ASPA 2022 Conference

Professor Heather McKay’s research program spans the life course from childhood to old age with a focus on (i) health promotion: upstream factors (e.g. physical activity) that promote the health of children, youth and older adults; (ii) implementation science: design, implementation and scale-up of health promoting interventions in school (children, youth) and community (older adults) settings, and (iii) knowledge translation and exchange in partnership with community and government stakeholders to promote health at the population level.

Heather’s passion is to build interdisciplinary cross sectoral teams to evaluate the role of scalable health promoting interventions on children’s and older adult’s social, mental and physical health. Her work delves into factors that influence implementation, adaptation and scale-up of interventions. Her team are among few teams worldwide that formally adapted, evaluated, enacted phased scale up and sustained effective health promoting programs for children (Action Schools! BC) and older adults (Choose to Move) with community and government partners for >8 years.

Dr Isaac Warbrick is of Ngāti Te Ata, Te Arawa, and Ngā Puhi descent, Māori tribes of New Zealand’s North Island. He is the director of Taupua Waiora Māori Health Research Centre at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Isaac’s background is in exercise physiology and the role of physical activity in improving Māori health and reducing health inequities. His current research focuses on applying kōrero tuku iho (Māori narratives and stories) as a driver and motivator for increasing physical activity, reconnecting with the natural environment, and improving health and well-being.

Isaac will be speaking about the role of Indigenous knowledge and stories in shifting the motivations for, and outcomes of physical activity, highlighting various Indigenous physical activity initiatives in New Zealand.

Consultant – Health Promotion, Physical Activity, Adj. Prof. School of Public Health, Curtin University, Adj. Assoc. Prof. School of Population Health  

Trevor has extensive experience at national and global levels in non-government, government and academic work. His specialities include global health, advocacy, health promotion, physical activity, the built environment and mass media campaigns.

Trevor led National Heart Foundation initiatives in physical activity for more than 25 years. These include the award-winning urban design and health program Healthy Active by Design, Heart Foundation Walking, evaluation of the Jump Rope for Heart program, and advocacy initiatives such as the Blueprint for an Active Australia.

In recent years Trevor has served on several global Boards covering physical activity, health promotion, noncommunicable disease prevention and advocacy.

Trevor has gained extensive experience and insight into translating evidence into robust initiatives such as large-scale community-wide programs and systems approaches to population health. His principal passion is advocacy and mobilising change for better health.

Trevor has published over 80 scientific papers, three books and four book chapters.

He enjoys being active by cycling, swimming and walking.

Professor Cindy Sit is the Chairperson and Professor of the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is a Fellow of the International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (IFAPA). Her research interests involve physical activity of children and adolescents with disabilities or special educational needs (SEN), and the development and assessment of the impact of physical activity interventions on motor skills and psychosocial outcomes. Currently, Cindy is the President-Elect of IFAPA. She is committed to empower children and adolescents with SEN through adapted physical activity, thereby promoting their well-being and social inclusion.