Dr. Mottola is a Distinguished University Professor with a Joint Position in the School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences and the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology in the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University. She is the Director of the Exercise and Pregnancy Laboratory; Chair of the Maternal, Fetal & Newborn Health Division of the Children’s Health Research Institute; and a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM); Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. She is the Founding Chair of the ACSM Pregnancy and Postpartum Special Interest Group. She is an embryologist and exercise physiologist who has conducted research on the effects of maternal exercise on both the mother and the developing fetus. She was co-lead author on the 2019 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy and helped develop the Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy and the companion document for Health Care Providers. Dr. Mottola assisted in developing the 2025 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep throughout the First Year Postpartum and the companion Get Active Questionnaire for Postpartum. She has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers and given over 190 invited talks in the area of exercise during pregnancy or postpartum. Her current research focuses on the impact of a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy and postpartum on chronic disease risks such as obesity and diabetes for both mother and baby with specific emphasis on high-risk groups.
Dr. Linda May is a professor at East Carolina University (ECU) in Greenville, North Carolina in the Department of Kinesiology for Health and Human Performance as well as an adjunct faculty member in Obstetrics and Gynecology for the Brody School of Medicine. She is the Director of the Human Performance Lab. As the Chair and Co-founder of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Pregnancy and Postpartum Special Interest Group and co-chair of the Physical Activity in Pregnancy and Postpartum Special Interest Group for the European Congress of Sports Science, she actively promotes exercise during and after pregnancy for improved maternal and child health.
Dr. May conducts research relating to the influence of different types of exercise throughout pregnancy on maternal, placental, and child cell and whole-body health outcomes before and after birth. Her research is presented in worldwide media outlets, including the New York Times, Good Morning America, Tehran Times, podcasts, and webinars. Dr. May’s lab was ranked #7 worldwide; she has published 6 book chapters, and 100+ peer-reviewed articles in the field of exercise during pregnancy. Dr. May has received funds from the American Heart Association, NIH, BlueCross BlueShield and runs a grant-funded lab. She is a member of the American Heart Association, ACSM, CSEP (Canadian Society of Exercise Physiologists), European Congress of Sports Science, International Society of Physical Activity, and the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. Dr. May recently won the prestigious ECU 2025 Trendsetter Research award.
Dr. Szumilewicz is an Associate Professor at the Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport (GUPES), in Poland. She conducts experimental research on the effects of physical activity in pregnant women on the course of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period, as well as on child development. She developed the evidence-based training and educational programs "FemFit Mama" and "HIIT Mama" aimed at pregnant and postpartum women. She also implemented the international educational project NEPPE (The New Era of Pregnancy and Postpartum Exercise), involving representatives from 41 countries (2021-2025). She is the co-chair of the “Physical Activity in Pregnancy and Postpartum” Special Interest Group (SIG) for the European Congress of Sports Science and the chair of the International Efforts Sub-committee for the SIG on Pregnancy and Postpartum at the American College of Sports Medicine.
Dr. Szumilewicz has also been conducting research on the professional competencies of exercise professionals and has participated in many national and international projects related to health-enhancing physical activity. She is a member of the presidium of the Council for Education and Improvement of Physical Culture Staff at the Polish Ministry of Sports and Tourism. For many years she has also been associated with EuropeActive (EA), representing the fitness sector in the European market and she is the Deputy Director for the EA Professional Standards Committee.
She is the author of several dozen scientific and popular science publications, educational standards, and a speaker at numerous national and international scientific conferences, seminars, and popular science webinars.
Dr. Margie Davenport is a Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation and holds the Christenson Professorship in Active Healthy Living. She leads the Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health (www.exerciseandpregnancy.ca ), and just received the Drinkwater Leadership Award in Women’s Health, Sport, & Physical Activity from the American College of Sports Medicine. Dr. Davenport has published more than 175 manuscripts related to physical activity and sport during preconception, pregnancy and the postpartum period. Over the last decade she has worked with a number of National/International organizations including FIFA, the World Health Organization, International Olympic Committee, Sport Canada, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, and the American College of Sports Medicine to support physical activity during and following pregnancy. Dr. Davenport was the Chair of the 2019 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy, and the 2025 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep throughout the First Year Postpartum. This work led to the development of the Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy, Get Active Questionnaire for Postpartum and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology/American College of Sports Medicine Pre & Postnatal Exercise Specialization.
Dr. Tremblay is a Senior Scientist with the Healthy Active Living and Obesity (HALO) Research Group at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute and Professor of Pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, President of the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance, Founder of the Sedentary Behaviour Research Network, President of Outdoor Play Canada, and Adjunct/Visiting/Honorary Professor at six other universities on four continents. Dr. Tremblay has published >650 scientific papers and book chapters in the areas of childhood obesity, physical activity measurement, exercise physiology, sedentary physiology, outdoor play and health surveillance. Dr. Tremblay’s most productive work has resulted from his 37-year marriage to his wife Helen, yielding four wonderful children.
Having received her PhD in Health Promotion from the University of Western Ontario in 2017, Dr. Vanderloo’s area of research focuses on the objective measurement of young children’s physical activity levels and sedentary time. Her research interests also extend to the impact of the outdoor environment on young children’s activity behaviours. Dr. Vanderloo has published some of the first national and international papers examining the variability in young children’s activity levels across various early learning environments as well as exploring approaches for improving objective measurement in this population. Currently, Dr. Vanderloo is the Scientific Director at ParticipACTION, a national non-profit organization which aims to foster and support active living among all people living in Canada.
