Professor Sean Tweedy appointed NIISQ Chair in Physical Activity and Disability

The National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland (NIISQ) Agency is proud to announce the appointment of Professor Sean Tweedy as our first ever NIISQ Chair in Physical Activity and Disability.

Professor Tweedy is a respected academic at The University of Queensland, and a globally recognised leader in disability sport and rehabilitation. Beyond his academic work, he serves as a Scientific Advisor to World Para Athletics, leads research for the International Paralympic Committee Classification Research and Development Centre, and he is a passionate advocate for making sport fair and accessible to all.

Under Professor Tweedy’s leadership, the Chair will build on the excitement of the 2032 Paralympic Games to help Queenslanders with disabilities enhance their health and wellbeing through safe, inclusive, and effective participation in sport and physical activity. The program will work to:

• Identify and dismantle barriers to participation;
• Develop and evaluate tailored, evidence-based interventions across diverse disabilities; and
• Align health, rehabilitation, and community-sport sectors to build sustainable participation pathways.

People living with disability – whether present from birth or acquired later – experience low fitness and functioning, and significantly higher rates of preventable health conditions than the broader population. A key driver of these outcomes is low participation in physical activity, often due to limited access to suitable, evidence-based programs. Professor Tweedy’s appointment as the NIISQ Chair in Physical Activity and Disability marks an important step towards creating a more inclusive, active, and healthy future for all Queenslanders.