Celebrity fitness advisor and sports and exercise science expert Professor Greg Whyte is to become the first chair of the ukactive Research Institute’s Scientific Advisory Board, the organisation has announced.

The move sees Whyte steering a team of renowned academics, who will guide the future direction of the institute, provide a sounding board for ideas and ensure the rigour of research and project design.

“I’m passionate about building the evidence base to inform the delivery of physical activity interventions to address the nation’s spiraling health costs and personal wellbeing deficit,” said Whyte, who was awarded an OBE in 2013 for his services to sport, sport science and charity.

“There is no greater way of successfully driving this agenda than at grassroots level and I’m delighted at the opportunity to influence this from my new position, alongside some of the most esteemed names in physical activity and health research.”

The news came on the same day (29 April) as the ukactive Scientific Advisory Board launched its online research hub, providing a free-to-use online centre unlocking the latest academic thinking and critical insight on physical activity and health.

Developed in response to requests for easier access to the latest intelligence around key issues that govern development strategy, the hub will house open access publications and translate complex academic research into easy to understand formats.

Whyte’s appointment is a coup, not just for his research expertise and commitment, but also his high public profile. Named as one of the top 10 science communicators in the UK by the British Science Council in 2014, Whyte is also an Olympian in modern pentathlon, plus a European and World Championship medallist in the sport.

The new chair is also well-known for his involvement in Comic Relief, for which he has applied his sports science work to assist various celebrities including Davina McCall, David Walliams, James Cracknell and Eddie Izzard.

Members of the ukactive Research Institute’s Scientific Advisory Board include leading academics Professor Andy Lane, Professor Lynne Kennedy, Professor Alfonso Jimenez and Dr Chris Beedie.