John Orchard

Dr. John Orchard is an Adjunct Professor at the Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, and serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Cricket Australia and Cricket NSW. He has over 20 years of experience in sports and exercise medicine, with expertise in sports injury epidemiology, tendinopathy, and cardiac health in athletes. Dr. Orchard holds an MBBS from the University of Melbourne (1989), an MD by thesis (2006), and a PhD in sports injury epidemiology from UNSW (1999). He has published over 300 scientific papers and maintains an H-index of 70.

His research focuses on sports injury prevention, musculoskeletal disorders, and the epidemiology of cricket and football injuries. He has pioneered the Orchard Sports Injury and Illness Classification System (OSIICS), a global standard for injury reporting in sports. Dr. Orchard’s work extends to elite athlete cardiac screening and the management of ground surface-related injuries.

Education:

• MBBS, University of Melbourne (1989)
• PhD in Sports Injury Epidemiology, UNSW (1999)
• MD by thesis, University of Melbourne (2006)

Awards:

• Member of the Order of Australia (AM, 2020) for contributions to sports medicine and cricket.

Advising & Grants:

• Teaches registrars in the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians program.
• Conducts research funded by Cricket Australia, the Australian Football League, and international sports organizations.

Labs/Teams:

• Chief Medical Officer roles with Cricket Australia, Cricket NSW, and the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre.
• Leads the Australasian Registry of Screening ECGs in National Athletes (ARENA) initiative.