Reporting to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic), Dr. Sullivan leads the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation with a focus on advancing academic excellence, fostering research, and supporting student success. She began her academic career at Memorial in 2002 and has held multiple leadership roles including Associate Dean and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, before being appointed Dean in December 2023.

Her research explores themes in therapeutic recreation, including the profession's development, pedagogy in student training, and the role of recreation in recovery and community health. She has also contributed to work involving marginalized populations, including research on homelessness and corrections.

Research: ResearchGate

A Certified Exercise Physiologist, Dr. Button is cross-appointed to the Faculty of Medicine (Division of Biomedical Sciences) and leads research in applied exercise neuroscience, with a focus on neuromuscular fatigue, resistance training, and performance physiology.

His work combines sophisticated neurophysiological tools with practical applications to sport and health. He frequently investigates how the nervous system adapts to physical stressors like fatigue, training, and mental exertion aiming to improve both athletic performance and clinical outcomes.

Research: Google Scholar | ResearchGate

Dr. Power is a Certified Exercise Physiologist whose research focuses on neural control of movement, motor unit behavior, and exercise-induced changes in corticospinal excitability. His work applies neurophysiological tools like TMS to improve both performance and rehabilitation outcomes.

He examines how resistance training and mental exertion influence the nervous system, helping optimize physical training strategies across sport and clinical settings.

Research: Google Scholar | ResearchGate

Dr. Loeffler is an award-winning educator, explorer, and researcher whose work focuses on inclusive outdoor education, experiential learning, and the connection between nature, physical activity, and well-being. Her research also examines the intersections of gender and sport, aiming to make outdoor spaces more accessible to all.

She combines field-based practice with scholarly research to inform outdoor pedagogy, leadership, and social change.

Research: Google Scholar | ResearchGate

Dr. Behm is a leading researcher in exercise physiology, known globally for his work on neuromuscular responses to exercise. His research spans topics such as muscle activation, resistance training, stretching, instability training, and fatigue. He has published over 350 peer-reviewed articles and is widely cited in the field.

His work bridges scientific discovery and practical application in sport, rehabilitation, and strength training contexts.

Research: Google Scholar | ResearchGate

Dr. Basset specializes in exercise physiology with a focus on the interplay between environmental conditions and human performance. His research explores cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses to exercise, as well as mechanisms of muscle fatigue under various stressors.

He applies his expertise to enhance performance and endurance in both athletic and occupational settings.

Research: Google Scholar | ResearchGate 

Dr. Byrne is an associate professor in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University. Her research focuses on factors influencing joint and muscle function in both healthy and injured populations, biomechanical modeling, knee function following total knee arthroplasty, and physiotherapy interventions aimed at optimizing joint and muscle function.

Research: ResearchGate

Dr. Kim Cullen is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University, cross-appointed to the Faculty of Medicine and Co-Director of the SafetyNet Centre. Her research explores the links between work and health, focusing on workplace hazards, musculoskeletal and mental health risks, outcome measurement, and evidence-based approaches to improving work disability prevention policies.

Research: Google Scholar | ResearchGate

Dr. Hancock is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University of Newfoundland. His research focuses on the psychology of sport officiating, including group dynamics, decision-making, mental health, recruitment and retention, and the experiences of female officials. He also investigates youth sport structures, such as relative age and birthplace effects.

Research: Google Scholar | ResearchGate

Dr. McGowan is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University. Her research focuses on promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours, particularly physical activity, as a means of enhancing overall health and managing chronic conditions. Her program encompasses three broad areas: physical activity and cancer/chronic conditions, healthy active living programs, and the concept of exercise as medicine.

In addition to her academic role, Dr. McGowan is the only certified mental performance coach in Newfoundland and Labrador, working with top athletes to optimize their mental preparedness for competition. ​

Research: Google Scholar | ResearchGate

Dr. Loucks-Atkinson is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University. Her research focuses on lifestyle and psychosocial factors affecting health and well-being across the lifespan, particularly among individuals with chronic illnesses and disabilities. She specializes in health and social psychology, emphasizing physical activity, valued life activities, and methodological approaches to health promotion.

Research: Google Scholar | ResearchGate

Dr. Jeff Crane is an Assistant Professor in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University, cross-appointed with the Faculty of Education. His research explores how schools and educators can promote lifelong physical activity by fostering physical literacy and creating supportive environments for movement. He is particularly focused on the value of risky and nature-based play in childhood development and how these experiences contribute to confidence, engagement, and overall well-being. Dr. Crane aims to inform educational practices and policies that support inclusive, active lifestyles from early years onward.

Research: Google Scholar | ResearchGate

Dr. Field is an Assistant Professor in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Her research focuses on children's perceived and actual water competence, physical literacy in aquatic environments, the impact of water safety programs on drowning prevention, and the physical, cognitive, and social factors influencing children's recreation and leisure participation. She is particularly interested in the role of perceived and actual motor competence on physical activity participation.

Research: ResearchGate 

Dr. Pearcey studies how movement, sensory input, physical training, and novel therapeutic interventions can improve human abilities and capacities in both healthy and impaired humans. His research lends evidence from basic cellular and molecular neuroscience with the goal of understanding how humans control movement and improve human motor function after injury/disease. He studies the neurophysiology of human movement via dynamometry, kinematics, spinal reflexes, and human motor unit behaviour using state-of-the-art high-density surface electromyography techniques.

Research: Google Scholar | ResearchGate

Dr. Pushkarenko is an Assistant Professor in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University. His research focuses on inclusive physical literacy and adapted physical activity, emphasizing the development of equitable programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. He explores community stakeholder perspectives, barriers and facilitators to participation, and the influence of ableism in adapted physical activity practices. Dr. Pushkarenko is also the Special Interest Group Lead for Inclusion with the International Physical Literacy Association.

Research: ResearchGate

Dr. Wadden is an Assistant Professor in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University. Her research investigates the effects of movement-based interventions on novel brain-body measures in clinical populations, including individuals with stroke, multiple sclerosis, and those in preconception and postpartum phases. She employs methodologies such as neuroimaging (TMS and MRI), motor learning tasks, and cardiorespiratory exercise testing to evaluate and predict human movement behaviors.

Research: Google Scholar | ResearchGate