September 2025

President's Message

ISBNPA Annual Meeting 2026

Membership

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Dear ISBNPA Members,

I am deeply honoured and humbled to take on the mantle and responsibility of serving as your president for the next two years. ISBNPA has grown into a thriving scientific community, and I want to begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to Ester and all our distinguished predecessors who have guided our society with such dedication and vision. Their leadership has brought us to this strong position, and I am privileged to build upon their remarkable contributions.

Allow me to introduce myself to those who may not know me yet. I have been a proud member of ISBNPA since 2011 and have had the pleasure of contributing to most of our conferences since then. When I joined, I had a full mane of dreadlocks and I was full of energy and excitement about being part of ISBNPA. Today, I have few hairs left but just as much energy and excitement in being part of ISBNPA and I might be a little wiser.

Over the years, I have served on the executive committee, established the Ageing Special Interest Group with Paul Gardiner, helped create our climate committee, and serve on the editorial board of our journal. My journey with ISBNPA has been one of continuous learning, collaboration, and growth—both personally and professionally.

Over the past few years, our society has undertaken significant strategic planning, and we now have a clear and inspiring direction focused on growing the next generation, fostering an inclusive culture, increasing our impact, and contributing meaningfully to the fight against climate change. Under my presidency, I will focus on the delivery of this strategic plan through four key priorities:

• Continuity with Innovation: Building on ISBNPA's established success while adapting thoughtfully to the current challenges and opportunities we face in our rapidly changing world.
• Widening Access & Diversity: Addressing economic and other barriers that prevent talented researchers from attending our conferences or publishing in our journal. We must ensure that brilliant minds from around the world and at all career stages can join us and contribute to our community.
• Climate Leadership: Positioning ISBNPA as a leader in planetary health research and action. I encourage all our members to contribute science and impact in this critical area while we simultaneously work to reduce our own footprint as a society. Our expertise in behaviour change puts us in a unique position to make meaningful contributions to this global challenge.
• Supporting Young Researchers: Listening to our early-career members and helping them shape both the future of our society and their own professional futures. Their fresh perspectives and energy are essential to our continued growth and relevance.

I love ISBNPA deeply and want nothing more than to see it flourish, especially during these troubled times when scientific collaboration and evidence-based solutions are more crucial than ever. Together, we can ensure our society continues to make significant contributions to improving human and planetary health through physical activity, nutrition, and behaviour research.

I very much look forward to seeing everyone in Cadiz next May, where we can celebrate our achievements, share our latest research, and continue building the vibrant, inclusive, and impactful community that makes ISBNPA so special.

Thank you for your trust in me, and I look forward to working with all of you in the years ahead.

Warm regards,

Seb

Submission Season is Here for ISBNPA2026!

We are thrilled to announce that submission season for the ISBNPA 2026 Annual Meeting is officially underway! This is your opportunity to showcase your groundbreaking research and connect with fellow scholars in the vibrant setting of Cádiz, Spain, from May 27-30, 2026.

Key Submission Deadlines:

• Symposia and Regular Abstracts: Submit by November 12, 2025
• Satellite Meetings and Workshops: Submit by November 21, 2025

We anticipate a record number of submissions this year, making it more important than ever to present your best work. Be sure to highlight your innovative findings and compelling studies—your contributions deserve to be recognized by peers and experts in the field.

Don’t miss out on this chance to engage with an international community dedicated to advancing research in behavioral nutrition and physical activity. Start preparing your submissions today!

Keynotes

As we prepare for Cádiz, we will be unveiling our distinguished lineup of keynote speakers over the coming months. Today, we are delighted to kick off this announcement by introducing one of our esteemed presenters.

Join us in welcoming Professor Mark Tremblay from the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario!

Stay tuned for more updates on our lineup of keynote speakers and other exciting details as we get closer to the event.

Pioneers Program

We shared recently some fantastic news HERE and HERE about the recent achievements stemming from the ISBNPA Pioneers Program! Several groundbreaking papers inspired by this initiative have been successfully published in esteemed peer-reviewed journals, showcasing the innovative research emerging from our community.

We want to remind you that the call for submissions for the Pioneers Program is currently open and will remain so until October 12, 2026. This is a wonderful opportunity to contribute your research findings and engage with fellow scholars at our upcoming conference, ISBNPA2026, in beautiful Cádiz, Spain.

To learn more about submission guidelines and how you can be part of this exciting program, please click here: Pioneers Program: Call Guidelines.

We look forward to your contributions and continued collaboration as we advance our understanding of effective practices in behavioral nutrition and physical activity.

Prepare your travel

As part of our commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, we have chosen Cádiz as the host city for ISBNPA2026, not only for its vibrant culture and beautiful landscapes but also because it is easily accessible by train from various European cities. In line with our sustainability goals, we are currently compiling a list of train itineraries designed to minimize carbon emissions (CO2e) during your journey.

Initial assessments indicate that while traveling by train is indeed feasible, the costs may be higher than typical airfare. To address this challenge, we are proactively engaging with rail companies to explore options for reducing travel expenses without compromising our commitment to the environment.

We encourage you, our valued ISBNPA community, to consider this potential increase in travel costs as an investment in our planet's future. Your participation will not only contribute to a more sustainable event but also help set a precedent for responsible travel within the research community.

We will keep you informed about our progress and any developments regarding travel arrangements. Thank you for your support and dedication to making a positive impact through climate action.

Nominations for the Executive Committee

Please stay tuned to our upcoming ISBNPA Executive elections. Six positions are available. All ISBNPA members will be invited to submit their nominees (self-nominations are accepted). If you are a member, we will send you a specific email soon. The deadline for nominations is October 5. 

- President-elect (2026-2027, then President from 2027-2029)

- Early Career Researcher representative, 2026-2028 

- Student representative, 2026-2028

- Member-at-large, Africa representative, 2026-2029 

- Member-at-large, Latin America and Caribbean representative, 2026-2029 

- Member-at-large, Oceania representative, 2026-2029

Mentoring

Join Our Mentoring Program – Now Open for Mentees and Mentors!

Now in its third year, our mentoring program continues to connect colleagues across career stages to foster growth, collaboration, and support.

For Mentees:  

Browse over 20 mentor profiles and be matched based on your interests, goals, and career stage. Whether you're seeking guidance on research, teaching, career planning or academic life, there's someone ready to support you.!

For Mentors:  

We’re always looking for passionate professionals to join our mentor community. Share your experience, support emerging talent, and help shape the future of our field.

Riley-Gibson, E., Hall, A., Shoesmith, A. et al. Identifying key determinants influencing the sustainment of physical activity and nutrition programs in Australian primary schools. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 22, 116 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-025-01808-6

Mishra, K.G., Afreen, A. & Patnaik, N. Effectiveness of a multi-component intervention including pictorial warnings to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption - a randomized controlled trial. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 22, 115 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-025-01800-0

Craig, D.W., Lanza, K., Pfledderer, C.D. et al. Using the R = MC2 heuristic to assess whole-of-school physical activity implementation in elementary schools: a cross-sectional study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 22, 114 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-025-01815-7

Ha, T., Moon, J., Yu, H. et al. A systematic review of technology-infused physical activity interventions in K-12 school settings: effectiveness, roles, and implementation strategies. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 22, 113 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-025-01811-x