Faculdade de Motricidade Humana

Graduated in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, and obtained a PhD degree in Human Kinetics from the Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon. Assistant professor of the Department of Sport and Health Sciences of the same Faculty, responsible for the courses of “Biochemistry” and “Nutrition and Physical Activity” in undergraduate studies and “Evaluation of the Endocrine and Immune Systems” in graduate studies. Researcher of the Laboratory of Physiology and Biochemistry of Exercise, and of CIPER since 2006. Former member of the Center of Metabolism and Endocrinology of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, from 1994 to 2006. Main research activity involves the evaluation of the redox, immune and endocrine systems in endurance sports performance, with special interest in swimming, and in populations with chronic disease such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and osteoarthritis. Other research interests: influence of magnesium status on exercise performance and relation to body composition.

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.