Ulf Ekelund

Ulf Ekelund is a Professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in the Department of Sports Medicine. His research focuses on physical activity epidemiology, chronic disease prevention, and sedentary behavior's health impacts. He has over 425 publications, including work in high-impact journals like The Lancet and Nature, with an H-index of 133 (Google Scholar). He holds leadership roles in global health initiatives, including the Lancet Series on Physical Activity and Health Steering Committee and the World Health Organization's Guidelines Development Group.

Key research interests include population-level physical activity patterns, early life determinants of health behaviors, and the interplay between physical activity/sedentary time and chronic diseases. His work emphasizes methodological advancements in activity measurement using accelerometry and wearable devices.

Notable achievements include being named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2018–2023) and having three Altmetric Top 100 papers (2012, 2016, 2019). He collaborates internationally, contributing to global health policies through organizations like GoPA! (Global Observatory for Physical Activity) and the American College of Sports Medicine.

Recent studies examine genetic contributions to fitness, device-measured activity patterns, and the long-term health outcomes of physical activity across lifespans. His work bridges epidemiological research with public health interventions to address global inactivity challenges.