Jeff Coombes

Jeff Coombes is a Professor in the School of Human Movement Studies. He completed undergraduate degrees in applied science and education and a research Masters at the University of Tasmania before gaining a PhD from the University of Florida. After completing his PhD he returned to Australia to spend two years in an academic position at the University of Tasmania before moving to the University of Queensland in 2000. Jeff's research interests focus on determining the optimal exercise prescription for improving health. With theoretical backgrounds in biochemistry and physiology he conducts human studies and basic science projects. His findings have emphasised the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness for health benefits and many of his current projects are using high intensity interval to improve fitness and investigate outcomes. The basic science projects are identifying the mechanisms that explain the health benefits of exercise and include work in the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems at cellular and molecular levels. He is also a passionate advocate on the importance of fitness for health and delivers many presentations to impact on public health. His research group comprises doctors, postdoctoral fellows and PhD students and uses the extensive resources of the exercise physiology and exercise biochemistry laboratories in the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences. Current research projects of the group include; High intensity interval training in patients with chronic kidney disease, High intensity interval training in patients with metabolic syndrome, High intensity interval training in overweight and obese children and adolescents, Cardiorespiratory fitness and outcome in patients receiving a liver transplant, Multi-disciplinary lifestyle intervention in patients with chronic kidney disease Exercise is Medicine, Clinical sciences, Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, Sports science and exercise

[2026] Fitness does not retire: cardiorespiratory fitness and risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in older adults. Midttun, Sindre, Dalen, Håvard, Lund, Einar, Vesterbekkmo, Elisabeth K, Aksetøy, Inger-Lise A, Kaminsky, Leonard, Coombes, Jeff S, Wisløff, Ulrik and Stensvold, Dorthe (2026). Fitness does not retire: cardiorespiratory fitness and risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in older adults. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology zwag450. doi: 10.1093/eurjpc/zwag450 [2026] The Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Compared With Standard Care in Cardiac Rehabilitation: The FITR-Heart Study 7-Year Follow-Up. Taylor, J., Shing, C., Devlin, B., Keating, S., Doherty, C., Coombes, J. and Holland, D. (2026). The Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)