Brendan Burkett, PhD, is a professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. He received his undergraduate and master's degrees in engineering and attained his doctorate in biomechanics. Burkett's teaching specializations are biomechanics, sport coaching, and performance enhancement. His research revolves around technology developments in human health and performance, and he has written more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and 180 conference publications for journals in sport science, biomechanics, and coaching. As an international elite athlete, Burkett represented Australia for 13 years as a swimmer and was the Paralympic champion, world champion, world-record holder, and multiple medalist in the Commonwealth Games and Australian national championships. He served as the Australian team captain for the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games and as the flag bearer for the opening ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Following his sporting career Burkett has been the sport scientist for the Australian Paralympic team for the 2002, 2006, 2010, 2010, and 2014 World Championships and the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Paralympic Games. He has attended the past eight consecutive Paralympic Games, from 1988 to 2016. Burkett has received several awards, including the Australia Day Sporting Award and the Order of Australia Medal (OAM), as well as induction into the Sunshine Coast Sports Hall of Fame, Swimming Queensland Hall of Fame, and the Queensland Sports Hall of Fame.
