Katie Slattery

Bachelor of Sport and Exercise (Honours)

I first enrolled at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in 2000 to study a BA in Sport and Exercise Management. My days as an undergraduate were an enjoyable blur. I then completed an Honours degree in Human Movement (now titled Sport and Exercise Science) with a thesis on ‘Practical tests to monitor fatigue and recovery in tri-athletes. This followed onto beginning a PhD in exercise physiology, investigating the effects of antioxidants on exercise performance and training adaptation.

In the second year of my doctoral studies a job at the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) was advertised and I applied planning to use the interview process as practice for future job applications once I had finished my PhD. So I was pleasantly surprised when I was offered the job. I have been working at NSWIS for the past 2 years as a Sports Scientist in exercise physiology. In this time I have had the opportunity to be exposed to the roller coaster world of elite sport. I thoroughly enjoy my work and the best job satisfaction is seeing one of the athletes you have worked with achieve their goals whether it is becoming World Champion or beating their own personal best. However, it is a challenge to combine full time work with completing a PhD and I thank UTS for their patience and continued support. Without the valuable skills learnt during my studies at UTS and the expert guidance from my supervisor Dr Aaron Coutts, I would not be the Sports Scientist I am today.

Katie is currently part of a team undertaking research thanks to a Big Ideas Grant. The collaborative research project is aimed at helping Aussie athletes win gold in Rio in 2016.

It’s a fantastic opportunity to work with a variety of investigators to enhance our understanding of how physical training in different environments can accelerate performance improvements.

Read more about the research grant and Katie's involvement in the Newsroom: Endurance training, May 2013.