Rado Pišot, PhD, Principal Research Associate
Research fields:
- Sports science/Kinesiology
- Motor development and motor learning; mechanisms of adaptation of the motor system and functional capacity in humans – development-, environment- and lifestyle-specific
Biography:
Rado Pišot graduated from the Faculty of Physical Culture (former name of the Faculty of Sports) of the University of Ljubljana, completed his master’s degree in the joint program of the Faculty of Sports in Ljubljana and the Faculty of Kinesiology in Zagreb, and obtained his doctoral degree in kinesiological science in 1997 at the Faculty of Sports in Ljubljana with the thesis “The Model of Motor Space of Six-and-a-Half-Year-Old Children before and after the Partialization of Morphological Characteristics”.
Since March 2013, Dr. Pišot has first held the position of director of the Science and Research Centre, University of Primorska, Koper, while since 2017 he is the director of the Science and Research Centre (ZRS) Koper and a member of the Scientific Council of ZRS Koper . Before that he was, as its originator and founder, head of the Institute for Kinesiology Research (IKARUS) of ZRS from the time of its foundation in 2004 to March 2013.
His main areas of research are human motor development and motor learning, as well as mechanisms of adaptation of the human motor system and functional capacities – developmentally, environmentally and life-specific. He transfers his research findings and numerous professional experiences to students of different universities at home and abroad. He is a mentor to young researchers, leader of several international and national projects. He has received several international and national awards and prizes for his work, including the Bloudek Award for the Development of Kinesiology.
He was one of the proposers and preparers of the basis for establishing the University of Primorska (UP), a member of the first Senate of the University of Primorska and the first dean of the Faculty of Education of UP in Koper (2003–2007). Between 2007 and 2011, prof. Rado Pišot served as vice-rector for the area of scientific research and development at the University of Primorska. With his colleagues, he was the author and initiator of the creation of new study programmes in Applied Kinesiology 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree and the accreditation of the Faculty of Ergonomic and Kinesiological Studies (FENIKS). Until 2016, he served as Coordinator of the study programmes and Acting Dean of FENIKS. As a full professor of kinesiology, he transfers his research findings and his extensive professional experience to students in various courses at all levels of study at universities at home and abroad. Until 2017, he was a lecturer at the University of Primorska, Faculty of Education (UP PEF) and at the Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies (UP FAMNIT) in the study programme of Applied Kinesiology. Since 2017 he has been lecturing at the postgraduate programmes of the University of Ljubljana; Faculty of Pedagogy and Faculty of Medicine of the University of Maribor.
Rado Pišot has published numerous scientific articles and his scientific publications comprise over 700 units. His works are often cited in Slovenian and foreign literature.
He has received extensive recognition for his professional and research work: the UP ZRS Glasnik znanosti (‘Herald of Science’) award; “Alfonso Borelli” international award for scientific contribution to the field of space physiology, presented by the University of Naples, Italy; Gold Plaque of the University of Primorska; title of Honorary Senator of the UP Faculty of Education; “Primorski Um” Distinction for achievements in the economy of Primorska; title of Honorary Invited Professor of the University of Zagreb; international ISAA recognition (International Step by Step Association) and the “Bloudek Plaque” of the Republic of Slovenia for contribution to the development of Slovenian sports.
Research activity:
Rado Pišot is head of the research program » Kinesiology for the Quality of Life«.
His extensive research work includes leading and participating in numerous national and international projects. Among the most significant are such major international projects as the »PANGeA ‐ Physical Activity and Nutrition for Quality Ageing«; Interreg EU Cross-border Cooperation Project, and the “Metabolic Detection of Insulin Abuse in Athletes” project of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), equally notable was his role of scientific coordinator in the »A‐Qu‐A, Active and Quality Ageing in the Home Environment« project in the framework of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. He coordinates the international multi-year research program “BEDREST Studies – Influence of Simulated Weightlessness on the Human Organism”, in which an international network of researchers observe, for the purposes of the European and Italian space agencies, the adaptation mechanisms of the subsystems of the human body prompted by motor inactivity. The focus of the research program was the identification of irreversible processes and devising interventions – cognitive and nutritional – for successful rehabilitation. In the frame of this research program, six BEDREST Studies were carried out.
Dr. Pišot has participated in many technical and scientific commissions, and in the organization of numerous conferences and symposiums. He is the leader of a subgroup of the Action Group A3 for active and healthy ageing with the EU Commission; member of the Scientific Council of the Republic of Slovenia for Sports; member of the Secretariat of the Ski Instructors and Trainers Association of Slovenia (ZUTS) with the Ski Association of Slovenia and head of the Notranjska-Primorska Region at ZUTS; member of the Scientific Council for Trainers’ Education at the Football Association of Slovenia; member of the Expert Council of the Olympic Expert Centre within the Olympic Committee of Slovenia and Comission for international co-operation of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia. He is a long-time member of the international scientific association European College of Sport Science and a member of theboard of directors of the IVSS – International Association Snowsports at Schools and Universities.
He was president of the organizational committee of the international conference “Otrok v gibanju / Child in Motion” (editions 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012) and president of its scientific council in 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2021. Prof. Pišot initiated the organization and chaired three scientific meetings “Kinesiology for the Future” in the organization by IKARUS ZRS Koper; in cooperation with the Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS) and Wollongong University in Australia he organized the International Conference of Environmental Ergonomics in Portorož in 2007. Prof. Pišot is a member of the executive council of the SPE BALKAN SKI conferences.
Dr. Rado Pišot is the editor-in-chief of the scientific journal “Annales Kinesiologiae” and regional editor of the scientific journals “Slovenian Journal of Public Health” (Slovenia) and “Advances in Skeletal Muscle Function Assessment”. He is also member of the editorial board of the international journals “Studia Sportiva” (Czech Republic), “Exercise and Quality of Life” (Serbia), “Journal of Elementary Education” (Slovenia), “Contemporary Military Challenges: Scientific-Professional Publication of the Slovenian Armed Forces” (Slovenia), and acts as a reviewer for many international scientific journals.