Murali is a physician from India, specialising in occupational medicine and sports and exercise medicine. His interest in researching physical activity and its impact on improving public health, especially women's health brought him to Teesside University to do a doctoral degree funded by Sport England. His PhD project Bump2Buggy has won several awards and targets improving the physical activity levels of both previously active and inactive pregnant and postpartum women living in deprived communities. He is due to complete his PhD by the summer of 2021.

Murali started working as a part-time research associate within the school in April 2021 on a project funded by NIHR-ARC Research Capability Funding. This project aims at identifying the barriers and enablers to uptake and adherence to the low-calorie diet programme for type 2 diabetes remission in people from ethnic minorities and contribute towards a future research grant application. 

Murali's primary research interests are on the impact of physical activity on improving public health. He has experience conducting several systematic reviews, qualitative studies and mixed-method studies. He is also interested in exploring health inequalities and how they could be improved using physical activity. 

Murali is keen on taking up teaching responsibilities and has taught topics such as physical activity and health, and research methods on various courses including Midwifery and Doctorate in public Health. 

Identifying the barriers and enablers to uptake and adherence to the low-calorie diet programme for type 2 diabetes remission in people from ethnic minority groups. NIHR Research Capability Funding (Feb to Sept 2021); Total grant: £35,763.00. Project Manager & Co-Investigator

Piloting a consistent evidence-based messaging approach for health care professionals to support conversations on healthier weight before, during and after pregnancy. Awarded August 2019. Public Health England; Total grant: £25,000. Co-Investigator. 

Cochrane UK & Ireland - Travel Grant 2019. March 2019; Total grant: £1,500. Recipient

Sport England Helping the Active Stay Active When Life Changes. Date: 2018 to 2021. Bump2Buggy – supporting physical activity during pregnancy and postpartum in women from deprived communities. Total grant: £189,739. Co-Investigator

Murali actively collaborates in several projects within the school and across the university. He is a member of the steering group in a Sport England funded project - 'Fit4Baby'. He also actively engages as a reviewer in various systematic reviews. 

Winner of the Community Partnership Award at the 10th Nouveau Anniversary
(November 2018) for Bump2Buggy project. Info at: https://tinyurl.com/bump2buggyaward

Best Oral Presentation – Teesside University School of Health & Life Sciences –
PGR Conference 2019: Bump2Buggy: A physical activity intervention to promote
activity in pregnant and postpartum women from deprived communities.

Indian Association of Occupational Health Young Scientist of the Year 2015 -
Selected for the award out of 345 presentations at the 65th annual conference of Indian
Association of Occupational Health (IAOH) – OCCUCON – January 2015.
Presentation title: “Preventing Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic Drugs in
Healthcare Settings”.

IAOH Tamil Nadu Chapter Golden Jubilee Award – September 2015 – Awarded
for the outstanding contribution from Tamil Nadu chapter during the 65th OCCUCON
conference.