Daniel Leightley - Wikipedia
Abbreviations: BSc, MSc, PhD, AKC, CC, FHEA.
Alma mater: King’s College London, Manchester Metropolitan University.
Institutions: King’s College London, British Army.
Thesis: Vision-based human motion analysis for the development of automated rehabilitation tools.
Nationality: British.
Occupation: Researcher, Lecturer, Solider and Digital Health Specialist.
Daniel Leightley is a British research scientist specialising in digital health at King’s College London and is a British Army Reservist. He is the Group Lead for the UK Military Research Group. His research is focused on the impact of service on health and wellbeing of military personnel, and the use of digital technology to manage, monitor and intervene in health.
Early life and education
Leightley studied Computer Science at Manchester Metropolitan University. He trained in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Health also at Manchester Metropolitan University. His doctoral thesis explored the use of AI to detect and quantify human movement for rehabilitation. He developed a framework which used commercially available depth sensors to analyse human and analyse human movement in near real time. After competing his doctorate he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the King’s Centre of Military Health Research, before taking up the position as Group Lead for the UK Military Research Group in 2024.
Research and career
Following his PhD, Leightley moved to King's College London, initially as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the King’s Centre of Military Health Research,. His work focused on military mental health, delivering course content, and supervising postgraduate students. This role allowed him to contribute to landmark projects, including developing digital interventions such as the DrinksRation app for alcohol misuse in Service personnel. Recognising his exceptional contributions, he was promoted to Research Fellow, where he continued leading and co-developing innovative projects like the RADAR-CNS depression analytics programme and KCL TEST, a COVID-19 testing and research initiative for the entire King’s College London community.
In 2023, Leightley was appointed Lecturer in Digital Health Sciences at King's College London. His research focuses on leveraging data-driven approaches to advance digital and mobile health interventions. He serves as Principal Investigator for several projects, including refining the DrinksRation app for widespread adoption across the British Armed Forces. Additionally, he leads the development of the MAVERICK data collection framework and supervises PhD students in digital health technology. His academic contributions extend to teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses on mobile health, machine learning, and programming, as well as guest lecturing at various prestigious universities worldwide.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Leightley provided expert advice to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies through the Independent Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours.
Public engagement and leadership
Leightley has demonstrated a strong commitment to public engagement and leadership through various initiatives that bridge the gap between research and practice. As Group Lead for the UK Military Research Group (UKMRG), based at King’s College London, he leads multidisciplinary efforts to enhance the health and well-being of Armed Forces personnel, veterans, and their families. The group collaborates with key stakeholders, including government bodies, military charities, and international organisations, to deliver evidence-based solutions and inform policy development.
Leightley has been involved in organising high-profile events, such as the Veterans' Mental Health Conference, which attracts over 200 delegates annually, including key policymakers and members of the Royal Family. His public engagement extends to speaking at various forums, including the NATO, Garmin Health Webinar, where he discussed leveraging wearable technology for health research, and roundtables such as AI in the Armed Forces, where he explored the role of AI in Defence applications. Leightley actively disseminates his work through blogs, social media, and public platforms, aiming to make research findings accessible to diverse audiences.
He also supported NATO’s research task group on personalised medicine and provided evidence to the UK Parliament on Armed Forces mental health.
Awards and recognition
- 2024: Nominated for a Doctoral Support Excellence Award.
- 2024: Role in securing King’s Institute for Population Health grant (£500,000).
- 2023: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
- 2021: One Team Award from King’s College London for collaboration and inclusivity.
- 2021: Service to King’s Award for exceptional contributions to the university community.
- 2020: Mind and Body Champion, King’s Health Partners, for contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2019: Travel Grant Award, University of Southern California, for presenting on digital technology in the Armed Forces.
- 2018: Emerging Leader in the Field Award, Royal Society of Engineering, with international travel grant.
- 2018: Industry Chair, RE-WORK: Deep Learning in Healthcare Summit.
- 2014: NVIDIA Award for state-of-the-art GPU hardware to support deep learning research.