Garvey has achieved international recognition for his research in the metabolic, molecular, and genetic pathogenesis of insulin resistance, Type 2 Diabetes, and obesity. He has been a principle contributor to the understanding of the role of the glucose transport system and glucose transporter proteins in human insulin resistance. Garvey is the founding PI of the UAB Diabetes Research Center.

Garvey is the Butterworth Professor of Medicine in the Department of Nutrition Sciences.