Matthew Heath

Professor Matthew Heath of Western University's School of Kinesiology serves as Associate Director of Research and holds a PhD from Waterloo. His primary academic home is the Department of Kinesiology within the School of Kinesiology, with graduate supervision appointments in Psychological Basis of Kinesiology (MA/PhD) and Integrative Biosciences (MSc/PhD).

His research centers on neuroplasticity in executive function following acute and chronic exercise across populations including healthy young/older adults and those at risk for cognitive decline. Key techniques involve behavioral and electroencephalographic measures of limb/oculomotor control, cortical hemodynamic (TCD, NIRS) and metabolic responses to exercise. A secondary research stream examines vision-cognition interactions in goal-directed movements, with clinical applications for evaluating executive dysfunction in sport-related concussion.

Professor Heath integrates basic visual science with clinical tools for concussion assessment and recovery monitoring. His work seeks optimal exercise protocols for brain health benefits while investigating underlying neural mechanisms through multimodal physiological monitoring.

He maintains active research collaborations through Western's School of Kinesiology infrastructure, directing projects that bridge laboratory neuroscience with real-world clinical applications in cognitive health and sports medicine.