Following nearly 15 years at the University of Glasgow, Professor Yannis Pitsiladis was appointed Professor of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Brighton in 2013. His research has advanced understanding of the genetic and environmental determinants of human health and elite athletic performance, including the creation of the largest known DNA biobank of world-class athletes and one of the largest involving school-aged children.
During his decade at Brighton, he established an internationally recognised programme spanning sport and exercise genomics, anti-doping science, athlete health and wearable technologies. He founded the FIMS Collaborating Centre of Sports Medicine and led its designation as a FIMS Reference Laboratory for Anti-Doping Research.
Professor Pitsiladis joined Hong Kong Baptist University in 2023 as Professor and Head of the Department of Sport, Physical Education and Health, serving as Head until September 2025. Since October 2025, he has held a joint professorial appointment in the Department of Biology and the Department of Sports and Health Sciences, alongside his role as Director of the Centre for Exercise Science and Medicine.
His research integrates physiology, genomics, multi-omics, artificial intelligence, wearable technologies and real-time monitoring to protect health, promote clean sport and enhance human performance. Reflecting the sustained international impact of this work, Professor Pitsiladis has been recognised in consecutive annual editions of the Stanford University–Elsevier science-wide author database as one of the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists in Sport Sciences.
His extensive international leadership includes membership of the IOC Health, Medicine and Science Commission; membership of the Executive Committee and chairmanship of the Scientific Commission of the International Federation of Sports Medicine; chairmanship of the Scientific and Education Commission of the European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations; and membership of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Health, Medical and Research Committee. He previously served on WADA’s List Expert Group.
Professor Pitsiladis has written and edited numerous scientific books, including co-editing the fourth edition of the Sports Physician Handbook, the official handbook of FIMS. His research has reached audiences far beyond academia through the BBC, ESPN and NHK and through major documentaries, including Kipchoge: The Last Milestone, directed by Jake Scott and executive produced by Ridley Scott, and Alex Gibney’s Enhanced. His work has also been featured in bestselling books including The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance and Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice. He is a frequent keynote speaker at leading scientific, medical and public-engagement events worldwide.
