John Cairney, PhD, MBA, FNAK

John Cairney, PhD, MBA, FNAK, is the dean of the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. Prior to his time at U-M, Dean Cairney served as head of the University of Queensland School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences. He also served as co-director of the Health and Well-Being Centre for Research Innovation; director of the Queensland Centre for Olympic and Paralympic Studies; and deputy executive director for the 2032 Office of Games Engagement.

Dean Cairney’s appreciation for the depth and breadth of kinesiology is reflected in his own education; he earned his PhD in sociology and epidemiology from the University of Western Ontario and his executive MBA in sport management from Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid.

Dean Cairney has a lengthy and sustained history of research funding and an impressive number of publications, including books, book chapters, and peer-reviewed journal articles. He has held multiple editorial roles, including editorial board member, Psychology of Sport and Exercise; editor-in-chief (inaugural / founding editor), Current Developmental Disorder Reports; and past associate editor, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. His service extends to board roles in organizations such as the North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine (NASPEM), where he served as president and as past president. Dean Cairney has also received numerous honors and awards throughout his career, including the Alexander Leighton Award in Psychiatric Epidemiology (2017) and the Metzler-Freedman Exemplary Paper Award from the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education (2019).