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St Mary’s University, Twickenham has appointed Prof John Brewer as Head of its School of Sport, Health and Applied Science (SHAS).
As Head of Sport and Exercise Science and Director of Sport at the University of Bedfordshire, Prof Brewer will bring a wealth of experience to St Mary’s when he joins on 1st October 2014.
Prof Brewer began his career as Head of Human Performance for the Football Association, where he formed part of the support team for the 1990 Italian World Cup, before running his own sports science and sports injury business at Lilleshall National Sports Centre for 15 years. John then went on to work at GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK) as a member of the leadership team in the Nutritional Healthcare Business where he was responsible for research and sport science education for Lucazade Sport.
Subsequently, Prof Brewer entered academia, undertaking senior leadership roles within the University of Bedfordshire. He has also held a number of significant Board level roles including Chair of the London Regional Sports Board, a Government appointed Non-Executive Director of UK Anti-Doping, Non-Executive Director of British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), and Chair of British Ski and Snowboard.
John, who is a keen runner and skier, specialises in research areas including fitness standards in the Police Service, sports nutrition, hydration, fitness testing and relative age effect in sport. He said, “I am delighted and honoured to join St Mary’s as head of SHAS, which has a strong heritage in sport science and health.
“This is an exciting time for the University and I am pleased to be leading a team, which I am certain will provide high calibre teaching and research for students.”
St Mary’s Vice-Chancellor Dr Arthur Naylor said, “With a rich background in industry, academia and Professional Associations, Prof John Brewer is an excellent appointment for St Mary’s at a time of strong recruitment and significant expansion in both taught degrees and research capacity in the School of Sport Health and Applied Science.”
The University’s School of Sport, Health and Applied Science is an internationally recognised centre offering a range of undergraduate, postgraduate and short courses. It has undergone rapid expansion in recent years with new facilities to support the programmes, including a new Strength and Conditioning Suite, which will be open in September 2014.
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