Veronica Varela Mato is a Senior Research Associate in Health and Wellbeing who has extensive experience in working with a variety of stakeholders to develop health schemes that support the health of those most at need. She has an interest in understanding how health programmes can be improved to increase their sustainability and maximise their impact. She completed her PhD in cardiovascular health, sedentary behaviours and physical activity in transport workers at Loughborough University in 2016. Since then, she has worked closely with multidisciplinary teams to develop research in the field of exercise metabolism, physical activity, sedentary behaviours, and occupational health linked to mental health. She has collaborated on the writing up of a number of grants, including an NIHR funded 3-year cluster randomised control trial ‘the Structured Health Intervention for Truckers (SHIFT) Study’ within the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University. Dr Varela Mato is committed to developing healthier working environments and communities and her research focuses on the promotion of health and wellbeing, and management of chronic conditions in disadvantaged workplace and community settings. She has expertise in intervention development, evaluation and the prevention and management of ill-health through lifestyle changes.