Paolo Emilio is a Medical Doctor specialised in Sports and Exercise Medicine. He is the Medical Manager of the Health and Science Department at World Athletics, where he looks after the organisation of health and medical services during World Athletics Series events; designs and develops research projects in the field of health, sports medicine and sports sciences; promotes walking, running, jumping and throwing disciplines to the general population for health enhancing purposes.

Paolo Emilio completed his Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology at the University of Rome “Foro Italico”, investigating the cardiovascular and metabolic adaptations to high intensity training modalities.

Before joining World Athletics, he worked as a team physician for Med-Ex, Medicine and Exercise, Medical Partner of Scuderia Ferrari, with the Ferrari Formula 1 and WEC Endurance Racing Teams.

His previous working experiences brought him to work in different countries and contexts, allowing him to carry on his interests both in clinical practice and in scientific research. As a consultant, Paolo Emilio, worked for the Sports Cardiology Department at the Sports Medicine and Sciences Institute of the Italian Olympic Committee - CONI, in Rome, Italy; at the Al Attar for Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Clinic in Doha, Qatar; and as a visiting researcher at the New England Arrhythmia Center, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, supported by the 2016 American College of Sports Medicine Oded Bar-Or International Scholar Award.

His research interests include cardiovascular adaptations induced by exercise, prevention of

sudden cardiac death, effect of air pollution on health and athletic performance, pre-participation assessment of elite, Olympic and Paralympic athletes, cardiovascular effects of drugs and doping substances, and the use of exercise for health enhancement and prevention.

Between 2008 and 2017 he was also committed to volunteering in the European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation ENGSO Youth, first as a committee member, then as vice chair and finally chairing the committee.

He enjoys practicing all sort of outdoor sports, particularly running, cycling, backcountry skiing, sailing and windsurfing.

Dr. Jalal Aboodarda is an exercise neurophysiologist investigating the integration of acute and chronic neuromuscular and perceptual responses determining exercise tolerance in healthy individuals and people with neurodegenerative diseases. He uses neurophysiological techniques such as magnetic and electrical stimulation of the corticospinal-peripheral pathway to explore the effect of pain and fatigue stimuli on exercise performance.

Dr. Jason Au is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. His research is focused on the vascular determinants of cardiovascular disease, with specialization in diagnostic ultrasound applications, arterial pressure wave analysis, and movement interventions to combat sedentary behaviour. Dr. Au's VORTEX lab has a training plan that incorporates skills in data analytics and visualization, Open Science practices, as well as entry-level programming to cater to trainees from diverse training backgrounds. Dr. Au is currently recruiting graduate trainees for the upcoming academic cycle.

Dr. Cindy Barha is an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy at the University of Calgary. Dr. Barha is also a member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Libin Cardiovascular Institute and the Maternal & Child Health program (ACHRI). Her translational research using rodent models and human studies aims to promote healthy brain aging by determining who benefits from exercise by focusing on biological sex and genetics, when in the lifespan to most effectively intervene with exercise (i.e., pregnancy, midlife, older age), and how exercise exerts its influence on the brain. Dr. Barha has authored 56 peer-reviewed articles with over 3200 citations.

Dr. Kristen Barton is orthopaedic surgery resident at Western University and an Adjunct Research Professor at both Western University and the University of Calgary. Dr. Barton previously completed her PhD and MD at the University of Calgary, as well as a postgraduate certificate in surgical leadership at Harvard University. As a clinician-scientist (MD/PhD and CSEP-CEP), she is passionate about improving joint health and translating knowledge to her patients. She is the founder of Joint Management (www.jointmanagement.ca), a free website that provides evidenced-based information to patients on non-operative management strategies (like exercise) for mild to moderate hip and knee osteoarthritis. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Barton is a promising early career researcher and has 28 peer-reviewed publications, has co-authored three books, and has an impressive list of research and clinical awards. Of particular note, she was the 2020 recipient of the CSEP Seed Grant, was named top 40 under 40 by the Association of Women Surgeons (2022), and has received the Alberta, Science, and Technology (ASTech) Foundation Leaders of Tomorrow Award (2017).

Valérie Bougault is an associate professor at Université Côte d’Azur (Nice, France) since 2018. After obtaining her PhD in 2005 at the University of Strasbourg in Sports Science, on cardiopulmonary adaptations to exercise in COPD patients, she spent a year at the University of Avignon working on cardiac adaptations to exercise in healthy adults and children. In 2007, during her post-doctoral internship, she became interested in the respiratory health of top-level athletes in relation to their environment, particularly chlorine and cold air. In 2009, she took up the post of Senior Lecturer in Sports Science at the University of Lille, where she continues to work on respiratory adaptations to exercise in athletes and the effects of physical exercise on patients with respiratory pathologies. Since 2018, she has been an associate professor at the Université Côte d'Azur in sports science, where she is developing work on the effects of air pollutants on the health and performance of athletes, and the effects of menstrual cycles on the health and performance of sportswomen. Since 2008, Valérie has been a regular participant in international working groups on respiratory health and sport/physical activity, most recently those on respiratory pathologies at the IOC and on allergies, asthma and sport at EAACI. She is currently secretary of the latter working group, headed by Oliver Price. She is also regularly invited to international conferences each year to talk about her research work.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2258-6562

Pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=bougault+v

HAL: https://cv.hal.science/valerie-bougault

Leigh Breen, PhD is Professor of Translational Muscle Physiology at the University of Birmingham, UK and works under the auspices of the Medical Research Council/Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal and the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Inflammation and Multimorbidity. Dr. Breen leads the Metabolic and Molecular Physiology Group and is the incumbent Chair of the Centre for Movement and Wellbeing (MoveWell). The focus of Dr. Breen’s research is to understand cellular mechanisms of skeletal muscle plasticity and how exercise and nutrition modulate muscle remodelling, function, and performance in health, aging and disease. Dr. Breen’s research utilises innovative biochemistry and in vivo physiology experimental techniques, including stable isotope tracer and cell culture approaches. His work is built on wide-ranging interdisciplinary collaborations to maximize impact and influence and is supported by extensive research funding from UK Research and Innovation, charitable foundations, healthcare bodies and industry partners. Dr. Breen leads the UKRI funded ‘ATTAIN’ Network, delivering transformative healthy ageing research through physical activity in those most affected by health inequalities.

Lauren is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the department of Radiology, Cumming School of
Medicine at the University of Calgary, and a member of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint
Health. Her research uses advanced imaging techniques to explore skeletal adaptations across
the lifespan, focusing on sports participation and nutritional intervention. Lauren completed
her PhD at the Australian Catholic University, Sydney Australia, exploring upper body
musculoskeletal changes related to gymnastics participation. Lauren is the Scientific Lead for
the Mobility for Life Project and was a previous member of the Canadian Multicenter
Osteoporosis Study and the Calgary Vitamin D study. Much of Lauren’s research is conducted in
collaboration with the Canadian Sport Institute Calgary exploring relative energy deficiency in
sport (REDs).

Darren G. Candow, PhD, CSEP-CEP, is Professor and Director of the Aging Muscle and Bone Health Laboratory in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies at the University of Regina, Canada. The overall objectives of Dr. Candow’s internationally renowned research program are to develop effective lifestyle interventions involving nutrition (primarily creatine monohydrate) and physical activity (resistance exercise) which have practical and clinical relevance for improving musculoskeletal aging and reducing the risk of falls and fractures. Dr. Candow has published over 110 peer-refereed journal manuscripts (h-index: 38; i10-index: 72), supervised over 20 MSc and PhD students and received research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, and the Nutricia Research Foundation. In addition, Dr. Candow serves on the editorial review boards for the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, Nutrients and Frontiers.

Joy Chiekwe has worked as a CEP within the Nova Scotia healthcare system as an exercise professional for several research studies involving cancer survivors. She completed her master’s at Dalhousie University where she researched the barriers and facilitators to exercise and physical activity among cancer survivors of African, Caribbean, and Black descents in Canada. In her role with the Nova Scotia YMCA associations, she leads the development and implementation of exercise programming for adults managing or at risk of chronic disease.

Dr. Cote is an Assistant Professor in the School of Human Kinetics at Trinity Western University, Affiliate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, and Canada Research Chair in Cardiovascular Adaptation to Exercise. Her research focuses on sex differences in ventricular-vascular responses to acute and chronic exercise, and whether sex-specific factors can be exploited to improve cardiovascular outcomes in females in the realm of sport performance or prevention of cardiovascular disease

Dr. Culos-Reed is a Professor of Health and Exercise Psychology in the Faculty of Kinesiology; Adjunct Professor in the Department of Oncology in the Cumming School of Medicine; and Director of the Health and Wellness Lab and Thrive Centre. She holds a Research Associate appointment with the Department of Psychosocial Resources at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Cancer Care, Alberta Health Services. Dr. Culos-Reed’s research takes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and improving the quality of life of individuals living with and beyond cancer, developing, delivering, and evaluating physical activity programs to address the physical and psychological challenges experienced throughout treatment and into survivorship. This research includes national and international collaborations, working with populations from pediatric to adult populations including those with advanced cancer, and most recently includes a Canadian Institute of Health Research-Canadian Cancer Society (CIHR-CCS) Cancer Survivorship Team Grant (2020-26), with additional support from Alberta Cancer Foundation (ACF), to bring her team’s exercise oncology program to underserved rural and remote populations across Canada.

Dr. Culos-Reed is the co-founder of Thrive Health, an online educational company building capacity in health and fitness professionals to deliver safe and effective exercise oncology resources. As a health behaviour change researcher, Dr. Culos-Reed is passionate about building capacity within cancer care to safely and effectively support individuals with cancer to live well and move more.

Dr. Margie Davenport is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta. She is the Christenson Professor in Active Healthy Living, and a former national team athlete in Synchronized Swimming (1999-2003). Dr. Davenport chaired the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)/Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) 2019 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy, is leading the upcoming SOGC/CSEP Canadian Guideline for Postpartum Physical Activity, and is highly experienced in Guideline development processes and stakeholder engagements. She is a current member of FIFA Female Health Project, and consults with Sport Canada as well as numerous working groups around the world supporting physical activity during and following pregnancy.

Dr. Trevor Day is professor of physiology at Mount Royal University in Calgary, and an alumnus of the University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine (Ph.D. 2008). He is an integrative cardiorespiratory human physiologist, studying responses to acute and chronic blood gas challenges. He is a leader in organizing high altitude research expeditions. His federally-funded research program engages undergraduate students in all aspects of the research endeavor, integrating his teaching, mentoring and research activities. He also has an active interest in science communication, particularly how scientists can better engage the public in the importance and relevance of the scientific endeavor. Trevor was presented with the 2019 Hotchkiss Brain Institute and 2020 Cumming School of Medicine Alumnus of Distinction awards at the University of Calgary. He was recently appointed to the Royal Society of Canada as a Member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists (2020-2027).

Dr Jeanne Dekerle has long been interested in human exercise tolerance or the ability to sustain exercise, with around 30 of her 50+ peer-reviewed publications (2003-) challenging the core assumptions of the Critical Power concept and the validity of its constructs when applied to cycle ergometry and swimming. Her more recent published work provides insights into the development of neuromuscular fatigue and subsequent effects on (swimming) biomechanics while exercising above vs below Critical Power. Today, Dr Jeanne Dekerle is particularly interested in the psychophysiological regulation of exercise tolerance within these severe vs heavy intensity domains. Aside her academic career, Jeanne was a youth swimming coach for almost two decades and recently published an edited book where she presents her most informed understanding of paediatric exercise tolerance from her empirical and scientific work.

Paolo Dominelli, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo. His laboratory seeks to understand the integrative mechanisms underpinning the oxygen cascade under physiologically relevant conditions of exercise and hypoxia. This is accomplished by studying the conductance of oxygen across multiple physiological systems (pulmonary, cardiac and muscle) and their interaction. Using concepts of homeostasis, regulation, feedback, redundancy and acclimatization/adaptation, his laboratory builds upon reductionists findings to understand whole-body physiology.

Dr. Doyle-Baker is a certified exercise physiologist with a background as a Doctor of Public Health. She uses both field, lab and technology based biomarkers to study female physiology using mixed method study designs. The primary focus of her research is understanding the impact of the menstrual cycle on sport and exercise outcomes towards optimal health and performance readiness.

Kirsty completed her undergraduate degree and PhD [Exercise Physiology] at Liverpool John Moores
University. Her PhD examined the effects of female reproductive hormones on muscle strength and
since then her work has primarily focused on female athletes. She worked as a Lecturer at Brunel
University and the University of Brighton, before undertaking a four-year Post-Doctoral Research
Fellowship at Kings College London. She worked at Nottingham Trent University from 12 years,
before joining the Institute of Sport at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2022 as a Professor of
Female Endocrinology and Exercise Physiology. In addition to her research on female athletes, which
includes the menstrual cycle, hormonal contraceptives, the Female Athlete Triad and Relative Energy
Deficiency in Sport, her work in recent years has involved designing and implementing exercise
interventions during and following pregnancy in a variety of populations including servicewomen
(i.e., military personnel), athletes, and women with obesity. She has co-authored numerous peer-
reviewed journal articles, book chapters, expert statements, and editorials on/for sportswomen. In
addition, she works with many organisations such as the English Institute of Sport, the Football
Association, The Australian Institute of Sport, The European Club Association, and The Wu Tsai
Performance Alliance and is part of several special interest groups and advisory boards related to
female athletes.

Dr. Marta Erlandson is an associate professor in the College Kinesiology at the University of
Saskatchewan. She received her MSc and PhD from the University of Saskatchewan and went to
complete a three-year postdoctoral fellowship in the Osteoporosis and Women’s Health Program at the
University Health Network, University of Toronto. Her research focuses on child and adolescent growth
and development and the influence physical activity and inactivity has on this process during growth as
well as on health and fitness outcomes later in life. Dr. Erlandson also examines the development of
physical literacy in both healthy and clinical populations. She engages in community-based research
working with schools and different community organizations throughout Saskatchewan.

Dr. Jared R. Fletcher is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Physical
Education and Director of the Fascicles, Tendons and Energetics Research (FasTER) laboratory
at Mount Royal University which he established in 2021. He also serves as a scientific consultant
for Biomechanigg Sport and Health Research Inc. He holds a PhD in applied muscle physiology
from the University of Calgary.

His research program, which is supported almost entirely by undergraduate students at Mount
Royal University, examines how changes in lower limb mechanical properties with exercise,
disuse, disease or injury, relate to the metabolic cost at the muscle and whole-body levels. A
greater understanding of muscle-tendon function, and the accompanying energy cost, during
locomotion has important scientific implications for human motion and performance and athlete
health and well-being.

Prior to academia, Dr. Fletcher was the lead sport physiologist for the Canadian National Para-
swimming team, where he helped support swimmers to Canadian, Regional and World Record
performances at numerous Regional and World Championships and Paralympic Games.

Dr. Aude-Marie Foucaut is associate professor in sports science at the “Educations and Health Promotion Laboratory” of the “University Sorbonne Paris Nord” in France. She is responsible for two Master’s training programs specialized in adapted physical activity and health. In the 13 years since her PhD, she has been developing exercise oncology programs in France and was responsible for conducting the first randomized controlled trial of exercise during breast cancer chemotherapy. Dr Foucaut’s current research is in the field of Public Health. She evaluates the effects of physical activity, and its feasibility, transferability, and sustainability for patients and institutions. She is an active member of the French-speaking Society of Supportive Care in Oncology and The French Cancer Institute which establishes national guidelines on exercise prescription. In 2022-2023, she was an invited researcher at the University of Calgary Health and Wellness Lab learning about the methods of the “Alberta Cancer Exercise program” (ACE) and the “EXercise for Cancer to Enhance Living well” (EXCEL) implementation studies under the guidance of Pr Nicole Culos-Reed. Dr Foucaut plans to integrate these methods into the cancer continuum in France and Europe.

Dr. Jonathon Fowles’ work has focused on implementation of physical activity guidelines into practice. He spearheaded initiatives with many regional, national and international organizations such as Diabetes Canada, Nova Scotia Health, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) and Exercise is Medicine, to increase physical activity counseling by health care providers and has improved the standards and use of exercise professionals to assist Canadians to be active.

Dr. Fowles has delivered over 150 presentations and 150 workshops on physical activity and exercise and has received recognitions for his efforts with the Exercise is Medicine Global Leadership Award (2022), as a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (2018), the Lawson Foundation 60th Anniversary Award of Excellence (2017), the Diabetes Care Program of Nova Scotia Dedicated Leader Award (2016) and

Dr. Gabel is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology. She joined the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary in 2021 and currently leads the Movement and Musculoskeletal health lab. The MyMSK lab is dedicated to studying how physical activity and exercise influences musculoskeletal health across the lifespan using advanced medical imaging (HR-pQCT, pQCT, DXA). Dr. Gabel's research focuses on critical life periods for bone accrual (e.g., childhood and adolescence) and bone loss (e.g., menopause), and how physical activity and exercise can enhance bone accrual and prevent bone loss.

Lora Giangregorio, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo, and a Schlegel Research Chair in Mobility and Aging. She leads the Bone Health and Exercise Science Lab, or BonES lab. The BonES lab team leads research on physical activity for older adults and people with osteoporosis. She is a member of the Scientific Advisory Council for Osteoporosis Canada, with whom she collaborates on initiatives to improve patient and health care provider education. Dr. Giangregorio was on the leadership team that developed the 2020 Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines. She also led the Exercise Working Group for the forthcoming Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Osteoporosis and Fracture Prevention in Canada.

Dr. Gierc completed a PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Saskatchewan, followed by a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Queen’s University. She currently shares her time between a pediatric health psychology position and a Michael Smith postdoctoral fellowship with the Population Physical Activity Lab, UBC. Her research looks at the relationship between psychology and exercise: how psychology shapes exercise behaviour, and how exercise can improve (mental) health.

Dr. Jenna Gillen (Assistant Professor, University of Toronto) is an emerging leader in exercise nutrient interactions for optimizing cardiometabolic health. The overarching aim of Dr. Gillen’s research program is to understand how nutrition and exercise impact carbohydrate and fat metabolism in humans. Dr. Gillen’s specific interests include understanding how high-intensity interval exercise impact glycemic control in both healthy males and females as well as individuals with cardiometabolic disease. Her recent work has focused on utilizing carbohydrate and energy restriction around exercise to maximize the glycemic benefits and potential sex-based differences in metabolic responses to exercise and nutrition.

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=KN7rIBgAAAAJ&hl=en

Website: https://kpe.utoronto.ca/faculty/gillen-jenna

Twitter: @gillenb

Dr. Javier Gonzalez - a world known expert in exercise nutrition and metabolism - is a Professor within the Department of Health at the University of Bath (UK). As part of the Centre for Nutrition, Exercise, and Metabolism, Dr. Gonalez’s research program focuses on understanding nutrient metabolism during exercise and optimizing nutritional interventions for maximizing training adaptations. His research group employs a variety of methods to understand human fuel use, including indirect calorimetry, tissue biopsies and stable isotope infusion and ingestion. In addition to holding a Professorship at Bath University, Dr. Gonzalez is also a consultant to various sports teams and industry.

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?hl=en&user=cs9vvqMAAAAJ

Website: https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/javier-gonzalez

Twitter: @Gonzalez_JT

Dr. Brendon Gurd is a Professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen’s University (Kingston, ON). The overarching aim of Dr. Gurd’s research program is to understand the mechanisms by which different intensities and different types of exercise improve mitochondrial function in human skeletal muscle, and how improvements in mitochondrial function are linked to health and disease. Dr. Gurd’s Muscle Physiology Laboratory is among the few in Canada with the expertise and capacity to investigate the mechanisms that underpin exercise adaptations in humans from the whole-body down the molecular level.

Google scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=6cqhN8QAAAAJ&hl=en

Website: https://skhs.queensu.ca/people/faculty/brendon-gurd-phd/

Twitter: @gurdb

Dr. Walter Herzog is a professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary, Director of the Human Performance Lab, and is the Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) for Cellular and Molecular Biomechanics. He is a world-renowned expert in muscle and cartilage mechanics. Of interest to this symposium, he has developed a rat model of osteoarthritis which he has used to investigate the role of exercise in cartilage health. His work is world renowned and has been exceptionally highly awarded. Highlights of his many distinctions include honors such as induction to the Royal Society of Canada, the Muybridge Career Award from the International Society of Biomechanics, and is the namesake of the Dr. Walter Herzog Award in Excellence in Undergraduate Research from the Brazilian Society for Biomechanics. He has over 600 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and is the author/editor of 6 books and 50 book chapters.

Professor Sandra Hunter, PhD is a neuromuscular and exercise physiologist in the Exercise
Science Program, Department of Physical Therapy at Marquette University, Wisconsin, USA. She is
also Director of the Athletic and Human Performance Research Center. Professor Hunter received her
PhD in Exercise Physiology at the University of Sydney, Australia and then did 4 years as a
postdoctoral research associate at the University of Colorado Boulder with Professor Roger Enoka. Her
research focuses on sex and age differences in athletic performance, the causes of muscle fatigue in
older healthy and clinical populations including people with diabetes, Long COVID, sex differences, and
the protective effects of exercise. Professor Hunter currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the journal
Exercise and Sport Science Reviews.

Dr. Hashim Islam is a postdoctoral fellow within the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at the University of British Columbia (Okanagan). Dr. Islam’s PhD work examined the cellular/molecular responses to exercise and fasting in human skeletal muscle. His postdoctoral research involves both basic studies aimed at understanding the role of inflammation in type 2 diabetes pathophysiology and applied studies examining the effects of different exercise intensities and patterns on inflammatory processes in humans.

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?hl=en&user=Udc11TAAAAAJ

Website: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hashim_Islam

Twitter: @hashim90i

Andrea Josse, PhD is assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science, Faculty of Health, at York University, Canada. Dr. Josse is a nutritional scientist and exercise physiologist whose research area combines human nutrition and exercise science in the context of both human health promotion and chronic disease prevention. Her human research program spans 2 main areas, one focusing on longer-term lifestyle modification intervention strategies that include the provision of protein and micronutrient-rich dairy foods to achieve improvements in body composition, body weight, bone health and cardiometabolic outcomes. The other focusing on the immediate/short-term physiological responses following the consumption of different post-exercise wholefoods, nutritional supplements and individual nutrients on bone metabolism and inflammation to improve exercise recovery and musculoskeletal health. Dr. Josse has published 68 peer-reviewed papers and her research program is supported by a variety of government (NSERC, CFI) and organization (Dairy Farmers of Canada, US National Dairy Council) funding sources. Dr. Josse is highly committed to supporting trainee development in the areas of basic and applied human nutrition and exercise physiology in both a sport/exercise performance and health context as well as in a disease risk reduction/clinical context. As such, she works closely with registered dietitians and personal trainers for her research studies.

Michael Koehle MD PhD, is the Director of Sport & Exercise Medicine at the University of British Columbia. He is a Professor in the both the School of Kinesiology and the Faculty of Medicine at UBC. His research focusses on the interaction between the human body and its environment, specifically how the body is affected by environmental stresses such as high altitude, heat, and air pollution. He practices Sport and Exercise Medicine at the UBC Sport & Exercise Medicine Centre. His research program combines exercise and environmental physiology ranging from basic mechanistic research to clinical field studies in remote environments and applied research for high-performance sport. Key research areas include high altitude medicine and physiology, and the physiology of exercise in polluted air.

Hilkka Kontro has MSc degrees in Biochemistry (University of Helsinki) and Exercise
physiology (University of Jyväskylä). Currently, she is nearing the completion of her doctoral
studies under the supervision of Dr. Martin MacInnis at the University of Calgary. Her research
focuses on investigating the role of hemoglobin mass and oxygen delivery in endurance exercise,
with a specific emphasis on submaximal exercise responses. In her work, she explores how
fitness status and sex influence these responses, shedding light on the physiological differences
between individuals and the strategies to maintain homeostasis during altered capacity to deliver
oxygen. In her free time, Hilkka is an avid cyclist and runner.

Sarah Koch is a research assistant professor at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) in Spain. She obtained her doctorate degree from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver in exercise physiology studying the cardiovascular effects of diesel exhaust exposure during physical activity in individuals with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction using a laboratory-based approach. For her postdoctoral work, she dove into public health and epidemiological research studies. Using longitudinal cohort study designs as well as cross-sectional analyses, she currently studies how physical activity and gait combined with various environmental exposures such as air pollutants, heat, noise, blue-and greenspaces affect individuals’ health across the life course.

Jodi Langley is a PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Health; her research focuses on understanding how to implement and sustain physical activity programs for individuals living with non-curative cancer. Currently she works as the Atlantic coordinator for the EXercise for Cancer to Enhance Living well (EXCEL) study which focusses on implementing physical activity intervention for Canadians living with and beyond cancer in rural/ remote areas. Through this work she has been working with the Nova Scotia Cancer Care Program, YMCAs and other smaller fitness center to create sustainable physical activity programs for all Nova Scotians living with and beyond cancer.

In her dissertation research, Jodi’s work falls within the realm of implementation science and she uses realist evaluation and evidence-based co-design, to answer the question- “What works, for whom, under what circumstances and why?” This type of evaluation increases our understanding of what makes some programmes successful and others unsuccessful in a given context and then working with end-users to properly design programs that best suit their needs. Jodi is a big advocate for community-based and patient-orientated research in order to implement and sustain physical activity programs.

Dr. Leach is an associate professor and director of the Physical Activity for Treatment and Prevention Lab in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University. She received a B.S. in Exercise Science from the University of South Alabama, earned a M.S. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Texas at Arlington, and then completed her Ph.D. in Kinesiology from the University of Houston. Additionally, she completed two-years of postdoctoral fellowship training in physical activity for cancer survivorship in the Department of Kinesology at the University of Calgary. Dr. Leach is also a Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Certified Cancer Exercise Trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine. Dr. Leach has been working with clinical populations to promote exercise and active living, and teaching exercise science-related courses at the university level for for over 15 years. Dr. Leach’s current research interests are focused on 1) the social ecologic determinants of physical activity adoption and maintenance, 2) the physical and psychosocial benefits of physical activity for cancer survivors, and 3) translation of physical activity intervention research into standard health care practice and sustainable community programming. Her work is funded by the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dr. Jasmin Ma is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia, a Clinician Investigator with Arthritis Research Canada, and an Investigator with the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries. She was named a UBC Knowledge Mobilization Scholar for her work in bridging her role as a kinesiologist and researcher, working with clinicians and community members to provide physical activity participation opportunities for people with diverse physical abilities.

Kerry is an Associate Professor at Mid Sweden University and a senior applied sports science researcher within (and the former Director of) theSwedish Winter Sports Research Centre (SWSRC). The SWSRC is theOlympic test centre for winter sports in Sweden and a world-leading centre for skiing research. Kerry completed her Ph.D. at the University of Brighton in the U.K., focusing on the applications of critical power in cycling, and herM.Sc. by Research at the University of Western Australia, working with female soccer players. Kerry is passionate about supporting and developing women in sport. She currently leads on an M.Sc. program in SportsPerformance and Athlete Health, which is the main focus of her research. Much of Kerry’s work is conducted in collaboration with the Swedish Ski Federation and the Swedish Biathlon Association. She also works with the international skiing (FIS) and biathlon (IBU) federations and is a tutor on various high-performance skiing, biathlon and triathlon coaching programs inSweden, the U.K. and internationally. Kerry has published more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific articles and is an associate editor with the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance (IJSPP) and the InternationalJournal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (IJSNEM). Kerry is a level 3 soccer coach, a level 2 triathlon coach and is a competitive age-group triathlete

Dr. Tara-Leigh McHugh is a Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta. Her program of research is broadly focused on addressing gender inequities in sport. Dr. McHugh has extensive experience working with women and girls, particularly in sport and body image focused research. She has demonstrated excellence in applying qualitative and collaborative approaches to gender equity in sport research within her various nationally funded projects and has extensive experience in developing and maintaining community and cross-sector partnerships (e.g., university-government) that are necessary for creating policy change. Dr. McHugh currently serves on the Canadian Women & Sport Impact Research Committee, and has contributed to various Sport Canada research initiatives (e.g., Sport Participation Research Initiative Committee), which has resulted in well-established relationships with national and international leaders and experts in women’s sport and sport policy.

Verna received her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 2011 from the University of New Brunswick where she also completed the requirements for the CSEP Clinical Exercise Physiologist certification. After graduating she worked as a Kinesiologist in private practice for 5 years before transitioning into a Wellness Navigator role with Nova Scotia Health. Currently, she is the Operations Consultant with a focus on Physical Activity for the Primary Health Care and Chronic Disease Management Provincial Network in Nova Scotia. She oversees several physical activity initiatives in the province within Primary Health Care.

Dr. Guillaume Millet, PhD, is a professor at Jean Monnet University in St-Etienne (France). He held various positions in France, including a 4-year full-time research contract at INSERM. In 2013, he moved to the University of Calgary where he directed a research team of ~15 trainees. Back to France in 2018, he received a very competitive 1.2 million euros IDEXLYON fellowship and was asked to lead the ActiFS academic chair. He was also the director of the LIBM lab and was named at the ‘Institut Universitaire de France’ as a Senior member in 2019. His general research area investigates the factors associated with fatigue, both during extreme exercise and in patients. In February 2023, he had published 5 books and over 300 journal articles (cited > 13,700 times), his H index was 63. He has supervised over 40 postdoctoral fellows and PhD students coming from 14 different countries.Guillaume has also been an invited speaker 160 times. Personal website: www.kinesiologui.com - Twitter: @kinesiologui

Dr. Mitchell is a physiologist who leads the Aging, Nutrition,Exercise, and Muscle Metabolism Laboratory at UBC. His work seeks to identify mechanisms responsible for declining physical function and develop interventions to improve physical function in a range of populations. Dr. Mitchell’s work is focused in human participants and employs methods with range from exercise and nutrition interventions to molecular and cellular biology techniques.

Dr Morrison is a postdoctoral fellow working in the Integrative Cardiovascular Physiology Lab at Trinity Western University. She is a clinical exercise physiologist with 10 years of experience in cardiac rehabilitation with expertise in exercise prescription in athletes with cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risk assessment and pre-participation evaluation in athletes. Dr. Morrison completed her PhD at Sports Cardiology BC where she conducted a five-year longitudinal study in cardiovascular risk assessment in Masters endurance athletes. She is also collaborating with international leaders in the United Kingdom assessing cardiac structure and function in strength-trained individuals including those using anabolic steroids.

Stuart Phillips is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health. He is Director of the Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE) and the McMaster Centre for Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Research, and Lab Lead for the Exercise Metabolism Research Group. Stuart's research is focused on the impact of nutrition and exercise on human skeletal muscle protein turnover. He is keenly interested in diet- and exercise-induced changes in body composition. Stuart believes that a little bit of exercise is better than no exercise, and aims to encourage more physical activity in older adults.

Matiram Pun is a doctoral candidate in the Medical Science Program at the University of Calgary. Mati studies sleep-disordered breathing, primarily obstructive sleep apnea, with intermittent hypoxia in a controlled laboratory environment in Calgary, and also at high altitude in shift workers at The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in northern Chile. Some of Mati's previous research involved studying the effects of acute, subacute, and chronic exposure to very high altitudes in the Nepal Himalayas and South American Andes. Currently, Mati has been focusing on the effects of aging, shift work and extreme environment (high altitude) on sleep.

Dr. Pyke completed her undergraduate training at York University, and earned her MSc and PhD from Queen’s University followed by a Postdoctoral fellowship at McMaster. Her area of research is cardiovascular physiology with a focus on how everyday experiences including exercise, psychosocial stress and diet impact the function and structure of our arteries. As a professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen's University Dr. Pyke established the Cardiovascular Stress Response lab in 2008 and served as Director of the School from 2019-2022. Dr. Pyke is now a professor and Dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta.

Allison Sandmeyer-Graves is an experienced non-profit leader with a passion for social innovation that challenges the status quo. As CEO of Canadian Women & Sport, Allison is committed to achieving gender equity in society through the power of sport. She works extensively with organizations, governments and leaders to build knowledge, change attitudes, and develop capacity to create an equitable and inclusive Canadian sport and physical activity system. Previously, Allison spent a decade as a senior leader in a global youth empowerment organization where she helped to rapidly scale the organization’s impact around the world. Allison lives by the motto that our greatest potential lives just outside our comfort zone.

Madison Taylor is a PhD candidate working on the Female Endurance Athlete (FENDURA) Project at the Artic University of Norway (UiT). She is originally from Calgary where she did a Bachelor degree in Kinesiology at the University of Calgary. She moved to Trondheim, Norway in 2017 and completed a masters in Exercise Physiology at NTNU investigating the application of sprint training for professional cyclists. Her current research focuses on the influence of the menstrual cycle on the determinants of endurance performance, response to training and recovery. Madison is passionate about improving the understanding of women’s specific topics in sport and health research and aims to contribute to the field with high quality research methods and innovative thinking.

Tom Tripp is a PhD candidate in Dr. Martin MacInnis' lab at the University of Calgary. His research focuses on understanding the contributions of skeletal muscle and blood to endurance exercise capacity and how these physiological systems adapt to different types of endurance training. Tom's work uses molecular and whole-body measurement methods ranging from skeletal muscle biopsies and venous blood collection to neuromuscular function assessments and exercise capacity testing

Henriette van Praag received her Ph.D. from Tel-Aviv University (Israel). She obtained postdoctoral training at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, NJ, followed by a position as a staff scientist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, CA. Dr. van Praag started her own research group at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore in 2007. She moved her laboratory to Florida Atlantic University in 2018. She is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine and FAU Brain Institute, and serves as co-Editor-in-Chief for the journal Brain Plasticity. Her lab aims to understand the beneficial effects of exercise on brain function and behavior.

Jessica Zelinka joined the Dinos on Aug. 16, 2021, as the head coach of the Dinos Track & Field and Cross Country teams.

Zelinka is no stranger to the University of Calgary community, having graduated from the university in 2007 after competing on the Dinos track and field team for four seasons. She is one of the most decorated student-athletes in Dinos history and was inducted into the Canada West Hall of Fame in 2020.

Zelinka began her international career on the track in 2000, two years before she enrolled at UCalgary and competed on the varsity circuit, under the training of former Dinos track and field head coach Les Gramantik. A specialist in combined events, she was a four-time Canada West Athlete of the Year, based on her outstanding performances at conference championships, and helped the Dinos win Canada West titles in 2005 and 2007. At U SPORTS championships, she picked up medals from 17 podium finishes in her collegiate career and was named Female Track Athlete of the year in 2004 and top female field athlete in 2007. The 2007 season was a banner year for Zelinka and the Dinos women's track and field team as they won the national championship, while Zelinka later earned the BLG Award as the top female athlete in U SPORTS.

A native of London, Ont., Zelinka's top performances internationally came in the heptathlon and the individual 100-metre hurdles. She captured her first international medal, winning the heptathlon, at the 2007 Pan American Games. The following year, she made her Olympic debut and finished fourth in the heptathlon at Beijing 2008, breaking a Canadian record. After returning from having a baby in 2009, Zelinka broke her Canadian record in the heptathlon and won the 100-metre hurdles at the 2012 Canadian Trials to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics. At those Games, she placed fifth overall in the heptathlon and had an impressive sixth-place finish in 100-metre hurdles. Zelinka was also a two-time silver medallist in the heptathlon at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2014.

Zelinka has served in coaching capacities for clubs and programs since retiring in 2016. As a contract coach with Athletics Alberta, she has promoted track and field programs and inspired participation in local and rural schools. At the club level, Zelinka's roles include head coach of the junior development program and hurdles and horizontal jump event coach. Zelinka has also delivered track camps and clinics, led dryland training, and offered mentorship for individuals of all ages and sports organizations.

Zelinka received a Bachelor of Arts in communication and culture from UCalgary in 2007 and a Master of Management Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Queen's University in 2018. In addition to several honours from Athletics Canada, Zelinka was named one of Global Calgary's Woman of Vision in 2009, celebrating the accomplishments of outstanding women in the city, and received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, which recognizes significant contributions by Canadians in their communities or abroad.