Dr Bai Li
BA, MSc, PhD
Expertise
Bai integrates behavioural science, systems science, social marketing and epidemiological methods to develop, evaluate and implement complex interventions for the global syndemic of obesity, undernutrition and climate change.
Current positions
Associate Professor in Global Health
School for Policy Studies
Contact
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Biography
Bai's contributions to global health and behavioural medicine have been recognised by prestigious awards from the ISBNPA, The Lancet, UKSBM. Recently, Bai won the 2024 Practice Leadership Award from the Sedentary Behavioural Research Network (SBRN).
Bai leads the City Futures Theme at the Cabot Institute for the Environment.
Research interests
Bai is specialised in the development and evaluation of complex health interventions in LMICs. She has co-authored with policy makers from 46 countries, led multi-nation, inter-discipline research projects to generate impactful scientific outputs used by international bodies such as WHO, United Nations, World Obesity Federation, Asian Development Bank, the State Council of China and Switzerland Federal Food Safety Office. She has a track record of leading international advocacy and methodological innovations of methods rooted in system science. Bai's contributions to global health and behavioural medicine have been recognised by prestigious awards from the ISBNPA, The Lancet, UKSBM. Recently, Bai won the 2024 Practice Leadership Award from the Sedentary Behavioural Research Network (SBRN). Bai leads the City Futures Theme at the Cabot Institute for the Environment.
- Systems approach to develop, evaluate and implement population-level interventions to tackle global challenges (e.g. obesity, undernutrition and other diet-related chronic diseases)
- Global syndemic (malnutrition in all its forms and climate change)
- Regulatory interventions on sedentary behaviour
- Informal child care (e.g. role of grandparents) and childhood obesity
- Determinants and prevention of childhood obesity
- Mixed-methods, qualitative research
- Randomised controlled trial
- Process evaluation of interventions
Projects and supervisions
Research projects
Transdisciplinary Development of The DE-CODE GLOBAL SYNDEMIC Research Consortium
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
17/11/2023 to 19/04/2024
DE-CODE Research Consortium International, Multi-faculty, Transdisciplinary Workshops
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
16/11/2023 to 19/04/2024
The Southeast Asia Training and Collaboration Centre for Systemic Nutrition Interventions
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
28/02/2023 to 31/01/2028
The world’s first regulatory interventions on child digital game time, homework time and out of campus learning - implementation and impacts (ENERGISE Study)
Principal Investigator
Description
Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
01/03/2022 to 30/09/2022
Publications
Selected publications
18/09/2023Cultural adaptations and methodological innovations to Group Model Building for the Systems Actions to Reduce Malnutrition In All Its Forms in Southeast Asian Countries and China (SYSTAM CHINA-SEACS International Consortium) project
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
National nutrition surveillance programmes in 18 countries in South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions
Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Improving the reporting of intervention studies underpinned by a systems approach to address obesity or other public health challenges
Frontiers in Public Health
The CHIRPY DRAGON intervention in preventing obesity in Chinese primary-school aged children
PLoS Medicine
Recent publications
04/07/2024Development of an index to assess adherence to the Traditional Chinese Dietary pattern - a modified Delphi study
How governments can protect children from sedentary behaviour
The impact of the world’s first regulatory, multi-setting intervention on sedentary behaviour among children and adolescents (ENERGISE)
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Ramadan fasting could be explored as a characteristic of the Traditional Chinese Diet
Nutrition Reviews
Exploring the traditional Chinese diet and its association with health status
Nutrition Reviews
Teaching
Bai is the Programme Director for MSc Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health; and the MRes Health and Wellebing programme
Bai directs the following teaching units:
1.Dissertation Unit within the MSc Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health programme
2.Contemporary Debates in Lifestyle Behaviours and Public Health Unit within the MRes Health and Well-Being programme
3.Critical Appraisal for Health & Wellbeing Unit within the MRes Health and Well-Being programme
4.Child Nutrition, Activity and Health Unit (year 3) within the BSc Childhood Studies programme
5. Introduction to Child and Adolescent Health Unit (year 2) within the BSc Childhood Studies programme.
PhD supervision
Ms Animah Zahir
Thesis title: Transition from tranditional nutrition interventions to complex, systemic nutrition intervention in Southeast Aisa.
Ms Yufeng Ouyang, funded by CSC-UoU Scholarship
Thesis title:Assessing maternal and child nutrition policies and interventions in China and Southeast Asian Countries
Ms Jizhao Niu, funded by CSC-UoB Scholarship
Thesis title: Traditional Chinese diet and NCDs
Ms Shiyao, Li, partially funded by the CHIRPY DRAGON project fund
Thesis title: A Mixed Methods Study to Explore Childhood Obesity Prevention in China
Mr Mohammed Ahmed Alharbi (completed), competitively funded by the Saudi government
Thesis title: Using a systems approach to the development of childhood obesity prevention interventions in Saudi Arabia.
Dr Mandana Zanganeh (Completed), competitively funded by a College PhD Studentship
Thesis tile: Cost effectiveness of a school based childhood obesity prevention intervention in a Chinese setting.