Jeff Coombes

Professor Jeff Coombes serves as Director of the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences at the University of Queensland and holds affiliations with multiple research centers including the Centre for Cardiovascular Health and Research, Centre for Community Health and Wellbeing, and Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health.

Professor Coombes completed his undergraduate degrees in applied science and education along with a research Masters at the University of Tasmania before earning his PhD from the University of Florida. After post-PhD work at the University of Tasmania, he joined the University of Queensland in 2000 where he has remained active in research and academic leadership.

His research interests focus on determining optimal exercise prescription for improving health, with particular emphasis on high intensity interval training (HIIT) applications across various chronic conditions. With theoretical backgrounds in biochemistry and physiology, he conducts both human studies and basic science projects investigating the mechanisms explaining health benefits of exercise at cellular and molecular levels. His work spans cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, oxidative stress, and nutritional supplementation effects.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on digital health applications for chronic disease management, cardiovascular outcomes across diverse populations, and the physiological mechanisms underlying exercise benefits. His research increasingly incorporates technology-assisted interventions and examines exercise effects across the lifespan from children to older adults, with particular attention to sex differences and disease-specific adaptations.

Professor Coombes leads an active research group comprising doctors, postdoctoral fellows, and PhD students who utilize extensive resources from the exercise physiology and exercise biochemistry laboratories. His team currently manages multiple funded projects including studies on high intensity interval training for chronic kidney disease, metabolic syndrome, and overweight children, as well as investigations into cardiorespiratory fitness outcomes following liver transplantation and molecular mechanisms of exercise cardioprotection.

The research group operates within the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, leveraging specialized exercise physiology and biochemistry laboratories to conduct both clinical and basic science investigations. Current projects emphasize translational research with direct clinical applications, particularly in the areas of chronic disease management and optimizing exercise prescriptions for specific patient populations.