John Saxton

John Saxton is Professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at the School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of East Anglia (UEA), a position he has held since March 2010. He also holds an honorary role as Honorary Visiting Research Fellow at Sheffield Hallam University. His career spans academic and research leadership across multiple institutions, including Oxford Brookes University, the University of Sheffield, and Sheffield Hallam University, where he led the Active Health Research Group.

His educational background includes a degree from Loughborough University (1990) and PhD research in skeletal muscle physiology at the University of Wolverhampton and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, USA.

Professor Saxton’s research centers on the role of exercise and lifestyle interventions in the prevention and management of age-related chronic conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, chronic heart failure, and multiple sclerosis. His work aims to optimize exercise therapy and understand differential patient responses. He has secured major research funding from bodies such as the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, the American Institute for Cancer Research, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

His recent publications, including the 2024 article on exercise sustainability post-colorectal surgery, reflect a strong focus on exercise oncology, prehabilitation, and recovery pathways. The articles collectively highlight interdisciplinary research spanning clinical rehabilitation, patient experience, biomarker analysis, and implementation science, with a recurring emphasis on evidence-based interventions and long-term health outcomes.

His scientific contributions include editing key texts such as Exercise and Cancer Survivorship (2010) and Exercise and Chronic Disease (2011), and contributing numerous book chapters and invited reviews. He is an editorial board member of Clinical Science and a Fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences.

Professor Saxton has supervised seven PhD students to completion and currently mentors five doctoral candidates across UEA and Sheffield Hallam University. He has led funded projects such as the PREPARE-ABC trial and the MS Society study on exercise therapy. He previously served as Associate Dean for Enterprise and Engagement (2010–2012) and continues as Director of Learning and Teaching Quality (Postgraduate Research) since 2011.

He has been involved in expert panels including the Breast Cancer Campaign Research Gap Analysis, the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation Consensus Meeting, and the UK Physical Activity Guidelines Consensus Meeting, demonstrating national and international leadership in shaping public health policy.