John C. Spence, FCAHS

Dr. John C. Spence spends most of his time relaxing in the Sedentary Living Laboratory in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta where he is a Professor. He has expertise in the area of behavioural medicine and research methods. His research focuses on both the benefits and determinants of physical activity and how physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour influence health. Dr. Spence has studied broad social determinants (e.g., SES) and population physical activity patterns. More recently, he has focused on (a.) factors that impact mobility and active transportation; and, (b.) the role of policy initiatives such as tax credits for promoting physical activity. Dr. Spence has a strong background in physical activity measurement, research methods, and ecological models of behaviour and health. His work has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR). He has served as a member of grant review panels for the Canadian Diabetes Association (Committee 3), CIHR (PB2), HSFC (Committee 7), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dr. Spence is also a Senior Research Associate with the Alberta Centre for Active Living, an Adjunct Researcher with the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, and serves on research advisory committees for ParticipACTION.

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