Demitri Constantinou is the founding Director of the Centre for Exercise Science and Sports
Medicine. With over 20 years of academic and clinical experience, he has made significant
contributions to sports cardiology, doping, sports injuries, and chronic disease prevention
and rehabilitation. He holds an MBBCh, BSc Med (Hons) in Sports Science, MSc Med in
Emergency Medicine, and an MPhil in Sport and Exercise Medicine, and recently completed
his PhD. A Fellow of both American College of Sports Medicine and International Federation
of Sports Medicine, he is also a registered medical specialist in Sport and Exercise Medicine
and member of College of Sport and Exercise Medicine.
He has published over 90 peer-reviewed articles, with 700+ citations, influencing
international policies, including the IOC guidelines on COVID-19 athlete safety and gender
inclusion. He has secured over R10 million in research grants and supervised 27 master’s
and 5 doctoral students to completion, many receiving commendations.
He established academic programmes and clinical services, including Africa’s first FIFA
Medical Centre of Excellence and a FIMS Collaborating Centre of Sports Medicine. He is
actively involved in national and international sports medicine, serving on committees for the
International Federation of Sports Medicine, International Cricket Council and International
Testing Agency. Recognized for his contributions, he has received multiple awards, including
the 2022 ACSM Best Clinical Case Award and Wits Faculty Staff Research Award.
