Bone Stress Injuries Study

Bone Stress Injuries Study

Have you experienced bone stress injuries? We’re looking for people who have competed at an elite- or international-level sporting competition and who have a history of bone stress injury (sometimes called ‘stress fracture’) to join our Research Advisory Panel.

We would like to work with athletes who are willing to share their experiences of recovering from bone stress injury, common in basketball, gymnastics, or track & field. Participation in all types of sport of level of competition will be considered.

We will ask you to share your experiences and opinions to help shape a research project on how athletes and their support team make decisions about their rehabilitation following a high-risk bone stress injury.

If you have experienced bone stress injury and you think you might be interested, please reach out to learn more: paul.blazey@ubc.ca

If you agree to participate, commitments and opportunities will include at a minimum:

  • 1-2 hour meeting every 3 months
  • Space to share your experiences and ideas
  • A place to learn about and contribute to research

If you are interested and would like to learn more, please send us a short paragraph about why you’re keen to be involved and your experience of bone stress injury. Get in touch by emailing paul.blazey@ubc.ca

MSc and PhD opportunities in exercise physiology at the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation at St. Paul’s Hospital

The Cardiopulmonary Exercise Physiology (CPEP) Laboratory is recruiting new students interested in pursuing graduate studies in human exercise physiology. The CPEP laboratory is located within the world renowned UBC Centre for Heart Lung Innovation at St. Paul’s Hospital. The lab studies the physiological mechanisms and management of exercise limitation and breathlessness across the full spectrum of health and fitness, including elite athletes to those suffering from chronic cardiorespiratory diseases. Students will work under the mentorship of Dr. Jordan Guenette and will collaborate with physicians, scientists, and graduate students from multiple institutions around the world. The following links provide more details about these exciting opportunities:

PhD position: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/ad/55188

MSc position: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/ad/55184

Exploring eating behaviours, dietary intake, food insecurity and body composition in undergraduate students

Principle Investigator:
Tamara Cohen, Pragti Varshney

Details:
Food insecurity is a growing concern among university students and is linked to poor diet quality, higher stress, and unhealthy eating behaviours. Students are particularly vulnerable due to financial pressures and life transitions that can make regular access to food difficult. Intuitive eating, which involves listening to hunger and fullness cues rather than following strict diet rules, is associated with better mental well-being and fewer disordered eating behaviours, but it may be harder to practice when food access is unreliable.

 Research consistently shows that higher food insecurity is associated with lower intuitive eating, especially when food insecurity is ongoing. Limited access to food can disrupt hunger cues and increase stress, leading to overeating or disordered eating patterns. While intuitive eating may help reduce some negative effects, little research has examined this relationship among Canadian university students, highlighting the need for further study in this population.

How to participate:

Click here to sign up

School of Kinesiology welcomes Mark Newman, Lecturer in Exercise Prescription & Injury Management

The UBC School of Kinesiology is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Mark Newman as a Lecturer in Exercise Prescription and Injury Management.

Mark joins the School from the University of Derby where was an instructor in strength and conditioning, sport and exercise science, and rehabilitation. His teaching centers on exercise prescription and testing, injury biomechanics, and applied rehabilitation and focuses on supporting students to develop the clinical reasoning, confidence, and professional judgement required for safe and effective practice. Mark designs learning activities to be inclusive and applied, integrating theory with hands-on experience through case-based teaching, authentic assessment, and practical laboratory work to prepare students from diverse educational backgrounds for real-world clinical and professional contexts. Mark draws on prior experience working as a sports therapist, strength and conditioning coach, and exercise professional across healthcare, community, and high-performance sport settings. He is completing a PhD in neuromuscular physiology, with research interests in the force–velocity relationship and applied performance assessment.

Please join the School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education in welcoming Mr. Mark Newman into his new role beginning September 1, 2026.

Newman, Mark

Lecturer

Email: mark.newman@ubc.ca

Office: Coming soon!

Education

Coming soon! 

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New federal funding supports UBC research on heat and schizophrenia

The Government of Canada has announced more than $17 million in funding through its Climate Change and Health Capacity Building Program, including support for University of British Columbia research examining how extreme heat affects people living with schizophrenia.

At this morning’s announcement, Dr. Liv Yoon highlighted findings from the 2021 B.C. heat dome, during which people living with schizophrenia represented approximately 1% of the population but accounted for nearly 16% of heat-related deaths. Research suggests that a combination of social, environmental, and health-related factors can increase vulnerability during extreme heat events.

Dr. Yoon’s HeatADAPT-funded project aims to better understand the relationship between residents’ lived experiences and the physical conditions inside their homes during extreme heat, helping inform more equitable climate adaptation strategies. Her broader research focuses on the intersection of climate change, health, and social inequities.

Dr. Liv Yoon speaking at the HeatADAPT funding announcement

Learn more:

Read the Q&A on the Faculty of Education website

Government of Canada Climate Change and Health Capacity Building Program

School of Kinesiology welcomes Astrid De Souza, Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Prescription

The UBC School of Kinesiology is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Astrid De Souza as a Lecturer (part-time) in Clinical Exercise Prescription.

Ms. De Souza joins the School with over 20 years of experience in the health care system. She has worked at the Healthy Heart Program at St. Paul’s Hospital, the Happy Hearts Cardiac Rehabilitation program at the YMCA, and currently in the Children’s Heart Centre at BC Children’s Hospital. She has a strong background in exercise physiology, exercise prescription, and rehabilitation in children and adults with congenital and acquired heart disease as well as other chronic health conditions.   Ms. De Souza has dedicated her career to teaching Kinesiology undergraduate and graduate students, providing invaluable opportunities for applied clinical experience. Most recently, she has taught in the UBC Kinesiology graduate program, the Douglas College Sport Science program, and in the UBC Physiotherapy program (cardiac rehabilitation modules).  Beyond her clinical experience, Ms. De Souza brings a breadth of applied coaching experience as a long-time high performance field hockey coach at community up to Provincial levels and as strength and conditioning coaching for figure skating clubs in Vancouver. 

Please join the School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education in welcoming Ms. Astrid De Souza in her new role beginning July 1, 2026.

UBC School of Kinesiology is Ranked 1st in North America and 4th Globally in to the QS World University Rankings 2026

According to the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject, the UBC School of Kinesiology, together with the UBC Okanagan School of Health and Exercise Sciences, is ranked among the world’s leading programs in sports-related subjects.

Now in its 22nd year, the QS World University Rankings by Subject evaluates more than 1,900 institutions worldwide across a wide range of academic disciplines. Subject rankings are based on several indicators, including academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper, H-index, and international research collaboration. Among these measures, academic reputation carries the greatest weight, reflecting the quality, influence, and global impact of a university’s research.

This achievement highlights the School of Kinesiology’s continued leadership in teaching, research, and knowledge mobilization. It reflects the dedication of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners, and reinforces our commitment to advancing innovative, inclusive, and impactful approaches to health, physical activity, and sport.

To learn more about the rankings, visit the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 webpage. Additional information about the ranking methodology is available on the QS methodology webpage.

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School of Kinesiology welcomes Dr. Michael (Mick) Leahy, Assistant Professor in Cardiovascular Exercise Physiology

The UBC School of Kinesiology is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Michael (Mick) Leahy as an Assistant Professor in Cardiovascular Exercise Physiology.

Dr. Leahy joins the School following a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center where his research program sought to investigate the influence of skeletal muscle on cardiovascular control and the limitations of hemodynamic function in health, ageing, and disease. His interdisciplinary work is a product of support from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the American Heart Association, with a track record of industry collaboration including Lululemon Athletica and Nike. Beyond research, Dr. Leahy is a certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist (CEP) with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP). Dr. Leahy brings evidence-based practice to the classroom as well as a passion for students to develop practical skills as working kinesiologists and physiologists. Dr. Leahy completed his B.Kin. at Acadia University, received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Health and Integrative Physiology here at the University of British Columbia.

Please join the School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education in welcoming Dr. Leahy in his new role beginning July 1, 2026.

De Souza, Astrid

Lecturer

Email: astrid.desouza@ubc.ca

Office: 6139 – 5955 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1

Education

Coming soon! 

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