Speaker Bios

Prof. Billy Sperlich

Billy Sperlich is Professor at the University of Würzburg, where he leads the Chair of Integrative and Experimental Exercise Science and Training. His research focuses on dose–response relationships of different training methods, endurance performance, multi-stacking training (heat, cold, hypoxia/hyperoxia), and high-intensity training concepts. After serving as a researcher and lecturer at the German Sport University Cologne from 2002 to 2010, he completed his postdoctoral studies (2010–2012) and held a visiting professorship at Mid Sweden University in Östersund. Since 2015, his work has increasingly emphasized wearable sensor technology and an integrative 24-hour perspective on training adaptations in both elite sport and everyday physical activity. 

Lecture: AI in Winter Sports: Enhancing Performance While Preserving the Coach’s Judgment 

Dr. Helen Hanstock

Helen Hanstock is Associate Professor at Mid Sweden University’s Swedish Winter Sports Research Centre. Her research explores the intersection of training adaptation and health preservation, with a focus on winter endurance sports. Helen’s work spans respiratory health, particularly asthma and infection risk in winter endurance athletes, and the use of multi-omic approaches for biomarker discovery and athlete health monitoring. Her collaborative research programme, centred around investigating respiratory function in sub-zero environments using experimental chamber studies, questionnaires and qualitative interviews, has resulted in providing recommendations to the Swedish Ski Federation to develop evidence-based guidelines for safe training in cold conditions. Helen serves as an Associate Editor for the European Journal of Sport Science, regularly contributes to international symposiums, and engages in public science communication, including providing expert commentary to leading Swedish media outlets such as P4 radio, Svenska Dagbladet and Dagens Nyheter. 

Lecture: Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction when exercising in the cold

Dr. Jos de Koning

Jos J. de Koning, Ph.D., FACSM, is a Dutch associate professor in the Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. His research interests range from biomechanical modeling to high-performance exercise physiology. De Koning is internationally recognized for his research in pacing strategies, monitoring training loads, the physiology and biomechanics of elite sports performance, and the biomechanics and physiology of speed skating. De Koning was a pioneer in developing and implementing the innovative, world-records-producing ‘klapskate’ for competitive speed skating. He had the honor of receiving the 2025 ACSM Citation Award for his translation of fundamental science concepts into sports. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in exercise physiology and performance modeling.  

Lecture: Challenges when measuring aerobic metabolism in sub-zero environments

Prof. Alex Klein-Paste

Alex Klein-Paste is professor at the department of civil and environmental engineering. His research interests include friction on snow and ice, and engineering methods to measure, improve or reduce friction. He was project leader of the predecessor project Nano2glide and now works on the macroscopic parameters within Framski.

Lecture: FramSki – Making skis faster on the macro-, micro- and nanoscale (with Dr. Audun Formo Buene)

Dr. Audun Formo Buene

Audun Formo Buene is Associate Professor in organic chemistry at NTNU. His research interests span from functional molecules for energy applications and chemistry development to ski construction and ski-snow tribology. He is the project leader of the FramSki innovation project that aims to reduce gliding friction of cross-country skis together with the industry partners Swix, Madshus and Olympiatoppen.

Lecture: FramSki – Making skis faster on the macro-, micro- and nanoscale (with Prof. Alex Klein-Paste)

Dr. Felix Breitschädel

Felix Breitschädel is the Head of Technology and Equipment at Olympiatoppen, where he works with technological solutions that support performance development in elite sports. He holds a PhD from NTNU, specializing in the technical and tribological aspects of cross‑country skis, and has published multiple studies on ski characteristics, friction, and sensor‑based movement analysis.

Through his work, Felix has developed and applied advanced measurement systems—such as IMU and sensor technology—across several sports, including cross‑country skiing, ski jumping, kayaking, and orienteering, to analyze technique, equipment, and performance.

He is frequently involved in interdisciplinary innovation projects within Norwegian elite sports as well as partners from the industry and contributes to the development of knowledge, technology, and practical solutions that support athletes, coaches, and performance teams.

Lecture: Reflections on tech use at the Winter Olympics 2026

Prof. Kerry McGawley

Kerry McGawley is a Professor in Sports Science at the Swedish Winter Sports Research Centre, Mid Sweden University, and the Senior Manager of the Female Athlete Sports Science Program at Orreco Ltd. Kerry completed her PhD at the University of Brighton, England, on the applications of critical power in endurance cycling, and her MRes at the University of Western Australia, investigating repeated-sprint ability in female soccer players. Kerry leads an international MSc program in Sports Performance and Athlete Health, and these topics also form the basis of her research, particularly in relation to female athletes. Much of Kerry’s work has been conducted in collaboration with the Swedish Ski Federation and the Swedish Biathlon Association. She has worked with the International Skiing (FIS) and Biathlon (IBU) federations and is a tutor on various high-performance skiing, biathlon and triathlon coaching programs internationally. Kerry has published more than 70 peer-reviewed scientific articles and several book chapters, and is on the editorial board with the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance (IJSPP). Kerry is a competitive triathlete and has won multiple World, European and national age-group titles.

Lecture: Technological and methodological considerations for menstrual health tracking 

Dr. Madison Y. Taylor 

Madison Taylor is a women’s health researcher specializing in female physiology and endurance performance. During her PhD, she worked on the Female Endurance Athlete (FENDURA) Project at UiT: The Arctic University of Norway, investigating the influence of the menstrual cycle on performance-determining variables, response to training and recovery. Her current research focuses on menstrual symptoms, physiology and disturbances in endurance trained women. Madison is committed to advancing the understanding of female-specific consideration in sport and health research with high-quality methodologies and innovative approaches. 

Lecture: Technological and methodological considerations for menstrual health tracking 

Prof. Anne Tjønndal 

Anne Tjønndal is Professor of Sociology of Sport at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Nord University (Bodø), where she also leads RESPONSE – Research Group for Sport and Society. Her research examines innovation in sport, sports technologies, esports, and the virtualisation of sporting practices, with particular attention to digital inequalities and the ethical challenges arising from technological innovation in sport. The lecture at NWSC is based on her forthcoming book, The Ethics of Sports Technology (Routledge), co‑authored with Sigmund Loland.

Lecture: The Ethics of Sports Technology