Professor Brendon Stubbs
How movement helps the mind.
Professor Brendon Stubbs is one of the world’s leading researchers in exercise and mental health. For more than 20 years he has studied how physical activity and lifestyle shape mental and brain health, and turned that evidence into guidelines, products and campaigns that reach millions.
900+
academic papers published
100k+
citations of his research
0.1%
most cited researchers worldwide (Highly Cited Researcher since 2019)
3,000+
media reports around the world
Research
Twenty years of evidence on movement and the mind.
His research looks at how physical activity, lifestyle, mental and brain health and chronic disease affect each other. A Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher since 2019, he has published more than 900 papers, and his trials have helped shape policy with the World Health Organization and NHS England.
You can read his work on Google Scholar and PubMed.
- 01
Assistant Professor (tenure track) in Mental and Brain Health
Medical University of ViennaHis main academic role since February 2026. He leads and supports interdisciplinary research at the university’s Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health (C3NMH).
- 02
Professor
The University of ManchesterA full professorship, held part-time.
- 03
Visiting Professor
King’s College LondonHe spent more than 11 years at King’s, from postdoctoral researcher to NIHR Advanced Fellow (Associate Professor), and keeps a visiting full professorship there.
- 04
Einstein Visiting Fellow
Charité – Universitätsmedizin BerlinAwarded through a competitive international call to set up a lab developing better mind–body interventions for psychosis.
- 05
Chair
Lancet Psychiatry CommissionHe chairs the Lancet Psychiatry Commission on protecting the physical health of people with mental illness, and has led clinical guidelines for the European Psychiatric Association and the World Psychiatric Association.
Beyond academia
Science that leaves the lab.
He works with startups, investors and global brands to build products and claims that stand up to scientific scrutiny.
Startups and venture capital
PHYT
Chief Scientific Officer
A body composition app that turns a short smartphone video into measures such as body fat, muscle and bone mass.
StartupLifeProven
Chief Scientific Officer
Helps investors, asset managers and owners improve how their buildings perform, including for the wellbeing of the people inside them.
Startupthrivvy
Founding Chief Scientific Officer
A wellness discovery platform. Its Wellbeing Index, developed with Brendon, scores products on the strength of their evidence.
Venture capitalVytal Ventures
Member of the Bench
A venture studio for health, fitness and wellbeing businesses. Its Bench is a selective community that mentors founders, opens doors and can invest.
Consulting and research
ASICS
Scientific consultant
The science behind ASICS campaigns seen by millions, from Movement for Mind and the State of Mind Index to Desk Break with Brian Cox and the documentary Mind Games.
ConsultingMyFitnessPal
Scientific consultant
An eight-week randomised controlled trial of around 200 people taking GLP-1 medications, testing whether nutrition tracking changes what they eat. Currently ongoing.
Research companyevalent research
Director
Evidence Based Strategies Ltd, trading as evalent research: a scientist-led research company and contract research organisation (CRO) for wellness and health brands.
Online course
Learn it from the source.
A comprehensive online course for exercise and rehabilitation professionals who want a high-level understanding of exercise and mental health. It covers depression, anxiety and serious mental illness, motivation and behaviour change, handling crisis situations, and when exercise isn’t helpful.
The course can also be licensed for teams and organisations.
Online course
★★★★★
Exercise for Mental Health: Evidence and Application
- 69 lessons
- 12.5 hours of video
- certificate
Speaking
On stage and on screen.
He has given more than 150 invited keynote lectures around the world, many of them to audiences outside academia.
- Wimbledon, alongside Novak Djokovic
- Eurosport, with Iga Świątek
- Meta global headquarters
- Amazon global headquarters
- World Economic Forum, Davos
Media
In the news, around the world.
His research has featured in more than 3,000 media reports worldwide, with regular coverage on BBC News and Sky News. He was lead scientist for the Amazon Prime Video documentary Mind Games: The Experiment, and scientific lead for the Desk Break campaign with Brian Cox.
Exercise can be ‘frontline treatment’ for mild depression, researchers say
10 February 2026
New ScientistExercise may relieve depression as effectively as antidepressants
8 January 2026
CNNThe next step to treating your depression may be upping your step count, study says
17 December 2024
BBC NewsThe rise of female weightlifting and how it is changing lives
25 April 2024
BBC Radio 4Inside Health: is monitoring our fitness stats good for our health?
19 September 2023
Prime VideoMind Games – The Experiment (documentary)
19 January 2023
About
From physiotherapist to professor.
Brendon trained as a physiotherapist and spent almost a decade in clinical practice, including in mental health care and with sports teams. After his PhD he joined King’s College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, where he built an interdisciplinary research group while leading the physiotherapy department.
Today he is an Assistant Professor (tenure track) in Mental and Brain Health at the Medical University of Vienna, and combines this with professorships in the UK and Germany and roles in health-tech startups, venture capital and research for global brands.
Get in touch
Let’s talk.
For research collaborations, speaking, media and course licensing, email Brendon’s office or connect with him on LinkedIn.