Jamie Burr is an Associate Professor and the director of the Human Performance and Health Research lab at the University of Guelph. Outside of the lab, he works with elite athletes as a sport scientist and NHL high-performance director. His work considers integrated systems-level exercise physiology, with a focus on both human performance and health.

Dr. Jas Chahal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery and Division Head of Orthopaedic Surgery at Women's College Hospital. He is also the team orthopaedic surgeon for the Toronto FC and University of Toronto Varsity Blues Athletics Program. His areas of interest include conducting clinical trials in orthopaedic sports medicine, as well as, translational research regarding the use of orthobiologics in sports medicine. In 2022, Dr Chahal was selected as a Travelling fellow by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, a prestigious honour that highlights his academic and clinical work to date.

Jessica Fraser-Thomas (PhD) is an Associate Professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science at York University, and a member of the LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research. Her research focuses on children and youths’ development through sport, with particular interest in positive youth development, psychosocial influences, and sport trajectories. Currently she is working on projects exploring preschoolers' introductions to organized sport, and characteristics of programs that may facilitate optimal development within diverse communities. She is a recipient of the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology Young Scientist Award, the Province of Ontario Volunteer Service Award, and YMCA Canada’s Program Innovation Award.

Michael Hutchison oversees the clinical and research activities related to sport concussion at the David L. MacIntosh Sport Medicine Clinic, University of Toronto. He holds a PhD in Rehabilitation Science (Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto) and specializes in sport-related concussion research in various populations ranging from adolescent students, university level students, and professional athletes.

Mark Ideson is a three-time Paralympic medalist and World Champion in the sport of wheelchair curling. Before his successful career in curling, Mark was a professional helicopter pilot. In 2007, at the age of 30, he was involved in a helicopter accident resulting in a spinal cord injury that left him living life with quadriplegia. Forced to reestablish his outlook on life, Mark found inspiration from watching the Vancouver Olympics in 2010 and, more specifically, learning about Jon Montgomery's journey to Olympic success. After deciding to pursue parasport, Mark tried a couple of sports before finding his fit with wheelchair curling. Since then, he has represented Canada at nine World Wheelchair Curling Championships and three Paralympic Winter Games, including most recently in Beijing, China, where he helped Team Canada capture the bronze medal. Mark lives in London, Ontario, and is a married father of two children. His life has been one of triumph over tragedy, and he loves to share his story of inspiration, perseverance, and the pursuit of excellence.

Mick Lizmore is the Head Coach of the National Wheelchair Curling Program. A two-time National Champion curler (2012 Canadian University Curling Championships and 2016 Canadian Mixed Curling Championships), Mick joined the National Program in 2019 as an Assistant Coach and performance analytics consultant. He was named Head Coach in 2020 following his contributions to back-to-back World Championship medals (gold at the 2019 B Event and silver at the 2020 A Event). Since becoming Head Coach, Mick has coached Team Canada to two additional World Championship silver medals (2023 and 2024) and a Paralympic bronze medal (2022). Mick completed a Doctoral Degree in Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation with a specialization in sport psychology at the University of Alberta, where he also spent eight years as a Lecturer. During that time, he also led one of Canada's first high school curling academies.

Dr. Tara-Leigh McHugh's program of research is focused on understanding and enhancing the psychosocial physical activity experiences of women and girls, and Indigenous youth. As a former athlete, she is committed to understanding and addressing the various factors that shape women's and girls' equitable participation in sport. Over the 20 years of her research career, Dr. McHugh's program of research has been driven by her vision for the equitable participation of women and girls in all roles and across all levels of sport. Dr. McHugh has demonstrated local, national, and international leadership in advancing research, practices, and policies focused on addressing the psychosocial factors that are necessary for ensuring the equitable participation of women, girls, and Indigenous youth in sport.

Dr. McHugh is committed to engaging in qualitative, collaborative, and community-based participatory research approaches. Her program of research is currently funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Olympic Studies Centre.

Daniel Moore is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto (UoT) and a member of the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology and American College of Sports Medicine. His research explores the interplay between exercise and nutrition, with a focus on dietary protein and amino acids, and how the two can be used to optimize the quantity and quality of muscle across a range of different populations including youth, athletes, and older adults. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed papers and was recognized for his research in protein metabolism by the American Society for Nutrition as the 2012 recipient of the Peter J. Reeds Young Investigator Award.

Kyle Paquette is the National Wheelchair Curling Program Director for Curling Canada. Throughout the last 18 years, Kyle has supported athletes and coaches from 10 National Sport Federations and four professional sport organizations as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC). Through his work with these organizations, Kyle has supported Canadian athletes at six Olympic and Paralympic Games, including numerous Olympic/Paralympic and World Champions and medalists. Kyle also holds a Doctoral Degree in Human Kinetics with a specialization in sport psychology and coach education. He spent four year working as a Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa coordinating the graduate program in mental performance. Recently, Kyle led a nationwide project on developing cultures of excellence within the Canadian amateur sport system.

Prof dr. Johan Pion is internationally recognised as an expert on talent identification and development. He leads the expert team’s research on the early identification and development of talented children and athletes at HAN in the Netherlands and is also a visiting professor of talent identification and development at Ghent University in Belgium. He has years of experience as a sports scientist. He developed the SportKompas with his colleagues at Ghent University and made his mark in ‘train the trainer programmes’; education and research. The impact of the tools and applied predictive methods developed in his research were guiding policies in Flanders (SportKompas) and the Netherlands (Sportief Groot Worden), the National Youth Sport Institute (Singapore); the National Sport Institute in Malaysia (MyTID at ISN) and the organisation of sports professionals in Indonesia (Sekora).

Professor Yannis Pitsiladis has an established history of research into the importance of lifestyle and genetics for human health and performance. His current research interest is in exploring human enhancement technologies applicable to health and disease with particular focus on responsible paradigms. His most recent research is funded by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and involves the application of “omics” (i.e. genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and proteomics) and artificial intelligence to the detection of drugs in sport with particular reference to blood doping and testosterone. Yannis is a member of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission, a member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Scientific Commission of the International Sports Medicine Federation (FIMS), a member of the Scientific and Education Commission of the European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA), a member of WADA’s Health Medical Research Committee (HMRC), and is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). He has published over 250 scientific papers, written and edited a number of books and has featured in numerous documentaries (e.g. “Kipchoge: The Last Milestone” is a 2021 documentary film directed by Jake Scott and executive produced by Ridley Scott; “Enhanced” – Documentary Film, 2018. Produced by award winning director Alex Gibney) and popular books (e.g. The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance; Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice).

Devin is the Senior Director of Research and Development for Team Operations at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, with leadership roles in both the Sport Performance Lab and SportsX programs. These groups are tasked with executing strategic research initiatives to develop competitive advantage for MLSE teams on the court, field, and ice.

Before joining MLSE, Devin worked for Opta Sports, Major League Soccer, and as a soccer coach. Devin has a technical background in both Computer Science and Goalkeeping and is a regular contributor to the sports analytics community.

Alex Roberts is the Talent Identification and Development Lead at the Queensland Academy of Sport, where she leads the team responsible for finding and developing Australia’s next generation of Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Alex is an accredited sport scientist and trainer of coach developers, and is passionate about identifying and supporting future elite athletes, coaches and sport scientists. She is a leading researcher in talent identification, and has a background in coach development and skill acquisition. Alex is also an honorary (adjunct) lecturer at La Trobe University and a consultant for the Australian Institute of Sport.

Sam Robertson is a researcher and consultant focusing on developing methods and systems to optimise integrations between humans and technology. He specialises in collaborative projects that connect sporting teams, technology companies, governing bodies and universities to generate mutual and broad benefit for a range of stakeholders. Sam has worked with a range of sporting organisations including FIFA, The Australian Football League, San Antonio Spurs, Tennis Australia, Barça Innovation Hub, Kansas City Royals and the Western Bulldogs amongst others. He is also the host of the popular future of sport podcast, One Track Mind.

Fieke is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology, within the School of Science and Technology, at Nottingham Trent University. Fieke’s research predominantly focuses on whether and how involvement with (intensified) youth sport contexts can be healthy. She has a particular interest in understanding how the sporting environment and specifically program staff may facilitate the holistic, whole-person development of their athletes alongside pursuing performance outcomes. She has undertaken funded research for Uefa, the FA, UK Sport, UK Coaching, Premier League Charitable Fund and Active Communities Network. Fieke is also a TASS lifestyle advisor, supporting student-athletes in balancing the multiple demands placed upon them.
Twitter:@FiekeRongen
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6367-8255

Catherine Sabiston is a Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto and holds a Canada Research Chair in Physical Activity and Mental Health. Catherine is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and is an international leader in sport and exercise psychology research. Prof. Sabiston has secured over $32 Million in funding for her multidisciplinary and mixed-methods research and has published nearly 400 research articles and book chapters with a specific enduring interest in girls and women's sport, exercise, and health. Her work is often featured in the media and has impacted programs, policies, and participation locally, nationally, and globally.

Dr. Jason Vescovi has over 20 years of experience as an applied sports scientist and performance researcher. He spent the first decade of his career conducting laboratory-based human physiology research focused on women’s performance and health. Then Dr. Vescovi worked for several Canadian national sport organizations (NSOs) – including Skate Canada, Tennis Canada, Field Hockey Canada and Archery Canada – where he implemented innovative applied sports science strategies and provided direct support to athletes across three Olympic quadrennials. After 18 years living in Toronto, he returned to the U.S. to join USA Lacrosse as the Director, Center for Sports Science & Safety and was recently promoted to the VP, High Performance.

Dr. Joe Baker is the Tanenbaum Research Chair in Sport Science, Data Modelling and Sport Analytics at the University of Toronto, Canada. His research considers the varying influences on optimal human development, ranging from issues affecting athlete development and skill acquisition to barriers and facilitators of successful aging. Joe is Past President of the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology and the author/editor of 13 books and over 300 scientific publications. www.bakerlab.kpe.utoronto.ca

Alex Hutchinson is a National Magazine Award-winning journalist and Outside’s Sweat Science columnist, covering the latest research on endurance and outdoor sports. His most recent book is the New York Times bestseller Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. Before becoming a journalist, he completed a PhD in physics at the University of Cambridge and worked as a researcher in the National Security Agency’s Quantum Computing group. He also competed for the Canadian national team in track, cross-country, road, and mountain running. He lives (and runs) in Toronto.

Dr. Jacobs is the inaugural Director of the Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport. A tenured professor, he recently completed 11 years as the Dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto. He previously served as the Chair of the School of Kinesiology & Health Science at York University in Toronto.

Dr. Jacobs has over 25 years of experience as a federal government scientist, having held progressively increasing scientific and executive level appointments within Defence Research & Development Canada (DRDC). He received his doctorate from the Department of Clinical Physiology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, where he specialized in skeletal muscle metabolism. For the next 25 years he carried out extensive applied human physiology research and was appointed to roles with increasing leadership responsibilities at the Canadian federal government’s human sciences research centre operated by the Department of National Defence, where he attained the position of centre Chief Scientist. During that period, he received scientific research awards for his initiation and leadership of a unique international research group of physiologists and physicians who provided physiological support and advice about physiological, nutritional and pharmacological strategies to sustain and enhance the performance of military personnel. He has published over 200 scientific articles, reports and book chapters about his research interests, which include: performance enhancement through physiological, pharmacological and nutritional manipulation of metabolism, the physiological responses to physical exertion in environmental extremes, and energy metabolism.

He is a past President of the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, and was awarded its highest award for his career research achievements. He is an inducted Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the US National Academy of Kinesiology. He received the Canadian Peacekeeping Service medal from the Government of Canada for his work as a United Nations biological weapons inspector 1995-1998.

His senior leadership roles have been in the government, academic and business/industrial sectors and have included managerial, administrative, and fiduciary responsibilities and accountabilities for large numbers of scientific, technical, administrative, and academic staff. He has also applied his expertise and knowledge in human physiology as a consultant to private, Canadian, and international government agencies.

Dr. Gretchen Kerr is a full professor and Dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education at the University of Toronto, with responsibilities for both the Faculty’s academic and research activities as well as the sport and recreation programs that serve the university and surrounding communities. As an expert on gender-based violence in sport, Dr. Kerr is frequently commissioned to inform decision-makers in the high-performance sports community about her research which focuses on athletes’ experiences of maltreatment in sport, and the systemic changes needed to advance safe, healthy, inclusive and welcoming sport. The current public and political attention to maltreatment in sport was presaged by years of empirical evidence accumulated in the published research of Dr. Kerr and her graduate students.

An elite athlete for most of her life, Anne Merklinger was a member of Canada's national swim team from 1977–1981. Anne earned a silver medal at the 1979 World University Games in the 200‐metre breaststroke.

After a distinguished swimming career, Anne focused on curling and since the early 1980's she competed with distinction at every major event she entered. She was consistently ranked as one of Canada's foremost curlers, winning the Ontario Women’s Curling Championships in 1993, 1994, 1998 and 2000. She has twice led her team to the final of the Scott Tournament of Hearts (1998 and 2000).

A passionate, creative, and inspiring leader, Anne has more than 35 years of management experience with national sport organizations. Prior to becoming CEO, Anne held the position of Director, Summer Sports with Own the Podium. She previously worked with CanoeKayak Canada in the role of Director General, and has also worked with the Commission for Inclusion of Athletes with a Disability and the Canadian Federation of Sport Organization for the Disabled.

Anne’s life‐long experience in sport as an athlete and professional is complemented by extensive volunteer experience with a number of organizations including the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, Women’s Tour of Curling, Women and Sport, and Special Olympics Canada.

Dr. Doug Richards is a retired clinical sport physician and biomechanist now teaching full-time at the university. Educated in medicine at U of T (Class of 7T9), he worked at the University of Toronto’s David L. MacIntosh Sport Medicine Clinic from 1984 - 2021, and was its medical director from 1989 - 2020. He has been a professor in U of T’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto since 1991. Over his clinical career, Dr. Richards organized and provided medical services at a variety of national and international sporting events and major games, and he was a team physician for U of T’s Varsity Blues intercollegiate teams from 1984-2021, for Canada’s women's national basketball team from 1987-2021, for our national beach volleyball teams from 1997-2014, and the Toronto Raptors from 1995-2004. Dr. Richards teaches four undergraduate courses in sport medicine, biomechanics and personal health, and two graduate courses in clinical assessment and exercise prescription. He was a semi-finalist in the TVO Best Lecturer contest in 2008, and a finalist in the same contest in 2009. His research interests have focused on concussion in sports and the biomechanics of injury. He is an avid cyclist who rides over 8-10,000 km a year.

Jennifer Sygo is a dietitian, sports nutritionist, author, and speaker specializing in nutrition for prevention and performance.

After completing an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at McMaster University and a Masters of Science in Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences, specializing in Nutrition, Exercise, and Metabolism from the University of Guelph, Jennifer joined the team at Cleveland Clinic Canada in 2006, where she uses evidence-based strategies to help busy professionals, athletes, and active individuals make simple dietary changes to improve their health and performance, and reduce their risk of disease.

A leading sport nutritionist, Jennifer works with athletes ranging from weekend warriors to athletes in the NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball, and professional tennis. She has provided nutrition services for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Triathlon Canada, and currently serves as team dietitian for the Toronto Raptors, Athletics Canada, Swimming Canada, and Gymnastics Canada.

Jennifer is also a popular speaker and seminar leader, and provides presentations and keynote addresses for major corporations and conferences. Jennifer's nutrition expertise is routinely featured in the media, including The National Post, The Toronto Star, and CBC's The National. In 2014, Jennifer's first book, "Unmasking Superfoods: the Truth and Hype about Acai, Quinoa, Chia, Blueberries, and More", was published by HarperCollins Canada, and became a national best-seller.

Outside of her work, Jennifer is an avid sports enthusiast, and a proud mother of two young boys.

From the period 1996-2006, Dr. Andy Van Neutegem worked in the UK in a number of sport leadership roles including Athletic Director at Bournemouth University and Head of the National Anti-Doping Program for the United Kingdom. He returned to Canada in 2008 to work for Canadian Sport Institute-Pacific as a High Performance Director, undertaking the Lead role in the Performance Readiness Division (Psychology, Research and Medical Services) of the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific.

Andy served as the High Performance Director of the National Wheelchair Rugby Team which he has held since 2008. Andy led the team to a bronze medal in Beijing 2008 and a silver medal in the London 2012 Paralympic Games, a silver medal at the World Championships in August 2014, and a fourth place finish in Rio 2016. In 2014-15, Andy also served in the role of General Manager with Hockey Canada responsible for the National Sledge Hockey Program, winning a silver medal at the Para-Ice Hockey World Championships.

Currently Andy is the Vice President of Performances Sciences, Research & Innovation with Own the Podium. His responsibilities include overseeing research and innovation for Canadian high performance sport as well as contributing national leadership in the areas of data analytics, return to performance (injury surveillance), athlete and coach well-being, mental health, and culture of excellence.

Dr. Van Neutegem academic background includes faculty member and Department Chair in the Centre for Sport and Exercise Education at Camosun College. He currently is an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia in the Master’s degree, High Performance Coaching & Technical Leadership. Andy received his Doctorate (2007) in athlete career transitions and athlete maladaptive behaviours from the University of Southampton, England and was the lead consultant in the development of the national athlete career transition program in Canada, entitled Game Plan. In 2016, Andy was the recipient of the Coach Association of Canada Investors Group National NCCP Coach Developer Award.

Dr. Daniel (Danny) Whelan earned his Medical Degree at Memorial University, completed orthopaedic residency training at the University of Toronto and subsequently completed an MSc in epidemiology at the University of Western Ontario concurrent with a clinical fellowship at the Fowler-Kennedy Sport medicine clinic. In fact during his time at Western he was fortunate enough to have done some of his clinical and academic work under the supervision of Dr. Sandy Kirkley. He returned to Toronto for a staff position at St. Michael’s Hospital and is currently an associate professor at the University of Toronto and a scientist at the Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.

He currently serves as the Head of the University of Toronto Orthopaedic Sport Medicine Program (UTOSM) and is the holder of the Professorship in Orthopaedic Sport Medicine with the Tannenbaum Institute for Sport Science. In his role at St. Mike’s, a level I trauma centre, Dr. Whelan’s clinical interest lies somewhere between trauma and sports medicine and he has developed an extensive experience in the treatment of knee dislocations and multi ligament knee injuries.

Dr. Whelan is currently involved in several national and international multi-centre clinical trials in orthopaedic sport medicine, with ongoing investigations on multi-ligament knee injuries, arthroscopic surgery for femoro acetabular impingement and lateral extra articular tenodesis in ACL reconstruction. Dr. Whelan has been an AOSSM Sandy Kirkley Grant winner as well as an ESSKA-AOSSM travelling fellow. Dr. Whelan’s other research interests include joint instability, particularly of the knee and shoulder, hip pain in the young adult, and randomized trials in surgery.