Charlie Foster

Charlie Foster is a global leader in systematic reviews and meta-analysis of the evidence base for physical activity, with reviews on epidemiology, correlates, interventions and evaluation of natural experiments.

He has published over 200 papers including research in JAMA, the Lancet and the BMJ, with over 100 as senior author. He has global guidelines development, policy and advocacy experience working with WHO, EC, and CDC USA. He has worked on numerous evidence reviews and evaluations project for Sport England since 2004 and is actively researching the application of systems approaches to sport and physical activity promotion.

Since 2015 he has been the Chair of the UK Chief Medical Officers Expert Committee for Physical Activity, providing advice on exercise and physical activity direct to the CMOs, DHSC and UK Government. He has led the work and produced the final report for the UK CMO 2019 physical activity guidelines. He was awarded an OBE in the 2019 Queen’s New Year’s Honours list for services to physical activity promotion. Recently he has been advising on COVID-19 and physical activity for the UK CMOs.

He feels the promotion of physical activity is both an art and a science.