Patrick Doherty

Professor Patrick Doherty, Chair of Cardiovascular Health at the University of York's Department of Health Sciences, is a leading figure in cardiovascular disease prevention and rehabilitation. As Director of the National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation (NACR) and former president of the British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (BACPR), he has shaped national and international clinical guidelines, including the EXPert Working Group Consensus on exercise prescription and the DIAMONDS Programme for diabetes self-management in severe mental illness. His research, funded by NIHR, BHF, and Janssen, has driven NHS policy changes and earned a world-leading REF 2021 impact case.

Research Interests

His work spans:

• Cardiovascular disease prevention and cardiac rehabilitation
• Exercise physiology and physical activity interventions
• Patient self-management strategies
• Health service policy and registry-based research
• Multimorbidity analysis and mHealth applications
• Systematic reviews and implementation science

Recent publications highlight his focus on cost-effective rehab models, psychological interventions (PATHWAY Programme), and digital health integration via projects like REACH-HF and PERFORM.

Scientific Awards

• Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology
• University of York External Engagement Award (2014)
• Janssen Healthcare Innovation Award (2014-2016)

Advising and Grants

Doherty has supervised 16 PhD students (11 international), including current researchers Kholoud Alotaibi and Mosab Alhejaili. His funded projects include:

• NIHR Programme Grant (£2.8M) for DIAMONDS
• BHF Research Grants (£399,548 & £453,000)
• Strategic Initiative Funded Project (£25,000)
• PATHWAY Programme (£1.995M) for heart failure rehab

Laboratories & Teams

He leads the Cardiovascular Health Research Group (hosting NACR) and collaborates globally with institutions like the University of Copenhagen, National University of Malaysia, and University of Heidelberg.