Faculdade de Motricidade Humana

The Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance – CIPER is a Research Unit located at Faculty of Human Kinetics (FMH), University of Lisbon.

CIPER has promoted multidisciplinary research synergies by applying multidimensional and bio-psychological models looking at the identification and understanding of human behavior and performance determinants and their optimization in different contexts, taking into account the lifespan and human diversity, including disability. Human development, motor behavior, self-regulatory processes, and aging mechanisms have been studied in order to promote health and well-being, as well as performance improvement within family, community, education, health, employment and sports.

CIPER has the following organization:

1. Scientific Council – Composed by all PhD members, responsible for the election of the Coordinator, and the Executive and Advisory Boards, approving scientific plans and reports.
2. Coordinator – Responsible for the quality and implementation of the scientific plans, represents CIPER in institutional relationships and promotes the exchange visits of scientists from/to other institutions.
3. Executive Board – Composed by the coordinator and two other members, defines scientific goals and strategies, establishes work plans and elaborates reports of the unit as a whole, defining how human, instrumental and material resources are shared by the different research teams.
4. CIPER includes the four following research groups: BIOLAD – Experimental and analytic models of performance diagnosis and training monitoring, as well as the identification of explaining factors of expertise in sports and exercise; Neuromechanics – Experimental and modeling methodologies for the evaluation of mechanical loads and induced musculoskeletal system adaptation; Self-Regulation – Self-Regulatory processes in behavioral nutrition and physical activity and the development of personalized behavioral health interventions centered on human motivation and engagement; Healthy Weight – Diagnostic methods, identification of mechanisms, and design of intervention models and strategies for the prevention and treatment of non-communicable chronic diseases through improved physical activity, and reduced sedentary behavior.
5. Research team coordinator – Responsible for the annual and triennial work plans and reports of each group.
6. Management – FMH provides support to the financial management of projects and reports and the acquisition of equipment and materials.

Duarte Araújo, PhD 

The mission of the Interdisciplinary Centre for the study of human Performance (CIPER) is to empower interdisciplinary research resources and build advanced research capacity among young, middle-career and senior investigators to address two societal trends: i) the increase in sedentary behaviour with its impact in health and wellbeing, and ii) sports performance across the lifespan. 

CIPER includes 60 doctorate-level investigators and 42 PhD students.

CIPER aims are to generate new knowledge about physical activity, sport training, and sedentary behaviour by developing measurement tools, investigating mechanisms and sensitive periods, and by translating research outcomes into health policies, and healthy sport practices with individual tailored and community settings approaches.

Innovative methodologies emerge from using existing knowledge and technology from biomechanics, systems biology, ecological psychology and behavioural changes theories and methods and applying them into an integrated approach.