Sport and Exercise Research Lab
PEOPLE
- Senior Lecturer Above the Bar
- Aotahi School of Maori and Indigenous Studies
- Senior Lecturer Above the BarAotahi School of Maori and Indigenous Studies
Dr Phil Borell has been researching and teaching in Aotahi: School of Māori and Indigenous Studies since 2008. Phil graduated his MA with Distinction in 2013. His thesis provides a thorough analysis of Māori contributions to the sport of rugby league between 1908 and 2012.
In 2022 he completed his PhD thesis, titled 'PolySaturated: Illuminating Polynesian Experiences in Professional Rugby League'. This doctoral thesis utilizes Māori and Pasifika research methods (Pūrākau and Talanoa) to give voice to the experiences of Polynesian (Māori and Pasifika) athletes in professional rugby league.
Phil's research has grown out of his time as a rugby league player, fan and now as a trainer in Canterbury's Premier rugby league competition.
Phil has also published written works examining Māori sporting practices; indigenous masculinity; the politics of sport in Aotearoa-New Zealand; and sport and education in Aotearoa-New Zealand. His current research has a focus on critiquing and rewriting dated narratives of Polynesian masculinity and using sport as a platform for de-colonial practice.Dr Phil Borell has been researching and teaching in Aotahi: School of Māori and Indigenous Studies since 2008. Phil graduated his MA with Distinction in 2013. His thesis provides a thorough analysis of Māori contributions to the sport of rugby league between 1908 and 2012.
In 2022 he completed his PhD thesis, titled 'PolySaturated: Illuminating Polynesian Experiences in Professional Rugby League'. This doctoral thesis utilizes Māori and Pasifika research methods (Pūrākau and Talanoa) to give voice to the experiences of Polynesian (Māori and Pasifika) athletes in professional rugby league.
Phil's research has grown out of his time as a rugby league player, fan and now as a trainer in Canterbury's Premier rugby league competition.
Phil has also published written works examining Māori sporting practices; indigenous masculinity; the politics of sport in Aotearoa-New Zealand; and sport and education in Aotearoa-New Zealand. His current research has a focus on critiquing and rewriting dated narratives of Polynesian masculinity and using sport as a platform for de-colonial practice.- Faculty of Arts
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
- Head
- Professor
- School of Health Sciences
- ProfessorSchool of Health Sciences
Professor Nick Draper has been a researcher and teacher at the University of Canterbury for over decade, but has a wealth of experience developed as a practitioner. Nick’s research has a translational focus with the aim of finding solutions to real-world problems. Nick has a thorough understanding of the elite performance sport environment, having been a sport and exercise scientist for British Judo for 8 years and a Selector and Team Manager at European Championships, World Championships and Olympic Games. He has written training programmes for World and Olympic medalists, supporting athletes to success at the highest levels in sport. At a grassroots level Nick continues to coach junior rugby and judo players and has also coached 1st XV and Reps rugby in NZ. Nick started his career as a physical education teacher, graduating from the University of Exeter, and teaching at primary, middle and high school levels.
Nick completed his research training at the Universities of London and New Mexico where he received a thorough grounding in qualitative and quantitative methods, both of which he applies to research problems in his chosen field of exercise physiology. Through his research training and depth of his experience as a practitioner Nick is able to bring a practitioner’s and researcher’s knowledge to solving real-world problems. As a researcher Nick has led or been involved in over 20 successful competitive grants in New Zealand and the UK totaling over $10 million. His current research projects, very much with a translational focus, include measuring collisions in junior rugby, examining possible impact force mitigation through rugby headgear, the feasibility of exercise to improve outcomes for cancer patients, the health benefits of trampolining and performance prediction for elite cyclists.Professor Nick Draper has been a researcher and teacher at the University of Canterbury for over decade, but has a wealth of experience developed as a practitioner. Nick’s research has a translational focus with the aim of finding solutions to real-world problems. Nick has a thorough understanding of the elite performance sport environment, having been a sport and exercise scientist for British Judo for 8 years and a Selector and Team Manager at European Championships, World Championships and Olympic Games. He has written training programmes for World and Olympic medalists, supporting athletes to success at the highest levels in sport. At a grassroots level Nick continues to coach junior rugby and judo players and has also coached 1st XV and Reps rugby in NZ. Nick started his career as a physical education teacher, graduating from the University of Exeter, and teaching at primary, middle and high school levels.
Nick completed his research training at the Universities of London and New Mexico where he received a thorough grounding in qualitative and quantitative methods, both of which he applies to research problems in his chosen field of exercise physiology. Through his research training and depth of his experience as a practitioner Nick is able to bring a practitioner’s and researcher’s knowledge to solving real-world problems. As a researcher Nick has led or been involved in over 20 successful competitive grants in New Zealand and the UK totaling over $10 million. His current research projects, very much with a translational focus, include measuring collisions in junior rugby, examining possible impact force mitigation through rugby headgear, the feasibility of exercise to improve outcomes for cancer patients, the health benefits of trampolining and performance prediction for elite cyclists.- Faculty of Health
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
Fields of Research- Exercise physiology
- Sports science and exercise
- Associate Professor
- School of Biological Sciences
- Associate ProfessorSchool of Biological Sciences
A/Prof Gieseg’s research team examines the role of the white blood cells called macrophages in disease and injury. The major focus of the research is on cardiovascular disease which causes strokes and heart attacks. Macrophage cells collect in people’s artery walls over time, where they damage and then accumulate the damaged cholesterol particles from the blood. It is the build-up of the cholesterol filled macrophages which cause the artery wall to become stiff, budge out and narrow, so slowing the flow of blood.
As Head of Artery Imaging and Principal Biochemist for MARS Bioimaging Ltd, A/Prof Gieseg directs research on imaging diseased arteries using the MARS Spectral CT scanners. This break-through X-ray technology was developed at the University of Canterbury in collaboration with CERN and the Universities of Otago and Lincoln, allows the contrast free imaging of soft tissues at high resolution.
The laboratories biochemistry work focuses on how the damaged cholesterol particles are formed by the macrophage and how these particles cause the macrophages to die, so destabilising the artery walls. This research has progressed to examine how the cholesterol particles affects the inflammation activity of the macrophage in the artery wall. The research has involved growing human white blood cells and artery tissue specimens from surgery in the laboratory before MARS-CT imaging. Through these studies the team have developed sensitive measurement methods to measure inflammation and oxidative stress by both blood and urine analysis.
This technology has been applied to the inflammation monitoring of body builders, cyclist, professional rugby players, cage fighters, stroke and surgery patients and patients in intensive care.A/Prof Gieseg’s research team examines the role of the white blood cells called macrophages in disease and injury. The major focus of the research is on cardiovascular disease which causes strokes and heart attacks. Macrophage cells collect in people’s artery walls over time, where they damage and then accumulate the damaged cholesterol particles from the blood. It is the build-up of the cholesterol filled macrophages which cause the artery wall to become stiff, budge out and narrow, so slowing the flow of blood.
As Head of Artery Imaging and Principal Biochemist for MARS Bioimaging Ltd, A/Prof Gieseg directs research on imaging diseased arteries using the MARS Spectral CT scanners. This break-through X-ray technology was developed at the University of Canterbury in collaboration with CERN and the Universities of Otago and Lincoln, allows the contrast free imaging of soft tissues at high resolution.
The laboratories biochemistry work focuses on how the damaged cholesterol particles are formed by the macrophage and how these particles cause the macrophages to die, so destabilising the artery walls. This research has progressed to examine how the cholesterol particles affects the inflammation activity of the macrophage in the artery wall. The research has involved growing human white blood cells and artery tissue specimens from surgery in the laboratory before MARS-CT imaging. Through these studies the team have developed sensitive measurement methods to measure inflammation and oxidative stress by both blood and urine analysis.
This technology has been applied to the inflammation monitoring of body builders, cyclist, professional rugby players, cage fighters, stroke and surgery patients and patients in intensive care.- Faculty of Science
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
Fields of Research- Biological sciences
- Biomedical and clinical sciences
- Chemical sciences
- Physical sciences
- Biochemistry and cell biology
- Medical biochemistry and metabolomics
- Medicinal and biomolecular chemistry
- Cardiovascular medicine and haematology
- Clinical sciences
- Condensed matter physics
- Biomedical engineering
- Cellular interactions (incl. adhesion, matrix, cell wall)
- Enzymes
- Receptors and membrane biology
- Medical biochemistry - amino acids and metabolites
- Medical biochemistry - proteins and peptides (incl. medical proteomics)
- Clinical chemistry (incl. diagnostics)
- Radiology and organ imaging
- Toxicology (incl. clinical toxicology)
- Molecular medicine
- Characterisation of biological macromolecules
- Biomedical instrumentation
- Biological physics
- Emeritus Professor
- School of Health Sciences
- Emeritus ProfessorSchool of Health Sciences
Professor Richard Light’s program of research focuses on the body, movement, culture and learning with a focus on sport and physical education pedagogy. His early work was in the sociology of sport with a focus on culture and embodied learning but over the past decade he has drawn on this work to inform a distinctive program of reasearch focused on a socio-cultural approach to pedagogy and on the body's role in learning. He draws on learning theory and some social theory to inform this work. This is evident in his collaboration with Associate Professor John Evans (University of Sydney) in an ARC Discovery Indigeious grant funded project that inquires into the development of expertise by elite level NRL and AFL Australian Indigenous players as a socially and culturally situated process of learning.
Professor Light has a broad background in teaching and coaching across a wide range of cultures, having coached and taught in Australia and Japan and having held academic positions in Japan, France, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. This background encourages him to establish a dialectic between practice and theory that is a feature of his research and his teaching. He enjoys a strong international profile, is widely published and has published in Japanese, Portuguese and French aswell as English.Professor Richard Light’s program of research focuses on the body, movement, culture and learning with a focus on sport and physical education pedagogy. His early work was in the sociology of sport with a focus on culture and embodied learning but over the past decade he has drawn on this work to inform a distinctive program of reasearch focused on a socio-cultural approach to pedagogy and on the body's role in learning. He draws on learning theory and some social theory to inform this work. This is evident in his collaboration with Associate Professor John Evans (University of Sydney) in an ARC Discovery Indigeious grant funded project that inquires into the development of expertise by elite level NRL and AFL Australian Indigenous players as a socially and culturally situated process of learning.
Professor Light has a broad background in teaching and coaching across a wide range of cultures, having coached and taught in Australia and Japan and having held academic positions in Japan, France, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. This background encourages him to establish a dialectic between practice and theory that is a feature of his research and his teaching. He enjoys a strong international profile, is widely published and has published in Japanese, Portuguese and French aswell as English.- Faculty of Health
- Lecturer - Teaching and Admin
- School of Health Sciences
- Lecturer - Teaching and AdminSchool of Health Sciences
Research interests include social-cognitive mechanisms of sport performance and engagement, evolutionary foundations of sporting behaviour, and the social history of sport in New Zealand.Research interests include social-cognitive mechanisms of sport performance and engagement, evolutionary foundations of sporting behaviour, and the social history of sport in New Zealand.- Faculty of Health
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
- Associate Professor
- School of Health Sciences
- Associate ProfessorSchool of Health Sciences
My key focus is the intersection between humans and the environment, in terms of learning and quality experiences, but also in promoting environmental sustainability. My research covers the areas of outdoor and environmental education practices, adventure education, initial teacher education and learning from Māori relationships with the land.My key focus is the intersection between humans and the environment, in terms of learning and quality experiences, but also in promoting environmental sustainability. My research covers the areas of outdoor and environmental education practices, adventure education, initial teacher education and learning from Māori relationships with the land.- Faculty of Health
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
- 15 Life on Land
- 10 Reduced Inequalities
- 17 Partnerships for the Goals
- 4 Quality Education
- 13 Climate Action
- Collaborative research projects
- Consulting & advisory services
- Industry partnerships & innovation
- Media enquiries
- Outreach & community engagement
- Policy advice & government consultation
Fields of Research- Environmental education curriculum and pedagogy
- Education
- Recreation, leisure and tourism geography
- Senior Lecturer Above the Bar
- School of Health Sciences
- Senior Lecturer Above the BarSchool of Health Sciences
Carl Petersen is a Strength and Conditioning Coach and Applied Sport Scientist. He lectures in Sports Nutrition as well as Strength and Conditioning. Carl completed his sport-based PhD from the University of Western Australia, with Cricket Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport, under the supervision of Sports Physiologist Prof. David Pyne, Sports Biomechanist Dr. Marc Portus, and Sport Scientist Prof. Brian Dawson. His thesis looked at defining the match and training demands of Cricket, and also investigated acclimatisation and acclimation in hot/humid environments.
Carl now supervises PhD students with a research interest in enhancing physical performance.Carl Petersen is a Strength and Conditioning Coach and Applied Sport Scientist. He lectures in Sports Nutrition as well as Strength and Conditioning. Carl completed his sport-based PhD from the University of Western Australia, with Cricket Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport, under the supervision of Sports Physiologist Prof. David Pyne, Sports Biomechanist Dr. Marc Portus, and Sport Scientist Prof. Brian Dawson. His thesis looked at defining the match and training demands of Cricket, and also investigated acclimatisation and acclimation in hot/humid environments.
Carl now supervises PhD students with a research interest in enhancing physical performance.- Faculty of Health
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
- Lecturer - Teaching and Admin
- School of Health Sciences
- Lecturer - Teaching and AdminSchool of Health Sciences
Lecturer in the Sport Programme since 2016
UC Basketball Men's Coach since 2003NZ UTSNZ 3X3 National Champions, 2023, 2024
NZ UTSNZ 5on5 National Champions, 2018, 2023, 2024
Men's Premier Champions, 2019, 2020, 2023UC Basketball Club President since 2008
NZ Men's 3X3 Basketball Head Coach (Senior and U23) since 2020, including Commonwealth Games 2022, Birmingham
Lecturer in the Sport Programme since 2016
UC Basketball Men's Coach since 2003NZ UTSNZ 3X3 National Champions, 2023, 2024
NZ UTSNZ 5on5 National Champions, 2018, 2023, 2024
Men's Premier Champions, 2019, 2020, 2023UC Basketball Club President since 2008
NZ Men's 3X3 Basketball Head Coach (Senior and U23) since 2020, including Commonwealth Games 2022, Birmingham
- Faculty of Health