Jean Bélisle

Biography

Born and raised in Montreal, Dr. Alberga completed her BSc (Major Exercise Science, Minor Psychology) at Concordia University. She then completed her MSc and PhD in the School of Human Kinetics, specializing in exercise physiology at the University of Ottawa. She was awarded a Canadian Diabetes Association Doctoral Research Award for her research focused on improving the cardiometabolic health of children and adolescents with obesity through exercise. It is through these experiences that she learned how prevalent and harmful weight-based stigma is and has since been devoted to research, teaching and knowledge translation efforts to reduce weight discrimination in society. Dr. Alberga was awarded an Eyes High Postdoctoral Fellowship and a Banting Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Postdoctoral Fellowship by the Federal Government of Canada at the University of Calgary supporting her research on weight stigma reduction in education, healthcare and public policy.

Alongside her interdisciplinary research training in health promotion and disease prevention, she has over 15 years of experience working with children, youth and adults as a camp counselor, educator, mentor, coach, instructor, personal trainer and clinical exercise physiologist in academic and community settings across Canada.

Research program: An interdisciplinary approach to weight-related issues: Implications for population and public health.

Dr. Alberga’s research program focuses on better understanding how (i) societal, and (ii) school and other institutional factors, influence weight-related issues including obesity, eating disorders, physical inactivity and weight stigma.

EXCI 420: Epidemiology of Physical Activity

EXCI 458: Pediatric Exercise Science

HEXS 811: Advanced Topics in Health and Exercise Science: Intervention Module 

HEXS 812: Advanced Topics in Health and Exercise Science: Population Health Module 

EXCI 612: Laboratory Techniques