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

Dr Emma Beckman standing

Director

Associate Professor Emma Beckman is an internationally recognised researcher and advocate in disability sport, and an internationally accredited classifier in Para Athletics.

Emma brings significant national and international leadership experience to the role, including as Chair of the International Paralympic Committee’s Sports Medicine Research Advisory Group and President of Exercise and Sport Science Australia. 

At UQ, she has also served as Director of Teaching and Learning within the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences and on a range of faculty and university committees.

Emma also brings extensive experience across the high-performance and disability sport sectors through roles with Sporting Wheelies, the Queensland Academy of Sport and Paralympics Australia.

Leads

Health Legacy

Associate Professor Sjaan Gomersall is an international advocate for physical activity and health, and is the Director, Health and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation and 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.

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

Associate Professor 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.

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.

Members

The University of Queensland

Affiliate members