QUT’s expertise in predictive analytics and using data to improve sport strategy and performance of athletes is the focus of a new 12-month research grant awarded by the Australian Institute of Sport.
Dr Paul Wu (pictured right) is the Chief Investigator for the research project who, for the past six years, has led more than 25 projects in sports data analytics between data scientists, sports scientists and practitioners and students.
The research team includes the Director of the QUT Centre for Data Science, Distinguished Professor Kerrie Mengersen, who brings her broad expertise in statistics used across fields in health, environment, industry, and sport.
“This grant will enable us to start envisioning a different future for Australian sport, with data-informed athlete recruitment, fewer injuries, better physical and mental performance, and personalised precision training,” Professor Mengersen said.
“We will work with the AIS to identify opportunities to use data science to advance high performance sports, with particular focus on delivering benefits to athletes and coaches.”
The research team includes world class researchers from the Australian Academy of Science, QUT and University of Canberra with expertise in data science and biomechanics.
Professor Mengersen said the researchers were keenly working toward optimising data-equipped skills in the lead up toward the 2032 Olympics to be hosted in Brisbane.
“Sports data analytics is a global growth profession, and the demand for experts who can extract knowledge from data will continue to accelerate with Trajectory 2032,” she said.
The investigation team also includes:-
- Associate Professor Geoffrey Minett – lead for sport, exercise, health, and physical education at QUT
- QUT Sport Manager Emily Rosemond – former winter Olympian and Commonwealth Games medallist
- Dr Simon Denman – research in the fields of robotics, computer vision and machine learning, trajectory prediction, video analytics, biometrics
- Associate Professor Divya Mehta – geneticist and biostatistician who investigates human stress responses
- Professor Richi Nayak – combines knowledge in data mining and web intelligence and technology transfer to real-world problems
- Dr Andrew Gibson – lecturer in information science specialising in reflexive cognition and expression
- Professor Christopher Drovandi – emphasis on statistics for competitive sports analytics
- Dr John Warmenhoven – data scientist at the University of Canberra working in high performance sport
- Associate Professor Dimitri Perrin – new approaches to optimise biomedical and social systems, modelling, and simulation.
The $125,000 project will build on the strong collaboration enjoyed between QUT, the Australian Institution of Sport and the Queensland Academy of Sport, which currently includes a co-funded Senior Research Fellow and several postdoctoral researchers and postgraduate students.
The QUT AIS awarded grant was among six totalling $670,000 to research teams around the country aimed at augmenting the performance of elite athletes, coaches, and support staff.
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