Speakers

Professor Lars Engebretsen

Lars Engebretson completed his Medical Doctorate in 1979 at the University of Oslo. In 1990 he received his PhD in Orthopaedic Surgery from Trondheim University and in 1992 was credentialed in Norway as a Certified Specialist in orthopaedics and general surgery.

Lars is Professor, Orthopaedic Center, Ullevål University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo. Lars’ current professional affiliations include Professor of the Norwegian College of Sports and Physical Education and the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Norway, Co-chair of Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center. He is Consultant and chief of sports medicine at the Norwegian Olympic Sports Federation Olympic Committee and Para-Olympic Committee, Head Physician for the Norwegian Olympic Center and Head of Medical Sciences, International Olympic Committee (IOC). He was the Chief Physician for the Norwegian Olympic Team for Athens 2004, Torino 2006 and for the Norwegian Olympic Training Center.

Lars has published over 400 articles, book chapters and abstracts. He has received research grants and awards from many agencies and associations, including the National Institutes of Health, the Norwegian Council for Research in Science and humanities, the Norwegian Ministry of Health and AOSSM.

In addition to being the current President of ESSKA, Lars is also a member of many other societies including but not limited to the Norwegian Society of Sports Medicine, the Scandinavian Foundation of Medicine & Science in Sports, ISAKOS, the Orthopaedic Research Society and International Knee Society.

Refshauge Lecturer

Professor Peter Fricker OAM

Director of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)

Professor Fricker is well known for his significant role as team doctor and medical director of Australian teams at five Olympic Games and six Commonwealth Games. He was appointed AIS Director in 2005.

He is Chairman of the Medical Commission of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association and a Member of the Medical Commission of the Australian Olympic Committee, and was Medical Director for the Teams to Manchester and for the Australian Team to the Athens Olympics.

Peter worked as Team Medical Officer to Australian National Junior Mens Basketball Teams to two World Championships ans was Team Medical Officer to National Gymnastics Teams to World Championships.

For over 25 years, Professor Fricker has conducted groundbreaking work in key areas of sports science and sports medicine, including sports injuries, exercise and immunology, and genetics in sport. He has focused on research that supports and enhances the performance and success of Australian athletes and teams.

Official commendations include a medal of the Order of Australia (1993) and the Australian Sports Medal (2001).

Professor Bengt Saltin

Professor Bengt Saltin is currently the Director of the Muscle Research Center at the University of Copenhagen.

Bengt has devoted his life to researching the effects of physical exercise on health and performance. He coined the term ‘humans were meant to move’ and his famous ‘bed rest’ study transformed medical practice on how people recover from heart attacks, general surgery, or injury. Over the years he has conducted extensive research into skeletal muscle function and training, cardiac function in athletes and patients, high level elite performance, gene-environment interactions and performance enhancing drugs. His current work focuses on exercise and diabetes. He is one of the world’s most respected exercise physiologists and in 2002, he was awarded the IOC Prize, an Olympic Gold Medal, for having made the greatest contribution to our understanding of exercise for health and performance.