Faculdade de Motricidade Humana

António Paulo Ferreira is Assistant Professor in Faculdade Motricidade Humana – University of Lisbon and member of SpertLab. His research has been developed on sport performance analysis, trying to clarify the concept of critical moments of sport games and to understand how teams play under tactical and technical constraints. In the last 25 years he has coached basketball teams at all competitive levels. Actually he is member of the Portuguese Association of Basketball Coaches and the head-coach of under-16 Portugal national team.

Scientific research with a vision and appraisal that responds to the need to reduce measurement error and optimize individualized adaptations to exercise to achieve meaningful group changes in the medium and long term.

Skill learning involves processes responsible for changes in movement performance over time due to specific practices, emphasizing the environment and variability. Strategically, the group is focusing on understanding sport performance with a program of work that integrates information, technology, and theory, avoiding mere ‘datification’.

The research program is conducted across key life stages (children, youth, adults, older adults) transitions, and across population health settings. The unique body of knowledge development, and our research translation initiatives will add novel foundations to guidelines, practice, and policy for chronic disease prevention, active healthy aging and sports performance. Therefore, the general objectives of the strategic research program are the following:

1. To generate new knowledge on physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and breaking-up SB leading to a better understanding of how these behaviors may influence disease prevention, health, wellbeing, and performance.
2. To generate new knowledge on motivation, attitudes, values, responses, adaptations, development, performance and health-related aspects of persons engaged in physical activity and sports.
3. To identify underlying physiological and biomechanical mechanisms and dose-response relationships with risk markers for chronic disease risk.
4. To develop innovative physiological and biomechanical measurement and simulation tools to describe and assess physiological features and movement of the human body and its segments.
5. To identify and evaluate self-regulation and motivational processes underlying volitional PA, (decreased) SB, and healthy eating.
6. To translate research outcomes into health policy and practice with individual tailored and community settings approaches.
7. To empower inter-disciplinary research resources and built advanced research capacities among young and middle-career investigators.

The current research program is focused on producing science with international impact and with social innovation that may influence people across life stages for adopting healthier lifestyles. A special emphasis considers the adjustment of the research goals of all CIPER groups to empower team’s strengths and synergies, and exploit research opportunities coming from the four research groups: BIOLAD, Healthy Weight, Neuromechanics and Self-Regulation.

CIPER’s vision focuses on a paradigm shift recognizing human movement as pivotal for functioning across all life stages and contexts. CIPER’s research is conducted across key life stages (children, adolescents, adults, elderly) and addresses key aspects of human movement, focusing on:

1. Data Validity: Developing advanced methods to measure physical activity, sport, and related movement variables, integrating multiple reliable measures, and creating new variables for ecological and precise measurement.
2. Observations: Capturing goal-directed movement according to task environments, understanding facilitators and inhibitors, and identifying pathways of physical activity and sport behaviors for targeted interventions.
3. Modeling and Algorithm Selection: Using complex models and AI tools for better understanding functions, integrating measurements, informing interventions, and developing interactive tools for monitoring and personalized support.
4. Interventions: Designing and implementing tailored interventions for different population groups to improve functioning through modifications in physical activity and sport behaviors.

CIPER’s mission is to promote human functioning through sport and physical activity across the lifespan.

This mission focuses on:

1. Generating Internationally Impactful Knowledge: Producing cutting-edge research on human functionality, including developing measures, conducting experimental observations and interventions, constructing models, and refining algorithms to understand how physical activity and sport behaviors influence functioning throughout life.
2. Translating Research Outcomes: Applying research findings to health policies and practices for physical activity and sport, using tailored approaches for individuals and communities to maximize real-world impact and promote healthier lifestyles.
3. Empowering Interdisciplinary Research: Fostering collaboration across diverse fields converging to human functioning through sport and physical activity, from the start of research careers, cultivating advanced research capacities among young and mid-career investigators, and driving innovation in human kinetics.

The Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance (CIPER) is located at Faculty of Human Kinetics (FMH) at University of Lisbon with a pole at Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education (FCDEF) at University of Coimbra.

CIPER’s current strategic program is implemented through a scientific organization consisting of four specialized research groups. Each group possesses unique skills and fulfils specific roles aimed at advancing CIPER's interdisciplinary research with the objective of promoting functionality through physical activity and sport across all stages of life.

The operational organizational process is governed by a management structure outlined in CIPER's newly approved regulation:

Coordinator: serves as the overall coordinator and is responsible for: (i) monitoring project progress, coordinating work plans, and ensuring research group compliance with their obligations; (ii) administering funding contributions based on executive board consultation; (iii) fulfilling financial and technical reporting as per FCT requisites.

Executive Board: composed of the scientific coordinator, group leaders, and pole leaders, responsible for overseeing overall coordination. The executive board convenes monthly, while each research group will meet bi-monthly.

Scientific Board: comprising all PhD members, serves as the strategic decision-making body, convening at least every six months.

Research Groups: i) Skill Learning, ii) Exercise Precision, iii) Neuromuscular Biomechanics, and iv) Behavioral Regulation. Every integrated member and PhD student belong to one of these groups.

Advisory Board: Comprising eminent scientific figures, collaborates with and evaluates CIPER's research activities.