Two UQ staff members help a Para START participant into the pool

Our people

Experts on all areas of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Meet the QCOPS team

We are a multidisplinary team of researchers and educators who offer a range of expertise on the Olympic and Paralympic Games, including:

sports science and sports medicine
history and sociology
business and law
pedagogy
psychology and coaching
engineering
biomechanics
epidemiology and public health
sports technology.

Media enquiries

QCOPS experts are available to comment on a range of Olympic and Paralympic topics.

The UQ Media team can connect you with the right expert.

Email communications@uq.edu.au

Director

Professor John Cairney is Head of School at the UQ School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences and the director of the Centre.

He brings to the role more than 20 years of experience in research leadership, having led internationally renowned research centres in both Canada and Australia.

Professor Cairney is a world leader in paediatric exercise medicine and is engaged in multiple dimensions of sport, exercise and health research. His specialities include public health, athlete development pathways, athlete mental health and wellbeing, youth sport participation, sport diplomacy and sport leadership and business.

Research Program Manager

Dr Samantha Mulcahy is an affiliate researcher at the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences. She holds a Master's in Public Health (Health Promotion and Disease Prevention) and has extensive experience in partnership and stakeholder engagement, and management of complex multi-year funded research projects and consultancies.

Leads

Health Legacy

Associate Professor Sjaan Gomersall is an international advocate for physical activity and health, and is the President of the International Society for Physical Activity and Health. Sjaan is passionate about leveraging the Olympics and sport for health to improve participation in physical activity.

Indigenous Sport

Dr Kai Wheeler is a proud Ngarabal person and Accredited Exercise Scientist (ESSA) whose research examines how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities can co-design programs that build community capacity and engage young people in a broad range of development areas.

Strategy and Engagement

Dr Sharon Hinton is the Executive Manager in UQ's Office of 2032 Games Engagement. She is an experienced executive manager with broad expertise in strategy, innovation, project management, education and strategic relationship management.

Inclusion and Disability

Associate Professor Emma Beckman is passionate about engaging in research to improve the lives of people with a disability through sports, physical activity and exercise. Her interests in Para Sport range from classification and grassroots participation to talent identification, coaching and high-performance pathways for para athletes.

Tourism and Mega Events

Dr Monica Chien is renowned for her research in sport marketing, sponsorship, tourism and mega-event impact studies. Her extensive international experience and proficiency in multiple languages enhance her engagement with diverse stakeholders.

Athlete Health

Associate Professor Michelle Smith researches lower limb joint health, focusing on the prevention and management of injuries and pathologies across the lifespan to enable unrestricted participation in sport, physical activity and work.

Research Fellow

Dr Stephen Townsend is a historian engaged in several research projects with QCOPS, in particular the development of the UQ Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame. Stephen is an expert on the history of brain trauma in sport, race and racism in sport, and the digital humanities.

Patron

Honorary Associate Professor Ian Jobling is an internationally renowned researcher and educator of Olympic and Paralympic histories. Dr Jobling founded QCOPS in 2000 and is its inaugural patron. Although formally retired from academia, he remains an active researcher on Olympic and Paralympic matters.