Research Interests

Professor Nick Draper has been a researcher and teacher at the University of Canterbury for over decade, but has a wealth of experience developed as a practitioner. Nick’s research has a translational focus with the aim of finding solutions to real-world problems. Nick has a thorough understanding of the elite performance sport environment, having been a sport and exercise scientist for British Judo for 8 years and a Selector and Team Manager at European Championships, World Championships and Olympic Games. He has written training programmes for World and Olympic medalists, supporting athletes to success at the highest levels in sport. At a grassroots level Nick continues to coach junior rugby and judo players and has also coached 1st XV and Reps rugby in NZ. Nick started his career as a physical education teacher, graduating from the University of Exeter, and teaching at primary, middle and high school levels.

Nick completed his research training at the Universities of London and New Mexico where he received a thorough grounding in qualitative and quantitative methods, both of which he applies to research problems in his chosen field of exercise physiology. Through his research training and depth of his experience as a practitioner Nick is able to bring a practitioner’s and researcher’s knowledge to solving real-world problems. As a researcher Nick has led or been involved in over 20 successful competitive grants in New Zealand and the UK totaling over $10 million. His current research projects, very much with a translational focus, include examining possible impact force mitigation through rugby headgear, the feasibility of exercise to improve outcomes for cancer patients, the health benefits of trampolining and performance prediction for elite cyclists.