Time (RESIT) intervention for reducing sitting time in individuals with type 2 diabetes (Funded by Diabetes UK)
• A randomised controlled trial of the Snacktivity intervention (Funded by NIHR Programme Grant)
• Walking exercise behaviour-change in people with intermittent claudication: A multi methods research programme including the MOtivating Structured walking Activity in Intermittent Claudication (MOSAIC2) randomised controlled trial (Funded by NIHR Programme Grant)
• Effectiveness of the Stand More AT Work (SMArT Work) intervention: cluster randomised controlled trial (Funding by the Department for Health)
• Accelerometer-assessed physical behaviours in people with long-terms conditions: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Funded by NIHR Leicester BRC)
• Collecting and utiliSing accElerometer data from patients in earLy phasE Cancer Trials to assess physical activity and fatigue: SELECT study (Funded by NIHR Leicester BRC)
• Comparison of wearable and nearable research-grade and consumer devices that measure daily physical behaviour (sleep, sitting and physical activity) (Funded by NIHR Leicester BRC)
  
  
   

Charlotte has published >180 peer reviewed articles and book chapters. Selected publications are listed below (full list available at: ‪Charlotte Edwardson - ‪Google Scholar)

• Zaccardi F, Rowlands AV, Dempsey PC, Razieh C, Henson J, Goldney J, Maylor BD, Bhattacharjee A, Chudasama Y, Edwardson C, Laukkanen JA, Ekelund U, Davies MJ, Khunti K, Yates T. Interplay between physical activity volume and intensity with modeled life expectancy in women and men: A prospective cohort analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2024 Aug 23;14:100970. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2024.100970.
• Said M, Tawfick W, Edwardson CL, Sultan S, Alawy M, Jones J. An Accelerometery-Based Assessment of Sitting Time in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease-A Cross Sectional Study. Ann Vasc Surg. 2025 May;114:320-329. doi: 10.1016/j.avsg.2024.12.065.
• Millet N, McDermott HJ, Munir F, Edwardson CL, Plekhanova T, Moss EL. The feasibility and acceptability of delivering and evaluating a physical activity intervention (ACCEPTANCE) for cervical cancer survivors. Pilot Feasibility Stud. 2025 Apr 5;11(1):42. doi: 10.1186/s40814-025-01622-8. 
• Evans AB, Skov Blagdon M, Boddy L, Dalager T, De Dominicis S, Edwardson C, … Vehmas, H. (2025). Copenhagen consensus statements on workplace health enhancing physical activity programmes. European Journal for Sport and Society, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/16138171.2025.2449741.
• Biddle GJH, Thomas N, Edwardson CL, Clemes SA, Daley AJ. Feasibility and acceptability of general practitioners using sit-stand desks: a feasibility trial. BMJ Open. 2024 Jun 23;14(6):e084085. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-084085. 
• Brierley ML, Chater AM, Edwardson CL, Castle EM, Hunt ER, Biddle SJ, Sisodia R, Bailey DP. The Regulate your Sitting Time (RESIT) intervention for reducing sitting time in individuals with type 2 diabetes: findings from a randomised-controlled feasibility trial. Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2024 Apr 24;16(1):87. doi: 10.1186/s13098-024-01336-6.
• Edwardson CL, Abell L, Clarke-Cornwell A, Dunstan DW, Gray LJ, Healy GN, Hadjiconstantinou M, Wilson P, Maylor B, Munir F, Biddle SJ. Implementation and engagement of the SMART Work & Life sitting reduction intervention: an exploratory analysis on intervention effectiveness. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2023 Dec 19;20(1):148. doi: 10.1186/s12966-023-01548-5. 
• Edwardson CL, Maylor BD, Biddle SJH, Clarke-Cornwell AM, Clemes SA, Davies MJ, Dunstan DW, Granat MH, Gray LJ, Hadjiconstantinou M, Healy GN, Wilson P, Munir F, Yates T, Eborall H. Participant and workplace champion experiences of an intervention designed to reduce sitting time in desk-based workers: SMART work & life. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2023 Nov 30;20(1):142. doi: 10.1186/s12966-023-01539-6. 
• Maylor BD*, Edwardson CL*, Clarke-Cornwell AM, Davies MJ, Dawkins NP, Dunstan DW, Khunti K, Yates T, Rowlands AV. Physical Activity Assessed by Wrist and Thigh Worn Accelerometry and Associations with Cardiometabolic Health. Sensors (Basel). 2023 Aug 23;23(17):7353. doi: 10.3390/s23177353. *Joint first authors.
• Cox E, Walker S, Edwardson CL, Biddle SJH, Clarke-Cornwell AM, Clemes SA, Davies MJ, Dunstan DW, Eborall H, Granat MH, Gray LJ, Healy GN, Maylor BD, Munir F, Yates T, Richardson G. The Cost-Effectiveness of the SMART Work & Life Intervention for Reducing Sitting Time. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 11;19(22):14861. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192214861.
• Plekhanova T, Rowlands AV, Davies MJ, Hall AP, Yates T, Edwardson CL. Validation of an automated sleep detection algorithm using data from multiple accelerometer brands. J Sleep Res. 2023 Jun;32(3):e13760. doi: 10.1111/jsr.13760.
• Edwardson CL, Biddle SJH, Clemes SA, Davies MJ, Dunstan DW, Eborall H, Granat MH, Gray LJ, Healy GN, Jaicim NB, Lawton S, Maylor BD, Munir F, Richardson G, Yates T, Clarke-Cornwell AM. Effectiveness of an intervention for reducing sitting time and improving health in office workers: three arm cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2022 Aug 17;378:e069288. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2021-069288.
• Clemes SA, Varela-Mato V, Bodicoat DH, Brookes CL, Chen YL, Edwardson CL, Gray LJ, Guest AJ, Johnson V, Munir F, Paine NJ, Richardson G, Ruettger K, Sayyah M, Sherry A, Di Paola AS, Troughton J, Yates T, King JA. The effectiveness of the Structured Health Intervention For Truckers (SHIFT): a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT). BMC Med. 2022 May 24;20(1):195. doi: 10.1186/s12916-022-02372-7.
• Ekelund U, Tarp J, Fagerland MW, Johannessen JS, Hansen BH, Jefferis BJ, Whincup PH, Diaz KM, Hooker S, Howard VJ, Chernofsky A, Larson MG, Spartano N, Vasan RS, Dohrn IM, Hagströmer M, Edwardson C, Yates T, Shiroma EJ, Dempsey P, Wijndaele K, Anderssen SA, Lee IM. Joint associations of accelero-meter measured physical activity and sedentary time with all-cause mortality: a harmonised meta-analysis in more than 44 000 middle-aged and older individuals. Br J Sports Med. 2020 Dec;54(24):1499-1506. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-103270.
• Chen YL, Tolfrey K, Pearson N, Bingham DD, Edwardson C, Cale L, Dunstan D, Barber SE, Clemes SA. Stand Out in Class: Investigating the Potential Impact of a Sit-Stand Desk Intervention on Children's Sitting and Physical Activity during Class Time and after School. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 29;18(9):4759. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18094759.
• Edwardson CL,  Maylor BD,  Dawkins NP, Plekhanova T, Rowlands AV (2022) Comparability of Postural and Physical Activity Metrics from Different Accelerometer Brands Worn on the Thigh: Data Harmonization Possibilities, Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 26:1, 39-50, doi: 10.1080/1091367X.2021.1944154
• Khunti K, Griffin S, Brennan A, Dallosso H, Davies MJ, Eborall HC, Edwardson CL, Gray LJ, Hardeman W, Heathcote L, Henson J, Pollard D, Sharp SJ, Sutton S, Troughton J, Yates T. Promoting physical activity in a multi-ethnic population at high risk of diabetes: the 48-month PROPELS randomised controlled trial. BMC Med. 2021 Jun 3;19(1):130. doi: 10.1186/s12916-021-01997-4.
• Ekelund U, Tarp J, Fagerland MW, Johannessen JS, Hansen BH, Jefferis BJ, Whincup PH, Diaz KM, Hooker S, Howard VJ, Chernofsky A, Larson MG, Spartano N, Vasan RS, Dohrn IM, Hagströmer M, Edwardson C, Yates T, Shiroma EJ, Dempsey P, Wijndaele K, Anderssen SA, Lee IM. Joint associations of accelero-meter measured physical activity and sedentary time with all-cause mortality: a harmonised meta-analysis in more than 44 000 middle-aged and older individuals. Br J Sports Med. 2020 Dec;54(24):1499-1506. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-103270.
• Rowlands A, Davies M, Dempsey P, Edwardson C, Razieh C, Yates T. Wrist-worn accelerometers: recommending ~1.0 mg as the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) in daily average acceleration for inactive adults. Br J Sports Med. 2021 Jul;55(14):814-815. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-102293.
• Plekhanova T, Rowlands AV, Yates T, Hall A, Brady E, Davies M, Khunti K, Edwardson CL. Equivalency of sleep estimates from three research-grade accelerometers. Journal of the Measurement of Physical Behaviours. 2020, 3 (4), 294-303. Doi:10.1123/jmpb.2019-0047.
• Biddle SJH, O'Connell SE, Davies MJ, Dunstan D, Edwardson CL, Esliger DW, Gray LJ, Yates T, Munir F. Reducing sitting at work: process evaluation of the SMArT Work (Stand More At Work) intervention. Trials. 2020 May 13;21(1):403. doi: 10.1186/s13063-020-04300-7.
• Munir F*, Miller P, Biddle SJH, Davies MJ, Dunstan DW, Esliger DW, Gray LJ, O'Connell SE, Waheed G, Yates T, Edwardson CL*. A Cost and Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Stand More AT Work (SMArT Work) Intervention. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Feb 13;17(4):1214. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17041214. *Joint first authors.
• Edwardson CL, Henson J, Biddle SJH, Davies MJ, Khunti K, Maylor B, Yates T. activPAL and ActiGraph Assessed Sedentary Behavior and Cardiometabolic Health Markers. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2020 Feb;52(2):391-397. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002138.
• Ekelund U, Tarp J, Steene-Johannessen J, Hansen BH, Jefferis B, Fagerland MW, Whincup P, Diaz KM, Hooker SP, Chernofsky A, Larson MG, Spartano N, Vasan RS, Dohrn IM, Hagströmer M, Edwardson C, Yates T, Shiroma E, Anderssen SA, Lee IM. Dose-response associations between accelerometry measured physical activity and sedentary time and all cause mortality: systematic review and harmonised meta-analysis. BMJ. 2019 Aug 21;366:l4570. doi: 10.1136/bmj.l4570.
• Rowlands AV, Plekhanova T, Yates T, Mirkes EM, Davies M, Khunti K, Edwardson CL. A basis for harmonisation of accelerometer-assessed physical activity outcomes in epidemiology. Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour. 2019. 2(3), 131-142. Doi: 10.1123/jmpb.2018-0073.
• Edwardson CL, Yates T, Biddle SJH, Davies MJ, Dunstan DW, Esliger DW, Gray LJ, Jackson B, O'Connell SE, Waheed G, Munir F. Effectiveness of the Stand More AT (SMArT) Work intervention: cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2018 Oct 10;363:k3870. doi: 10.1136/bmj.k3870.  

Charlotte supervisors the following PhD students:

Student: Jean Marie Vianney Semana

Title: Physical activity and fatigue in people living with and beyond cancer

Student: Jialin Li

Title: 24 hour physical behaviours and long-term conditions

Student: Duha Azwai

Title: Evaluation of two digital health interventions for people with long-terms conditions