James Brown

Collaborating Researcher

James is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine (ESSM)[JB1]  at the University of Cape Town (South Africa). His PhD evaluated the effectiveness of a nationwide injury prevention program for rugby union, called BokSmart (www.boksmart.com). As a result of his PhD, he now holds a joint Post-Doctoral position paid by the South African Rugby Union’s BokSmart department (www.boksmart.com) and Chris Burger Petro Jackson Players’ Fund (www.playersfund.org.za).

James’ research interests include: preventing all rugby-related injuries including catastrophic injuries, evaluation and implementation of interventions, understanding barriers to optimal health care of all rugby players including those who have suffered catastrophic injuries while playing the game.

Nicola Sewry

Collaborating Researcher

Nicola studied her BSc in Human Kinetics and Ergonomics and Biochemistry at Rhodes University, before moving to the University of Cape Town to complete her BSc (Med) (Hons) in Exercise Science (Biokinetics) and her MSc in Exercise Science. She completed her Biokinetics internship at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa where she continues to practice as a Biokineticist. She is currently based at the University of Cape Town at the Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine.

She has a keen interest in rugby, having completed her research in rugby video performance analysis initially and then performance and fatigue monitoring at university level rugby. She is currently studying towards her PhD at the University of Cape Town, with her focus on injury prevention in the South African rugby union setting. Her project will be partnered with the South African Rugby Union (SARU) and BokSmart using the BokSmart ‘Safe Six’ exercises as an injury prevention program.

In her spare time, Nicola is an avid runner and enjoys being outdoors. 

Willem van Mechelen

Staff

Willem van Mechelen is Head Department of Department of Public and Occupational Health of VU University Medical Centre and Co- Director EMGO+ Institute of VU University Medical Centre. Willem van Mechelen (1952) was born and raised in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. After completion of his training as a PE-teacher he worked for 9 years at an Amsterdam high school. He combined this with studying medicine at the University of Amsterdam. After his certification as an MD in 1982 he started working at various out-patient clinics as a sports and occupational physician. He also started in that year his scientific career with a part-time appointment at the Faculty of Human Movement Sciences of the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. He earned his PhD in Human Movement Sciences in 1992. He also is a board certified occupational physician and a registered epidemiologist. Currently, he is employed by the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam as a full professor of Occupational and Sports Medicine.

Evert Verhagen

Chair

Evert Verhagen (1976) is a human movement scientist and epidemiologist who holds an University Research Chair on the topic of "Sports, Physical Activity & Health". He chairs the department's research theme 'Sports, Lifestyle and Health'. Evert is also the co-director of the Amsterdam Institute of Sports Sciences (www.aiss.nl), and chair of the Amsterdam Collaboration on Health and Safety in Sports; one of the 10 International Olympic Committee (IOC) Centers of Research Excellence for the Prevention of Injury and Promotion of Health in Athletes.

His main research topics are: 1. Prevention of sports and physical activity related injuries (including cost-effectiveness and implementation issues); and 2. Physical activity promotion integrated in everyday life. He supervises several (inter)national PhDs and post-docs, divided across these two topics. Within the department he fulfils teaching responsibilities for the faculties of Medicine, Human Movement Sciences and Health Sciences, next to individual supervision in research training.

If you want to know more about his research and publications, it might be worth to check out his Scopus or Orcid profile.

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  Evert Verhagen

  RT @footballmed: I’ll be at #isoK23! 🙌 retweet if YOU will be in London this May! #Iwillbethere #London2023 #footballmed https://t.co/FVvZIgd8Nt

  Apr 6, 2023, 11:05 AM
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  Evert Verhagen

  RT @BMJOpenSEM: 💥#QualitativeResearch on 11+ in 🇳🇿 football ‼️ 11+ is a validated #injury #prevention strategy. ⚽️ ‼️ Incorporatio… https://t.co/hK15JBUTDa

  Apr 6, 2023, 11:04 AM
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  Evert Verhagen

  RT @BMJOpenSEM: #OriginalResearch Does a user-guided graduated digital tool help with skills acquisition for movement ❓ 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️… https://t.co/F1KZfD6hzQ

  Apr 6, 2023, 11:03 AM
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  Evert Verhagen

  RT @MedicsVoices: Thank you for sharing this. We would not have academic publications without the huge commitment of colleagues aroun… https://t.co/ULwtsXpGn8

  Apr 6, 2023, 10:56 AM
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  Evert Verhagen

  RT @BMJOpenSEM: 🆕 editorial ⤵️ SEM makes the world go ‘round‼️ A global authorship and unified effort to raise the bar for #Sport… https://t.co/efr7KWQg8r

  Mar 30, 2023, 10:36 AM
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  Evert Verhagen

  RT @DrSportSante: SEM around the World. Ode to a profession worth every minute of my day. Great job by @CarrardJustin… https://t.co/KAWpqNi16W

  Mar 30, 2023, 10:35 AM
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  Evert Verhagen

  RT @PatrickOwenPhD: 🤩I appreciate journals putting in extra effort. Thank-you @AnnalsofIM for this kind acknowledgement! Other example… https://t.co/VkR1urr8gK

  Mar 28, 2023, 4:23 AM
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  Evert Verhagen

  RT @FemaleAthConf: #2023FAC featured talk: IOC Consensus REDs Update! @louisemburke, @margomountjoy, and @TStellingwerff will discuss… https://t.co/62hHgcXcQu

  Mar 28, 2023, 12:15 AM
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  Evert Verhagen

  RT @FionaWilsonf: All that my fellow Mancunian Emmeline says on #InternationalWomensDay A shout out to my male sports medicine collea… https://t.co/PQOzRcVlnv

  Mar 28, 2023, 12:02 AM
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  Evert Verhagen

  RT @physioshane: Excellent also was @AmsterdamCHSS @VUamsterdam 🇳🇱coming in 4th in World for sports research quality here, no surpri… https://t.co/KJOizm2efe

  Mar 24, 2023, 5:10 PM