Les Podlog, PhD portrait
  • Adjunct Associate Professor, Health and Kinesiology

Research Summary

My primary area of scholarship relates to the psychosocial factors influencing injury risk and recovery as well as interventions focused on improving rehabilitation outcomes in various groups. My second area of research focusses on the psychosocial factors influencing physical activity initiation and maintenance across the lifespan. I'm keen to further explore the value of community-based physical activity programs for promoting health and well-being in marginalized groups.

Education

  • Ph.D., School of Human Movement and Exercise Science, University of Western Australia
  • M.A., Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Simon Fraser University
  • B.A., Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Simon Fraser University

Biography

I am originally from Calgary, Canada and attended Simon Fraser University where I received my Bachelors and Masters degree in Sociology. While at Simon Fraser, I was a member of the Varsity wrestling team where I unfortunately experienced numerous injuries. Such experiences led to my academic interest in the psychology of sport injury, a topic I pursued as a focus for my  doctoral studies at the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia. Following completion of my Ph.D. in 2006, I accepted a tenure track position at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, Australia. From 2008-2011 I was employed as an Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University before arriving at the University of Utah. Currently, I teach Sport and Exercise Psychology and continue to research the psychology of injury and return to sport/daily activity.