BOARD MEMBERS
Chair Founder

Professor Monèm JEMNI
Well-established and one of the world’s leading authorities in sport science with 26 years of career between France, the USA, Qatar, Germany, and mainly in the UK. Professor Jemni is an exercise physiologist for health and performance who gained world recognition due to cutting-edge research applied to sports. He lectured and received outstanding academic awards from several Universities. He published over 150 manuscripts, including original research, textbooks, and conference abstracts. Monèm is a specialist in health and exercise science with research focused on optimizing human performance, using cross-disciplinary orientated projects that engage local government, exercise scientists, nutritionists, health and social care specialists, and the fitness industry. He provided services to Olympic Winners and professional football clubs in the UK, such as Arsenal FC, Charlton Athletic, West Ham United, Crystal Palace, and Gillingham FC. Professor Jemni was a consultant and tutor at the University of Cambridge (UK) after he acted as the Director of Sport Science with a Professional Football Coaching Degree at the University of Greenwich, London (2008-12). He transformed the program into a broader international course and publicized it worldwide. He also acted as the Qatar Olympic Committee Sport Science Programme Chair based at Qatar University from 2014 to 2018. Monèm was behind all the events the ISAFA has collaboratively developed and delivered (International Science And Football Association www.isafa.info). He is fervent in providing quality-controlled programs that socially and academically impact individuals and key stakeholders. Expert in planning, budgeting, negotiating, and leading small to big international projects from conception to delivery.
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS

Petros KOUKOURAS
Mr. Petros Koukouras is a Sports Scientist and Assistant Manager at Apollon Kalamarias Football Club, a Greek professional football team. He graduated with a Degree in Sports Science with professional football coaching (BSc) and a Master’s Degree in Sports Science with Strength and Conditioning (MSc) from the University of Greenwich, London, UK. Petros is also a UEFA-A licensed coach working towards UKSCA Accreditation. Petros has significant experience in scouting elite athletes, and so far, he achieved to sign three players for Reading FC.

Dr. Bessem MKAOUER, PhD
Institute of Sport and Physical Education, of Ksar Saïd, University of Manouba, Tunisia.
Assistant Professor at the Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education, of Ksar Saïd, University of Manouba, Tunisia. Department of Physical Activities and Sports.
Member of the research unit codes 99/UR/0867 entitled “Adaptation cardio-circulatory, respiratory, metabolic and hormonal to the muscular exercise,” Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Tunisia—a specialist in Exercise Physiology, Biomechanics, and Motion Analysis.
Expert Scientist and Data Analysis and expert sports Scientist at the Tunisian Ministry of Youth and Sport responsible for the scientific monitoring and follow-up of several sports: Gymnastics, Judo, Boxing, and Fencing National Teams (2002 – 2012).

Mohammad PRINCE
Sports, Health, and Wellness Specialist
Mr. Mohammad Shoaib Prince is a talented health, wellness, and exercise professional who has completed his M.A.Sc in Diabetes Care and Patient Education from the College of North Atlantic Qatar. Before this, He has completed a B.Sc degree in Sports Science from Qatar University. He has achieved outstanding academic success by publishing four original research articles in peer-reviewed journals and one conference paper. Currently, he is working with the Department of Sport and Wellness, College of North Atlantic Qatar. Prince is self-taught and IT literate; he is the webmaster for the ISAFA and has managed all three newsletter magazines. As a graduate researcher at the Department of Biomedical Research Center at Qatar University, he was involved in many other research projects related to exercise and health science. He was involved with Qatar Football Association as an amateur team manager of one of the community teams. When he was involved in the overall aim to promote football and affect other communities residing in Qatar, he brought the team into existence by managing and training all the athletes while using this setting to apply some of the theories he learned in his curriculum. The ISAFA board is proud to have him among its members and permanent office staff.

Prof Daniel Memmert
Daniel is a professor and head of the Institute of Cognitive and Team/Racket Sport Research at the German Sport University of Cologne. He is a football coach who deepened his coaching skills with a PhD in creativity in team games that he gained at the Elite University of Heidelberg. His research interests are cognitive science, human movement science, computer science, and sport psychology. He has 14 years of teaching and coaching experience, has published more than 100 publications, 20 books or book chapters, and recognised figure by his multi keynotes in Football. Daniel is a reviewer for several international sport psychology journals who transferred his expertise to business and to several professional soccer clubs within the Bundesliga.

Professor Monèm JEMNI
Well-established and one of the world’s leading authorities in sport science with 26 years of career between France, the USA, Qatar, Germany, and mainly in the UK. Professor Jemni is an exercise physiologist for health and performance who gained world recognition due to cutting-edge research applied to sports. He lectured and received outstanding academic awards from several Universities. He published over 150 manuscripts, including original research, textbooks, and conference abstracts. Monèm is a specialist in health and exercise science with research focused on optimizing human performance, using cross-disciplinary orientated projects that engage local government, exercise scientists, nutritionists, health and social care specialists, and the fitness industry. He provided services to Olympic Winners and professional football clubs in the UK, such as Arsenal FC, Charlton Athletic, West Ham United, Crystal Palace, and Gillingham FC. Professor Jemni was a consultant and tutor at the University of Cambridge (UK) after he acted as the Director of Sport Science with a Professional Football Coaching Degree at the University of Greenwich, London (2008-12). He transformed the program into a broader international course and publicized it worldwide. He also acted as the Qatar Olympic Committee Sport Science Programme Chair based at Qatar University from 2014 to 2018. Monèm was behind all the events the ISAFA has collaboratively developed and delivered (International Science And Football Association www.isafa.info). He is fervent in providing quality-controlled programs that socially and academically impact individuals and key stakeholders. Expert in planning, budgeting, negotiating, and leading small to big international projects from conception to delivery.
BOARD MEMBERS

Dr. Ajit Korgaokar
Dr. Ajit Korgaokar is an Associate Professor in the Exercise Science department at Tennessee Technological University in Tennessee, USA. He has presented at international and national conferences on the relative age effect in youth soccer, nutritional supplements to enhance soccer performance, sleep hygiene for performance and recovery, and most recently, blood flow restriction training for activation and recovery. In addition to his teaching post, he was the former Head Performance Coach for Nashville SC Academy and now works as a sport scientist for Nashville SC’s (MLS) first team. In addition, Dr. Korgaokar has been an instructor for the United States Soccer Federation and United Soccer Coaches. A former professional soccer player with the Orlando Lions (ASL), Dr. Korgaokar also holds several soccer coaching qualifications: United State Soccer Federation (USSF) ‘A’ license, National Youth License, and the Grassroots Instructor License. He also holds the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Premier Diploma, the National Youth Diploma, and the Director of Coaching Diploma.

Dr. Fabien Basset, Canada
Dr. Basset’s primary areas of research focus on environmental physiology, cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses to exercise, motor coordination, and sports performance.
Dr. Basset has coached and trained elite and recreational athletes and coaches in education throughout his career. He has coached national and international middle-distance runners and served as an exercise physiologist for the National Sports Centre in Montreal, mainly working with long- and middle-distance runners, cross-country skiers, long-track speed skaters, and triathletes.
Since he arrived at Memorial, Dr. Basset has set up and developed Allied Health Services, a division of HKR that provides various packages to athletes and community members, including fitness testing, appraisal and periodization of training programmes, massage therapy, and athletic therapy, diet advice, ergonomic assessments and interventions and exercise and sport psychology consultations.
Personal Website: http://www.faculty.mun.ca/fbasset/index.php

Dr. Ferman Konukman, Ph.D.
Dr. Ferman Konukman, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Health & Physical Education in the Sports Science Program at Qatar University, Doha in QATAR. Dr. Konukman’s education includes a PhD in Physical Education in the Health & Physical Education Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech); an M. Ed degree from the University of Nebraska Lincoln, Department of Health & Human Performance with an emphasize in Physical Education and Sport Studies; an M. Sc. degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Health Promotion Program with a Sport Performance Option; and an undergraduate degree in Physical Education & Sports from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey.
He has served as a member of the editorial review board of ICHPER-SD Journal of Research, assistant editor of the Journal of International Counsel of Health Physical Education Recreation Sports and Dance (ICHPER-SD Journal), and as the coaching section editor of PElinks4U web site. Dr. Konukman is currently the Teaching Tips section contributing editor for the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (JOPERD).
He has 27 publications in scholarly journals, 23 peer reviewed abstracts in RQES and 20 online publications to his credit. In addition, Dr. Konukman has over 100 conference presentations. His research interests are teaching and coaching effectiveness in PE and teaching sport skills to children with autism. Dr. Konukman was inducted to the Kappa Delta Phi International Honor Society in Education as a result of his research efforts related to teaching children with autism, after school tennis programs, and academic service learning in teacher education.

Dr. Francois Billaut
Dr Billaut is a Full Professor of exercise and sport physiology at Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada. His research group investigates the effects of exercise, training, and hypoxic stress on the metabolic and neural functions as well as physical work capacity to enhance performance and health. Recently, he has focused on the impact of ischemic preconditioning and blood-flow restriction in female and male athletes. Dr Billaut has received > 2 million dollars in funding from governmental and private agencies and has < 100 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of neuromuscular function, tissue oxygenation, pacing and the effects of altitude on human performance.
Dr Billaut also serves as lead physiologist with Canada’s national cross-country skiing, speed skating, track-and-field, and sprint kayak teams.

Dr. João Viana
University Institute of Maia – ISMAI, Portugal
Dr João Viana is the Director of the Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development at the University Institute of Maia, Portugal, where he is also the Coordinator of the Sports Performance and Health Optimisation Center. João’s research interests are exercise immunology and exercise in chronic diseases. His work in chronic kidney disease has received international recognition, produced high impact scientific publications and received awards from both sport and medical sciences communities. João is also interested in sport and exercise science support for athletes, particularly physiological monitoring of training, and has worked with elite athletes from a range of sports, including Olympians. Currently, he is responsible for the Sports Performance and Health Optimisation Center at the University Institute of Maia, which provides sport science support services to several sport clubs including first division Portuguese football clubs. João was responsible for the organisation of the ISAFA showcase in Portugal in 2015.

Prof. Julien Baker
Professor Baker is currently a Research Professor at the Department of Sport, Physical Education and Health, Hong Kong Baptist University, China. He has published over 450 full papers in peer-reviewed journals, published over 290 peer-reviewed abstracts, provided 69 invited key-note presentations, presented at 91 prestigious international conferences, contributed to 19 academic book chapters, written 2 books in partnership, and published 26 invited full papers. His key research areas include high intensity exercise, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, immune function, hormonal control, oxidative stress and muscle damage, steroid abuse and exercise biochemistry.
Professor Baker is a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and a Doctor of Science (DSc). Professor Baker holds fellowships with important and relevant professional organizations these include; Fellow of the Physiological Society (FPhysiol), Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (FRSM), Fellow of Human Biology Association (FHB), Fellow of the Institute of Biology (FIBiol), Fellow of the Institute of Clinical Research (FICR), Fellow of the International Engineering and Technology Institute (FIETI) and member of the Society for the Study of Biology (SSOB). Professor Baker is also a Chartered Biologist (CBiol), and Chartered Scientist (CSci). He is a member of both the Physiological Societies of Great Britain and America. He also has membership with the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) and the British Pharmacological Society. Professor Baker is also a visiting Professor at University of Ningbo, Institute of Grand Health, University of Sydney, Faculty of Life Sciences and Ningbo Ninth Hospital Medical Research Centre.

Dr. Luciana De Martin Silva
Dr. Luciana De Martin Silva is Principal Lecturer at Hartpury University, UK, where she is currently Programme Manager for the MSc Sports Coaching programme, Cross-Faculty Teaching Development Scheme Lead, and Women’s Futsal Head Coach. Luciana has experience as an External Examiner at different Institutions as well as Reviewer for different journals and PhD supervisor. Luciana’s research interest includes Coach Education, Sports Pedagogy, Physical activity & health and Teaching & Learning. She has developed research with colleagues from different countries including Portugal, Brazil and the UK which resulted in a number of peer reviewed articles, book chapters and presentations at international conferences.
In one of her most recent publications, Luciana explored the learning journey experienced by Deaf International Futsal players and staff members during the seven month build-up to an International competition. From an international perspective, Luciana won a Gold medal in the World University Games in Beijing in 2001 whilst playing for Brazil and has recently co-led the England Deaf Women’s Futsal team to 4th place in the Futsal European Championships in 2018. She has experience as a qualified PE teacher in Brazil and coached Futsal in a variety of settings from youth to international level. These include school settings in Brazil; The English FA regional Futsal Centres of Excellence (16-19 boys, Southwest and South regions); Bristol City Women’s FC and Gloucester City Men’s FC. Luciana was the only female Head coach in the Men’s National Futsal league in England. She is a UEFA B (level 3) Football and Futsal coach as well as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Prof. William A. Sands
William A. Sands is a professor at East Tennessee State University (USA). He recently served as the Director of Education for the National Strength and Conditioning Association in Colorado Springs, CO (USA). He has served as the Director of the Monfort Family Human Performance Research Laboratory at Colorado Mesa University. At the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs, he was Recovery Center Leader, Head of Sport Biomechanics, and Engineering and Senior Physiologist. He has over 40 years of experience in Olympic sports. Dr. Sands has served as an associate professor at the University of Utah’s Department of Exercise and Sport Science and Co-Director of the Motor Behavior Research Laboratory with adjunct appointments in Bioengineering and Physical Therapy. He was the Department Chair of Exercise Science & Sports Medicine at California Lutheran University and Director of the Human Performance Laboratory. Other positions include: Director of Research and Development for USA Gymnastics, Scientific Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation, and Chair of the United States Elite Coaches Association for Women’s Gymnastics. He has written 17 books, received over $1/4 million in grants and contracts, and published over 200 articles on sport performance. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, certified as an Athlete Recovery Specialist, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Wilderness EMT, and has several certifications in emergency communications, emergency medicine, and search and rescue. Dr. Sands is a former All-American, MVP, Co-Captain, and NAIA Gymnast of the Year. He was also a World Championship coach in gymnastics and produced several Olympians, more than a dozen national team members, and several World Championship Team members. His primary service and research interests involve athlete recovery, high-performance training, strength and power performance, and wilderness emergency medicine.

Prof. Yaodong Gu
Yaodong Gu is currently a Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Sports Science at Ningbo University, China and and managing the Research Academy of Grand Health of the University. He acted as a visiting professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the Imperial College of London in 2013 and as an honorary professor at Auckland Bioengineering Institute in the University of Auckland since 2016.
His research areas focus on Biomechanics, Gait, Motion Analysis of Sports Activities and Rehabilitation Exercise, and Finite Elements Analysis. He has published over 70 full papers in peer-reviewed journals. He is editorial board member of Sports Biomechanics Journal and International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology. He is also the General Secretory of Asian Sports Biomechanics Society.

Dr. Zakaria Labsy
FIFA fitness instructors
Université Paris Sud 11 (FRANCE)
Dr Labsy is one of the prominent FIFA fitness instructors for many years. After an international football career as a goalkeeper (junior level and university level), he gained a PhD in Sport Science. He very quickly became a reference for fitness coaching in football for many federations (Morocco – Cameroun – Denmark – Tunisia – Rwanda – Mali – Tchad – Malaysia – Comore islands – Turkey – France – Burkina Faso). He also coached at different levels mainly Paris St-Germain and other clubs in Paris / France. Dr Labsy is the main author for the FIFA programme “Small-sided Games and Integrating Physical preparation” published by the FIFA’s development and education service in collaboration with: Pr Tourny C, Mr Gallice J, Pr Ahmaïdi S, J. Neppfer -JM Conz. The programme is deployed and adopted around the globe by the football federations. In addition, Dr Labsy is a research active, regularly publishing high impacting articles in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr Labsy is one of the prominent FIFA fitness instructors for many years. After an international football career as a goal keeper (junior level and university level), he gained a PhD in Sport Science. He very quickly became a reference for fitness coaching in football for many federations (Morocco – Cameroun – Denmark – Tunisia – Rwanda – Mali – Tchad – Malaysia – Comore islands – Turkey – France – Burkina Faso. He also coached at different levels mainly Paris St-Germain and other clubs in Paris / France. Dr Labsy is the main author for the FIFA programme “Small-sided Games and Integrating Physical preparation” published by the FIFA’s development and education service in collaboration with J. Neppfer -JM Conz. The programme is deployed and adopted around the globe by the football federations. In addition, Dr Labsy is a research active, regularly publishing high impacting articles in peer reviewed journals.