Florida International University (FIU) has announced that its faculty experts are available to provide commentary and insights on topics related to athletic performance, brain health, sports medicine, event management, nutrition, sports journalism, and musical performance. This comes as major sporting events such as the Winter Olympics, Super Bowl, and FIFA World Cup draw near.
The university stated that its faculty can address a range of issues from mental and physical preparation for athletes under pressure to concussion detection and injury prevention. Other areas of expertise include nutrition strategies for optimal performance, planning for large-scale events, changes in the sports media landscape, and best practices in marching band and musical performance at athletic events.
Marcelo Bigliassi, Assistant Professor and Director of the Kinesiology Graduate Program at FIU’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education, studies how the brain and body respond to exercise. He uses EEGs and other technologies to understand motivation and resilience in athletes. Jason R. Kostrna is an associate professor specializing in sports psychology who examines how mental strategies influence athletic outcomes.
Trey Watson leads research on sprint performance and injury prevention in team sports. Christian Poellabauer focuses on mobile sensing technology for concussion detection through his work at FIU’s MOSAIC Lab. Oleksii Shandra researches the links between brain injuries like concussions and conditions such as epilepsy.
In the field of sports medicine, Dr. Keith Hechtman serves as head team physician for FIU athletics while also working with professional hockey players from the Florida Panthers.
Badr Badraoui provides expertise on hospitality market intelligence related to major events like the FIFA World Cup 2026. Nicholas P. Smith covers operational planning for sporting events with a focus on legal frameworks and volunteer management.
John Stuart works at the intersection of technology and public space design while Sharifa Wilkinson addresses long-term community impacts from major sporting events.
Nadine Mikati offers guidance on athlete nutrition aimed at enhancing game-day readiness while Lesley Visser brings experience from her career covering every major U.S. championship event as a sportscaster.
Faculty members also provide insight into marching band leadership (Darryl L. Baker), endurance techniques for musicians (Jason Calloway), orchestral performance psychology (Javier Mendoza), vocal stamina (Kyle Vincent Connor), among other topics relevant to high-pressure performances associated with global competitions.
For media inquiries or assistance contacting any expert listed by FIU, individuals are encouraged to reach out directly to FIU’s Office of Media Relations or designated college contacts.
