Andy Smith is Professor of Sport, Physical Activity and Mental Health and Director of the Centre for Mental Health, Sport and Physical Activity at Edge Hill University. He is also a REF UoA Coordinator and Chair of the national Mental Health and Wellbeing group hosted by the Sport for Development Coalition.

Andy’s research focuses on the links between sport, physical activity and mental health in local communities and educational contexts, and in professional sport settings. In so doing, his research explores how place-based and systems-level change can help narrow mental health inequalities and promote positive mental health. Andy's work has informed the work of community and professional sport and health organisations, the UK Select Committee’s Suicide Prevention report (2017), Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s MBE Duty of Care in Sport Review (2017), and the government policy brief, Moving for Mental Health, which he co-authored with Dr Florence Kinnafick and Dr Eva Rogers. His research also underpinned the receipt of several awards, including in the Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community award at the 2016 Times Higher Education Awards, silver medal at the 2020 Sports Business Awards, the Mental Health and Wellebing award at the 2022 Educate North Awards, and the 2022 Tackling Health Inequalities award from the NIHR ARC North West Research and Innovation Awards.

Andy manages the undergraduate sport management and coaching programmes, and is Programme Leader for the MSc Sport, Physical Activity and Mental Health.