Hi, I’m Dan Leightley, a Lecturer in Digital Health Sciences at King’s College London. My work sits at the intersection of digital health, military health, data science, and applied technology. I develop and evaluate secure, scalable, and user-centred digital tools that support mental and physical health, with a particular focus on the Armed Forces community, veterans, and occupational health settings.
My research draws on large-scale linked datasets, machine learning, mobile health technologies, wearable devices, and digital interventions to address real-world health challenges. I am especially interested in how digital tools can support prevention, early intervention, personalised support, and better decision-making across health and care systems.
Alongside my academic work, I have a strong interest in data security, web development, cloud infrastructure, and open-source software. You can explore some of my open-source projects on GitHub here.
I am a member of the UK Army Reserve and hold the Certified in Cybersecurity qualification from ISC2.
History
I earned my PhD in Computer Vision and Machine Learning from Manchester Metropolitan University, where I developed methods to identify physiological measurements from human motion using advanced encoding algorithms and machine learning. Prior to this, I completed a BSc (Hons.) in Information and Communications in 2011 and an MSc in Computing in 2012, both at Manchester Metropolitan University.
After completing my PhD, I joined King’s College London as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the King's Centre for Military Health Research. I later progressed to Research Fellow and then Lecturer, contributing to research across digital health, military health, mental health, data-driven interventions, and applied informatics.
Since 2023, I have been part of the Digital Health Group within the School of Life Course & Population Sciences. My current work includes digital interventions for alcohol use and mental health, wearable data collection, digital biomarkers, secure research data infrastructure, and applied research designed to inform policy and practice.
I am also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Location
I am based in London, England. I welcome enquiries about research collaborations, digital health projects, applied data science, military health, secure data systems, and technical development.
You can read a Wikipedia-style overview of me here.