Work with thought leaders and academic experts from Auckland University of Technology

Associate Professor Keogh is an exercise scientist whose research focuses on better understanding the relationship between muscle mass, strength and physical performance in athletes as well as older adults at risk of disability and poor health outcomes. A recent research and advocacy focus has been on the geriatric syndrome of sarcopenia, defined as a progressive loss of muscle mass, muscular strength and physical performance. His sarcopenia research and advocacy has focused on its epidemiology in residential aged care, the use of the SARC-F sarcopenia screening tool and the benefits and translational ability of progressive balance and resistance training to offset the sarcopenia adverse events. He is intimately involved with our two key national Australian organisations, Exercise and Sport Science Australia (ESSA) as well as the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA). He is an Accredited Sport Scientist with ESSA (ASpSc2) and an accredited Strength and Conditioning Coach with ASCA (Level II - Professional).   Much of his sports science research is now focusing on female athletic populations in order to help address the inequalities in the sports science research filed that has typically focused on male athletes. Example of this female-focused (or at least female inclusive) research include Australian Rules football, BMX, rugby sevens, strongman, surfing and swimming.

I use evidence-based interventions to influence best-practice policy development that aims to reduce injury and improve sports techniques for athletes around the world. In 1999, I developed SportSmart, a nationwide sports injury prevention programme for the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). Through my collaborations with PhD students, industry partners and academics from many disciplines this programme has been developed into sport-specific programmes. RugbySmart, for instance, was adopted as an annual compulsory programme for players and coaches and resulted in a significant reduction in severe neck injuries. My team pioneered the use of novel instrumentation to collect data on player head impacts during games and training in contact sports. I initiated the Global Rugby Health Research programme after her teams’ ground-breaking work with World Rugby and New Zealand Rugby, exploring the long-term health impacts of playing rugby. The research has indicated potential long term health consequences for head impacts and that sub-concussive head impacts need addressing. The results from these research projects have captured global attention and have helped transform concussion injury awareness and management in New Zealand and internationally. I lead the Women's health and neuroscience research programme hosted at AUT.