Eduardo Fontes

Biography

Assistant Professor of Health Science Eduardo Fontes joined the Stonehill College community in 2023. He has established an academic and professional trajectory within the field of sports science. Commencing his career as a kayaking athlete, he soon transitioned into coaching with the Brazilian Kayaking National Team. This period provided him with strong real-world experience in high-performance sports that guided his academic path and research interests.

His passion for sports led him to earn a B.S. in exercise science from the State University of Londrina, Brazil. Subsequently, he completed his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in sports science at the University of Campinas, Brazil. There, he conducted research on neuromuscular fatigue and sports performance. During a year-long research experience at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, he investigated the role of the brain during exercise, setting the foundation for future exploration in this area.

Returning to the University of Campinas for a post-doctorate program in neuroscience, he honed his expertise in utilizing neuroimaging techniques like fMRI, EEG, and fNIRS, combined with physiological and cognitive responses during exercise. His innovative research provided a new comprehensive understanding of the neural mechanisms involved in exercise performance and physical activity adherence.

As an assistant professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte’s Health Sciences Center, he actively engaged with students through different exercise and health sciences courses and mentored many undergraduate, master's and Ph.D. students. During this time, he investigated the benefits of exercise in brain/mental health of older adults and individuals with drug addiction. Additionally, he led community-based projects promoting sports participation for low-income children, and physical activity for older adults and individuals with mental health disorders, demonstrating his commitment to translating his research findings into community welfare.

More recently, he served as a visiting scholar at the Department of Psychology at Tufts University. Throughout his career, he has published more than 65 peer-reviewed publications and accumulated over 1,500 citations.

Education

• Ph.D., Sports Sciences, University of Campinas, Brazil
• M.S., Sports Sciences, University of Campinas, Brazil
• B.S., Exercise Science, State University of Londrina, Brazil

Courses Taught

• Exercise Physiology
• Biomechanics