Approach to teaching

Current research priority is the application of “omics” (i.e. genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and proteomics) to the detection of drugs in sport with particular reference to recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo), blood doping and testosterone. Research undertaken in the Collaborating Centre [affiliated to “Foro Italico” University of Rome] of Sports Medicine (part of an international network of 27 research laboratories with a mission to promote best practice sport medicine principles for athlete care and active living, www.fims.org/about/ccsm/) is having a significant impact in the field of sport, exercise science and medicine. Two primary examples are the Sub2 marathon project (www.sub2hrs.com) and the Athlome Project (www.athlomeconsortium.org).

The SUB2 marathon project (www.sub2hrs.com) is the first dedicated international research initiative made up of specialist multidisciplinary scientists from academia, elite athletes and strategic industry partners with the aim to promote clean sports i.e. high performance marathon running without doping. While the true extent of doping in sport remains difficult to accurately quantify, high-profile doping cases in cycling and athletics reinforce the call for new approaches that build on the significant progress made in the fight against doping since World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) was established. A novel proof-of-concept idea motivated by the need to focus on a holistic approach that simultaneously focuses on preventing doping, protecting the clean athlete, and promoting peak performance without doping is being piloted. As such, all athletes participating in the project undergo regular independent doping controls (blood and urine). Tests are carried out, handled and analysed and the data interpreted in accordance with WADA’s World Anti-Doping Programme. While there are no guarantees the Sub2 marathon project will succeed in delivering a sub two hour marathon within 5 years, a number of outcomes beyond the breaking of the sub two hour barrier are envisaged including the promotion of clean high performance marathon running and the development of the next generation anti-doping tests, “intelligent” training methods using omics technologies, real time performance management systems, optimal training and performance nutrition, and novel training and racing footwear designs.

A documentary film on the Sub2 project was commissioned in 2018 entitled “Enhanced” and produced by award winning director Alex Gibney and funded by ESPN (USA) (private streaming of the documentary can be provided on request as the film has now aired and available only via pay TV).

For some publicity see: http://www.sub2hrs.com/news-events/?filter-category=News

Selected highlights include:

https://www.ft.com/content/61981a58-41ce-11e6-9b66-0712b3873ae1

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/15/sports/two-hour-marathon-yannis-pitsiladis.html?&hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

The aim of the Athlome Project (www.athlomeconsortium.org) is to characterise the genetics and biology of sport and exercise medicine, as a platform to understanding healthy body function and major chronic disease conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes). The Athlome project captures genotype and phenotype data of elite athletes, adaptation to exercise training (in both human and animal models), and muscle-related injuries from existing studies and consortiums worldwide. To achieve this ambitious goal, different approaches are being used including (but not limited to) genome-wide association studies (GWAS), whole exome sequencing, RNA sequencing, genotype-phenotype association, and epigenetic analyses. Particular priority is also given to tissue-specific and systemic “omics” analysis (such as transcriptomics in the first instance) to develop personalized medicine applications including “intelligent training” and the discovery of “omics” signatures of doping.

For some publicity see: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000539458