The Institute of Sport Exercise and Health (ISEH) is delighted to announce and welcome Professor Martin Schwellnus (MBBCh, MSc (Med), MD, FACSM, FFIMS) as a visiting Chair in Sport and Exercise Medicine at the ISEH as part of University College London (UCL), Division of Surgery and Interventional Science.
Professor Schwellnus is currently a Professor in Sport and Exercise Medicine at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria in South Africa and is internationally regarded as one of the academic leaders in the field of sport and exercise medicine.
Among his many responsibilities, Professor Schwellnus is a Director of the newly established Sport, Exercise Medicine and Lifestyle Institute (SEMLI) at the University of Pretoria, Director of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Research Centre in South Africa, a longstanding member of the IOC Medical Commission (Medical and Science group) and a member of the editorial boards of several international journals including the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The ISEH have already been working closely with Professor Schwellnus at IOC level as both the ISEH and SEMLI are recognised by the IOC as research centres for the Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health. In addition we have collaborated extensively in the area of athlete screening, working closely with our Marathon Medicine group at the ISEH and are keen to set up PhD exchanges in this area.
Professor Schwellnus is interested in many areas of sport and exercise medicine, notably the health benefits of regular exercise and prescribing safe exercise to all populations to reduce the global burden of non-communicable disease (NCD), the prevention and management of injuries in active individuals and the protection of the health of athletes. He has published more than 300 scientific journal articles.
Professor Fares Haddad, Clinical Director for the ISEH said: “Professor Schwellnus is one of the leading experts in sport and exercise medicine worldwide and has been a fantastic collaborator and friend to the ISEH. Having him as part of the team on a regular basis will enhance the experience and training of our research teams, our students and the entire community at the Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health. We look forward to welcoming him to London.”
Professor Schwellnus will visit London 2-3 times per year and his appointment brings international recognition at an exciting time for the ISEH who have recently appointed the first UCL Chair of Sport & Exercise Medicine, Professor Mark Hamer along with Professor Mathew Wilson as the Head of Service for Sports Medicine for HCA UK and Business Manager at the ISEH.
We welcome Professor Schwellnus to the ISEH team and look forward to collaborating with him.