Keynote Speakers

Professor Tim Noakes

Tim Noakes is Professor in the Discovery Health Chair of Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Cape Town. He is also Director of the UCT/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine and co-founder of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and was elected a Fellow of the University of Cape Town for sustained excellence in original scientific work. He was the team doctor for the Proteas Cricket Team in the 1996 Cricket World Cup and assisted long distance swimmer, Lewis Pugh, in cold water swims in the Arctic and Antarctic and at the North Pole. He has also served on the Ministerial Commission into High Performance Sport in South Africa. In 2004, and again in 2009, he received the National Research Foundation rating as an A1-rated scientist.

He has won many awards over the years, amongst others the National Foundation for Research and Technology Award for Individual over a Lifetime and the Men’s Health Annual Award for Recipient of Best Man Award in the category for Science and Technology. In 2008 he received the Order of Mapungubwe, Silver from the State President for “excellent contribution in the field of sports and the science of physical exercise”. He has authored many books and papers over the years including his book Lore of Running which is in its 4th edition and which has been published in countries worldwide. His latest book is The Art and Science of Cricket which he co-authored with Bob Woolmer and which was published in 2008. He is presently completing his autobiography and a book on the science of drinking during exercise and how this “science” was commercially manipulated with some fatal consequences.

Professor Peter Brubaker

Peter H. Brubaker PhD is a Professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science and the Executive Director of the Healthy Exercise & Lifestyle Programs (formerly Cardiac Rehabilitation) at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. He has been an active member (Fellow status) of both the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Association of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation. He has published more than 70 articles/chapters in exercise physiology or cardiology journals/books and authored a textbook entitled “Coronary Artery Disease: Essentials of Prevention and Rehabilitation Programs”.

Peter was the Clinical Section Editor (7th ed.) of the ACSM Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. His research and clinical work are in the area of heart failure exercise physiology and cardiovascular disease prevention/rehabilitation. Current NIH and industry funded research focuses on the effect of exercise and other lifestyle interventions on aging, obesity, and heart failure.

Prof Dr Romain Meeusen

Prof Dr Romain Meeusen, (PhD) is head of the department of Human Physiology at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. His research interest is focussed on “Exercise and the Brain” exploring the influence of neurotransmitters on human performance and training. Recent work is focussing on thermoregulation, Overtraining Syndrome, Neurogenesis. He teaches on exercise physiology, training & coaching and sports physiotherapy. Romain published over 380 articles and book chapters in peerreviewed journals, 18 books on sport physiotherapy, and gave lectures at more than 730 national and international conferences.

He is President of the Society of Kinesiology Belgium, Past-President of the Belgian Federation of Sports Physiotherapy. He is Board member of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS), and Board member of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). In 2009 he received the Belgian ‘Francqui Chair’ at the Université Libre de Bruxelles on ‘Exercise and the Brain’. He is also holder of two named lecturing chairs at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He is director of the Human Performance lab of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, where he works with several top athletes, and is scientific advisor of the ‘Lotto Cycling Institute’ (Omega Pharma-Lotto professional cycling team). Romain enjoys gardening and jogging.

Exercise is Medicine Keynote

Dr Roanne Segal

Dr. Segal received her Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy at McGill University and initially pursued a career in Sports Medicine Rehabilitation at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal followed by the Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston. Thereafter she returned to McGill University where she received her medical degree.

Dr. Segal obtained her post-graduate training in Internal Medicine followed by Medical Oncology at the University of Ottawa, and then completed a Fellowship year in Gynecology Oncology in Toronto. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Integrated Cancer Program Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, and became the Medical Director of the Oncology Rehabilitation Program in 1995.

The Oncology Rehabilitation Program was initially designed from a research platform but quickly developed a duo role serving as a clinical exercise program for patients in the region. This clinical portion of the program has now been enveloped into the Psychosocial Oncology Program. The research component continues to do work in the area of Breast and Colon cancer Lifestyle trials.

In 2011 Dr. Segal became Medical Lead of the Breast Disease Site and is also Head of the Survivorship Program.

Her main clinical areas of expertise are in the domains of Breast and Genito-Urinary Malignancy with Rehabilitation Oncology her main Research focus. She continues to teach at the Undergraduate, Graduate as well as Post Graduate levels and contributes to CME at the Provincial and National Levels.

In her spare time she can be found cycling somewhere in the mountains.

Sir Frank Cotton Memorial Lecture

Professor Robert Newton

Professor Newton is the Foundation Professor in Exercise and Sports Science, and Head, School of Exercise and Health Sciences at Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia. Prior to appointment at Edith Cowan University, Professor Newton was Director of the Biomechanics Laboratory, at Ball State University in Indiana. He has also worked at the Pennsylvania State University as a visiting research fellow in the Center for Sports Medicine.

Current major research directions include: reducing decline in strength, body composition and functional ability in cancer patients; cancer related fatigue and the influence of exercise; management of lymphedema secondary to breast cancer, physical activity and the prevention of falls and frailty in the elderly. Professor Newton has an extensive track record of research and consultancy in the assessment and development of neuromuscular performance in particular maximal strength and power.

He has been a consultant to many professional teams and sporting organisations including Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets, Indianapolis Colts, England Rugby, English and Australian Institutes of Sport. Professor Newton is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with Distinction with the NSCA, Fellow of the ESSA and Fellow of the NSCA. In 2004 he was awarded Outstanding Sports Scientist of the Year by the NSCA. He has published over 200 refereed scientific articles, two books, 14 book chapters and has a current h-Index of 37 with his work being cited over 4,700 times.