Thomas Goossen

MSc. in BPK master's student in the Faculty of Applied Sciences

Tell us a little about yourself, including what inspires you to learn and continue in your chosen field

I am a lifelong learner with a deep passion for exercise physiology. Discovering more about the body's ability for performance and how to leverage its underlying mechanisms to improve outcomes in sport is fascinating to me. Moreover, when those findings end up helping improve someone's quality of life beyond sport continues to inspire me to dig deeper.

Why did you choose to come to SFU?

SFU's reputation proceeded it as a high-level university with equal focuses on academics and research. When an opportunity to work in the Cardiovascular Physiology lab presented itself I knew it was an exemplary opportunity to grow myself as a researcher and student.

How would you describe your research or your program to a family member?

My research is focused on using exercise science to help new mothers rebuild their fitness following childbirth. I'm building off of previous research which demonstrated short but intense exercise was well tolerated and enabled postpartum women to return to a pre-pregnancy level of fitness in about 6 weeks of training. I'll be looking at specific mechanisms that drive these exercise improvements and considering how variations of training changes performance outcomes.

What three (3) keywords would you use to describe your research?

Postpartum, Exercise, Physiology

How have your courses, RA-ships, TA-ships, or non-academic school experiences contributed to your academic and/or professional development?

My courses and lab community have been immensely helpful in my academic and professional development. The community aspect of BPK between my classes and lab have proved to be the most impactful as I feel well-connected and valued by my peers. This knowledge that I have a community of people who are excited and want me to succeed is a major cornerstone of what empowers me to continue to strive academically for success.

Have you been the recipient of any major or donor-funded awards? If so, please tell us which ones and a little about how the awards have impacted your studies and/or research

BC Graduate Scholarship: This award has impacted my studies by enabling me to build a strong foundation of academic habits coming out of my undergraduate program. Because of this award, I've been able to concentrate on refining my research question and establishing key relationships in my program.

Contact Thomas:thomas_goossen@sfu.ca

Additional Links

• LinkedIn