Dr James Sanders

James has been a mainstay at Loughborough University, having completed his BSc (Human Biology), MSc (Physical Activity and Public Health) and PhD (Digital Health) at Loughborough. Following his PhD, James undertook an Enterprise Associate position with Dr Dale Esliger, working with external commercial partners on research relating to the measurement and quantification of human behaviour using wearable technologies.

Between September 2019 and November 2020, James worked as a Senior Research Associate on the NIHR-funded Snacktivity project with Professor Amanda Daley, leading the development and evaluation of digital tools to support the use of short, frequent bouts of physical activity throughout the day. Since then, his research has focused on the development and evaluation of personalised digital health interventions to increase physical activity and improve health and wellbeing. His work combines wearable technologies, mobile health, ecological momentary assessment, machine learning and artificial intelligence, with a particular interest in just-in-time adaptive interventions and reinforcement learning.

James is now a Lecturer in Digital Health and a member of Centre for Lifestyle Medicine and Behaviour (CLiMB), where he works across interdisciplinary research programmes involving physical activity, behaviour change and digital health. His current research includes the use of real-time behavioural and contextual data to personalise digital interventions, the development of AI-driven approaches to support behaviour change, and the evaluation of digital health technologies in people living with long-term conditions, including type 2 diabetes and multimorbidity. He also leads and contributes to research collaborations with NHS, local government and commercial partners, translating digital health research into real-world applications.

James’s research focus is on two main areas. The first involves testing the accuracy and reliability of mHealth technologies to measure a variety of metrics. The second research area focuses on the design and implementation of digital health behaviour change interventions in inactive adult populations. These interventions may include the use of novel mHealth technologies or methodologies to help participants to become more active more often. Specifically, James is interested in using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to develop Digital Health interventions to increase participation in physical activity.

James has also worked extensively with commercial organisations in the past and has a strong interest in bridging the gap between academia and industry.

Selected research grants

• Milton Keynes City Council - "Development and delivery of the Milton Keynes Activity Rewards Programme - a digital health and financial incentives based physical activity intervention" (£1.34M). Awarded July 2025 - July 2030 - Principal Investigator
• Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst Grant - Holly Health Prevent: Developing Precision Health Behaviour Change Product, using JITAI Coaching for Multimorbidity (£104,247). Awarded May 2024 – October 2025. Academic Principal Investigator
• Milton Keynes City Council & Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – “Research Partner to evaluate the use of wearable technology in people with type 2 diabetes in Milton Keynes” (£130,031). Awarded December 2023 – December 2028 – Co-Investigator (Evaluation Lead)

• Alruwaili A, Trotman H, Haenebalcke L, Chuen AS, Partington M, Roberts B, Engin B, Malaikah S, Hopkins M, Finlayson G, Sanders JP, Thackray AE, Stensel DJ, Willis SA, King JA. 2026. Associations of body composition and resting metabolic rate with homeostatic and hedonic components of appetite: Clinical Research. International Journal of Obesity, 1-8.
• Graham HE, Madigan CD, Gokal K, Large JF, Sanders JP, McLeod CJ, Pearson N, Daley AJ. 2026. A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials of behavioral interventions for the management of overweight and obesity in children that are delivered or referred to by health providers in primary care. Obesity Reviews, e70119.
• Daley AJ, Griffin RA, Sanders JP, Edwardson CL, Neal L, Lee S, Skrybant M, Moakes CA, Gkini E, Frew E, Greaves CJ 2025. The effectiveness and cost effectiveness of Snacktivity™ as an intervention to promote physical activity and health outcomes: a study protocol for a multi-centre randomised controlled trial. Trials, 27(1), 93.
• Malaikah S, Alruwaili A, Sanders JP, Thackray AE, Stensel DJ, Thivel D, Henson J, Rowlands AV, Willis SA, King JA. 2025. Replacing sedentary time with physical activity and sleep: a 24-hour movement behaviour perspective on appetite control. Nutrients, 17(19), 3163.
• Alruwaili, A., Nayeemullah, R., Engin, B., Malaikah, S., James, L., Sanders, J.P., Thivel, D., Thackray, A.E., Stensel, D.J., King, J.A. and Willis, S.A., 2025. The association of cigarette smoking with appetite, appetite-related hormones and food reward: a matched-pair cohort study. Appetite, p.108194.
• Daley, A.J., Griffin, R.A., Sanders, J.P., Gokal, K., Ives, N., Skrybant, M., Parretti, H.M., Edwardson, C.L., Biddle, S.J., Jolly, K. and Greaves, C.J., 2025. Snacktivity™ to promote physical activity in primary care, community health and public health settings: A feasibility randomised controlled trial. International journal of behavioral medicine, pp.1-15.
• Sanders, J.P., Daley, A.J., Esliger, D.W., Roalfe, A.K., Colda, A., Turner, J., Hajdu, S., Potter, A., Humayun, A.M., Spiliotis, I. and Reckless, I., 2024. Effectiveness of a digital health and financial incentive intervention to promote physical activity in patients with type 2 diabetes: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial with a nested qualitative study—ACTIVATE trial. Trials, 25(1), p.755.
• Maylor, B.D., Rowlands, A.V., Daley, A., Sanders, J.P., Yates, T. and Edwardson, C.L., 2024. Grade Accelerometers to Assess Intervention Effectiveness and Commercial Wearables as a Self-Monitoring Tool: Are the Two Aligned on Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity?. Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour, 7(1).
• Krouwel, M., Greenfield, S., Sanders, J.P., Gokal, K., Chalkley, A., Griffin, R.A., Parretti, H., Jolly, K., Skrybant, M., Biddle, S. and Greaves, C., 2024. Making Every Contact Count: health professionals’ experiences of integrating conversations about Snacktivity to promote physical activity within routine consultations–a qualitative study. BMJ open, 14(10), p.e085233.
• Large, JF, Madigan, C, Graham, H, Biddle, GJH, Sanders, J, Daley, AJ (2024) Public and dental teams' views about weight management interventions in dental health settings: Systematic review and meta‐analysis, Obesity Reviews, e13726.
• Ahmadi, MN, Hamer, M, Gill, JMR, Murphy, M, Sanders, JP, Doherty, A, Stamatakis, E (2023) Brief bouts of device-measured intermittent lifestyle physical activity and its association with major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality in people who do not exercise: a prospective cohort study, The Lancet Public Health, 8(10), pp.e800-e810.
• Krouwel, M, Greenfield, SM, Chalkley, A, Sanders, JP, Parretti, HM, Gokal, K, Jolly, K, Skrybant, M, Biddle, SJH, Greaves, C, Maddison, R, Mutrie, N, Ives, N, Esliger, DW, Sherar, L, Edwardson, CL, Yates, T, Frew, E, Tearne, S, Daley, AJ (2023) Promoting participation in physical activity through Snacktivity: A qualitative mixed methods study, PLoS ONE, 18(9) e0291040.
• Thomas, JJC, Daley, AJ, Esliger, DW, Kettle, VE, Coombe, A, Stamatakis, E, Sanders, JP (2023) Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity Data Sets (Global Physical Activity Data Set Catalogue) That Include Markers of Cardiometabolic Health: Systematic Scoping Review, Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, pp.e45599-e45599.
• Sanders, JP, Gokal, K, Thomas, JJC, Rawstorn, JC, Sherar, LB, Maddison, R, Greaves, CJ, Esliger, D, Daley, AJ (2023) Development of a Mobile Health Snacktivity App to Promote Physical Activity in Inactive Adults (SnackApp): Intervention Mapping and User Testing Study, JMIR Formative Research, 7, pp.e41114-e41114.
• Daley, AJ, Griffin, RA, Moakes, CA, Sanders, JP, Skrybant, M, Ives, N, Maylor, B, Greenfield, SM, Gokal, K, Parretti, HM, Biddle, SJH, Greaves, C, Maddison, R, Mutrie, N, Esliger, DW, Sherar, L, Edwardson, CL, Yates, T, Frew, E, Tearne, S, Jolly, K (2023) Snacktivity™ to promote physical activity and reduce future risk of disease in the population: protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial and nested qualitative study, Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 9(1), 45.
• Biddle, G, Sanders, J, Gokal, K, Madigan, C, Thomas, J, Pyle, A, Roalfe, A, Daley, A (2022) A Christmas themed physical activity intervention to increase participation in physical activity during Advent: pilot randomised controlled trial, BMJ, 379, e072807.
• Sharp, K, Sherar, L, Kettle, V, Sanders, J, Daley, A (2022) Effectiveness of interventions to increase device-measured physical activity in pregnant women: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 19, 142, DOI: 10.1186/s12966-022-01379-w.
• Gokal, K, Amos-Hirst, R, Moakes, CA, Sanders, JP, Esliger, DW, Sherar, LB, Ives, N, Biddle, SJH, Edwardson, C, Yates, T and Frew, E (2022) Views of the public about Snacktivity™: a small changes approach to promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour. BMC public health, 22(1), pp.1-12.
• Sanders, JP, Biddle, SJ, Gokal, K, Sherar, LB, Skrybant, M, Parretti, HM, Ives, N, Yates, T, Mutrie, N, Daley, AJ and Snacktivity Study Team (2021) ‘Snacktivity™’to increase physical activity: Time to try something different?. Preventive Medicine, 153, p.106851.
• Tyldesley-Marshall, N, Greenfield, SM, Parretti, HM, Gokal, K, Greaves, C, Jolly, K, Maddison, R and Daley, AJ, 2021. Snacktivity™ to promote physical activity: a qualitative study. International journal of behavioral medicine, pp.1-12.
• Kingsnorth, AP, Whelan, ME, Sanders, JP, Sherar, LB and Esliger, DW (2018) Using digital health technologies to understand the association between movement behaviors and interstitial glucose: exploratory analysis. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 6(5), p.e114.
• Bakrania, K, Yates, T, Rowlands, AV, Esliger, DW, Bunnewell, S, Sanders, JP, Davies, M, Khunti, K and Edwardson, CL (2016) Intensity thresholds on raw acceleration data: Euclidean norm minus one (ENMO) and mean amplitude deviation (MAD) approaches. PloS one, 11(10), p.e0164045.
• Loveday, A, Sherar, LB, Sanders, JP, Sanderson, PW and Esliger, DW (2016) Novel technology to help understand the context of physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Physiological Measurement, 37(10), p.1834.
• Sanders, JP, Loveday, A, Pearson, N, Edwardson, C, Yates, T, Biddle, SJ and Esliger, DW (2016) Devices for self-monitoring sedentary time or physical activity: a scoping review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 18(5), p.e90.
• Edwardson, CL, Rowlands, AV, Bunnewell, S, Sanders, JP, Esliger, DW, Gorely, T, O'Connell, S, Davies, MJ, Khunti, K and Yates, TE (2016) Accuracy of posture allocation algorithms for thigh-and waist-worn accelerometers. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 48(6), 1085–1090.
• Loveday, A, Sherar, LB, Sanders, JP, Sanderson, PW and Esliger, DW (2015) Technologies that assess the location of physical activity and sedentary behavior: a systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 17(8), p.e192