Fiona Gillison

Fiona Gillison is a Professor in the Department for Health at the University of Bath, where she serves as Deputy Director of the Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Change and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. She is actively involved in research related to health behavior change, with particular focus on physical activity, diet, and obesity prevention across the lifespan from children to older adults.

Her research interests center on applying behavioral science to improve health behaviors, with significant work in physical activity, diet, and obesity prevention. She takes a pragmatic approach to research, employing trials, observational studies, qualitative methods, and mixed methods. Her current work emphasizes health communication around childhood overweight and obesity, supporting parents and health professionals in helping children achieve healthy weights while protecting wellbeing. She is also active in the University of Bath's Healthy Later Living network, extending her research to older adult populations.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on qualitative and mixed methods research examining health behavior across different age groups. Her work spans childhood obesity communication, age-inclusive physical activity for older adults, and innovative approaches to health intervention. She frequently collaborates with local authorities and national bodies to ensure her research has practical application in real-world health settings.

Fiona serves on important advisory boards including the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (National Child Measurement Programme board) and the Food Standards Agency (Advisory Committee for the Social Sciences). Her research aligns with multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to health and wellbeing.

She actively supervises students and has completed her own PhD in 2007 with a thesis on adolescents' involvement in exercise and quality of life using Self Determination Theory. She regularly engages in knowledge exchange through conference presentations, public talks, and media appearances, including radio interviews and workshops on sensitive topics like talking to adolescents about weight.