Professor Hugh Fullagar

Overview

An award-winning scientist, coach & educator, Hugh’s international track record in applied sport science spans sleep health, fatigue, recovery, and injury prevention in high-performance environments. His work focuses on translating research into practice across elite sport, healthcare, defence, and emergency services. He has held academic and applied roles across leading international institutions, including Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital (International Olympic Committee Research Centre), University of Technology Sydney and Reykjavik University. Alongside this, Hugh has worked with some of the world’s best athletes, including the Oakland Raiders (NFL), Oregon Ducks football (NCAA), and European football (FIFA Medical Centre’s of Excellence), and continues to collaborate across Olympic and international performance environments (e.g., IOC, FIFA, NBA).

His work is both research-driven and practice-informed, with a focus on aligning data, expertise, and people to support better decision-making and sustained performance. He is particularly recognised for operating at the interface between research and practice, working with teams and organisations to solve complex, real-world performance challenges.

Research Expertise

Hugh’s research is applied, interdisciplinary, and problem-led, with a focus on:

• Sleep, fatigue, and recovery in high-performance environments
• Training load monitoring and athlete readiness
• Injury prevention and return-to-play decision making
• Performance and health in occupational settings (e.g., emergency services, defence)
• Knowledge translation and evidence-based practice in complex systems

He collaborates extensively with leading organisations including the NBA, FIFA, Defence and Fire and Rescue NSW, embedding research within real-world environments and using applied data to inform decisions in training, rehabilitation, and performance. A consistent theme of his work is helping teams and organisations make better use of information, bringing together data, context, and expertise to support decisions that matter.

Teaching & Learning

Hugh has extensive experience in postgraduate education and program development aligned with industry needs, having taught or designed >20 subjects across five countries. He led the design and initial implementation of the Master of High Performance Sport at the University of Technology Sydney, achieving strong industry endorsement and strong student demand. His teaching approach emphasises evidence-based practice, applied problem-solving, and interdisciplinary learning, with a focus on developing decision-making capability in real-world contexts. He supervises higher degree research students across sport science and applied performance, with a strong emphasis on industry-engaged research, co-supervision, and clear development pathways for early- and mid-career researchers.

Leadership & Service

Hugh has held senior academic leadership roles, including Director of Postgraduate Studies at Reykjavik University, where he led growth in research performance, publication output, and external engagement. At the University of Newcastle, his role is focused on strengthening integrated research and teaching environments in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, supporting staff development, and building externally connected programs that position Exercise & Sport Science for long-term impact. He sat on a variety of internal and external professional advisory boards and committees. Hugh has a strong track record in building collaborative teams and developing research capacity across disciplines. His leadership focuses on connecting people, aligning activity to strategic priorities, and creating environments where staff and students can do high-quality, impactful work.