The Queensland Centre for Olympic and Paralympic Studies
Professor John Cairney – Centre Director
Professor John Cairney is Head of School at the UQ School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences and the newly appointed director of the Centre. He brings to the role more than 20 years of experience in research leadership, having led in
internationally renowned research centres in both Canada and Australia. Professor Cairney assumes the leadership of the Centre from Honorary Associate Professor Ian Jobling, its founding director from (2000-2023) and current Patron.
Professor Cairney leads 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, and sports technology.
Professor Cairney’s own expertise is as diverse as the centre itself. After initially completing a PhD in sociology, he is now a world-leader in paediatric exercise medicine and is engaged in with multiple dimensions of sport, exercise and health research, including public health, athlete development pathways, athlete mental health and well-being, youth sport participation, sport diplomacy, and sport history.
Dr Stephen Townsend – Research Fellow
Dr Stephen Townsend is a historian whose research focuses on the social and cultural aspects of sport and health. Stephen is engaged in several research projects with The Centre, in particular the development of the UQ Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame. He is also an expert on the history of brain trauma in sport, race and racism in sport, and the digital humanities.
Dr Veronique Richard – Research Fellow
Dr. Veronique Richard is an esteemed expert in mental performance, with a focus on using creative practices and designing creativity-supportive environments to enhance performance and well-being in athletes and performing artists. She served as a consultant to the Canadian Olympic Team (waterpolo & artistic swimming) to the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. She currently leads multiple research projects in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Sport, SASI netball, Tennis Australia, and professional sports. She also acts as a consultant with AusCycling and Squash Australia. Her work underscores the importance of innovative approaches in optimizing human potential across various domains.
Steering Committee
- Professor John Cairney - Director QCOPS - hos@hmns.uq.edu.au
- Dr Sharon Hinton - Exec Manager Office of Games Engagement - s.hinton@uq.edu.au
- Professor Bruce Abernethy - Exec Director Office of Games Engagement - b.abernethy@uq.edu.au
- Dr Stephen Townsend - Research Fellow QCOPS - s.townsend@uq.edu.au
- Mikaeli Costelloe - Chief Community Engagement Officer Advancement and Community Engagement - mikaeli.costello@uq.edu.au
- Peta Rake - Director and Senior Curator at UQ Art Museum - p.rake@uq.edu.au
- Rachael Watson OAM PLY - UQ Student (B Social Work) and Paralympian - rachael.watson@uq.edu.au
- Professor Brent Ritchie - Head of Business School - b.ritchie@uq.edu.au
- Professor Damien Hine - Professorial Research Fellow Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation - QAAFI - d.hine@uq.edu.au
- Professor Lisa McDaid - Director Institute for Social Science Research – ISSR - l.mcdaid@uq.edu.au
- Bryan Pryde - CEO UQ Sport - bryanp@uqsport.com.au
Honorary Associate Professor Ian Jobling – Patron
Honorary Associate Professor Ian Jobling is an internationally renowned researcher and educator of Olympic and Paralympic histories, and a former Head of School at the UQ School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences.
Dr Jobling founded the UQ Centre for Olympic Studies in the year 2000 to encourage and foster greater awareness and understanding about the Olympic Movement within The University of Queensland and the broader community. Although formally retired from academia, he remains an active researcher on Olympic and Paralympic matters. Dr Jobling’s academic achievements, his connections to the IOC and AOC, and his passion for the Olympic and Paralympic movements make him well suited to guide the UQ Centre for Olympic and Paralympic Studies as its inaugural patron.