1330799
Associate Professor
Lee Wharton
Faculty of Health,
School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences
Biography
Dr Lee Wharton is a registered teacher (Queensland College of Teachers) and Associate Professor at the Queensland University of Technology. Dr Wharton was a practicing educator within the Queensland state, private (GPS), and independent school sectors before moving into academia.After fifteen years as an educator Dr Wharton accepted his first academic post with the University of Southern Queensland where his research endeavours focused on Sociological interpretations of Health and Physical Education and identifying and determining expertise in interceptive sports coaching. In 2010 he accepted a position within the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at QUT. At QUT his research focuses on physical activity and sedentary behaviours of school age children, and particularly the influence of structured specialist lessons on the physical activity outcomes, capacity for developing of executive function skills and learning behaviours of school aged children. Most recently, Dr Wharton has been involved in research that positions sporting clubs as mechanisms for improving social inclusion, increasing community engagement with health services, delivery of community-based physical activity and nutrition education programs and research that proposes indigenous languages, dance and games as artefacts of identity.
Personal details
Positions
- Associate Professor
Faculty of Health,
School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences
Research field
Sports science and exercise
Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2020
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy (University of Queensland)
- Masters of Education (University of Southern Qld)
Professional memberships and associations
Queensland College of Teachers (Full Registration)
World Physical Education Alliance
Australian Teacher Education Association
ACHPER (Queensland)
ICSSPE (Former Liaison Officer)
UQ H&PE Pedagogy Subject Interest Group
Teaching
XNB198 Exercise Science for Teachers 1 (Unit Coordinator)
EUB420 Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Assessment innovation (unit Coordinator)
Publications
- Esdaile, E., Wharton, L., Vidgen, H. & Gallegos, D. (2024). Teacher perspectives on the socio-ecological barriers and enablers to food and nutrition education in primary schools: a scoping review. Public Health Nutrition, 27(1), Article e175. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/252357
- Pavey, T. & Wharton, L. (2024). Connect and Play: Promoting healthy communities through social inclusion and sport. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/248909
- Rodrigues, P., Orssatto, L., Trajano, G., Wharton, L. & Minett, G. (2023). Increases in muscle temperature by hot water improve muscle contractile function and reduce motor unit discharge rates. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 33(5), 754–765. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/237836
- McDonald, M., Brickley, B., Pavey, T., Smith, J., Maiorana, A., McCaffrey, T., Hillis, G., Bonson, J., Chih, H., Gupta, H., Holmes, S., Hunt, K., Kerr, D., Kwasnicka, D., Makate, M., McVeigh, J., Moullin, J., Smith, B., Wharton, L. & Wharton, N. (2023). Scale-up of the Australian Fans in Training (Aussie-FIT) men's health behaviour change program: a protocol for a randomised controlled hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial. BMJ Open, 13(10), Article e078302. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/242402
- Rodrigues, P., Trajano, G., Wharton, L., Orssatto, L. & Minett, G. (2021). A passive increase in muscle temperature enhances rapid force production and neuromuscular function in healthy adults. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 24(8), 818–823. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/207702
- To, Q., Gallegos, D., Do, D., Tran, H., To, K., Wharton, L. & Trost, S. (2020). Correlates of physical activity in fifth-grade students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Sports Medicine and Health Science, 2(1), 33–37. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/210928
- Rodrigues, P., Siqueira Trajano, G., Wharton, L. & Minett, G. (2020). Effects of passive heating intervention on muscle hypertrophy and neuromuscular function: A preliminary systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Thermal Biology, 93, Article 102684. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/204221
- Rodrigues, P., Siqueira Trajano, G., Wharton, L. & Minett, G. (2020). Muscle temperature kinetics and thermoregulatory responses to 42°C hot-water immersion in healthy males and females. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 120(12), 2611–2624. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/203866
- To, G., Wharton, L., Gallegos, D., Stylianou, M., Do Van, D., To, K., Tran Thi Minh, H. & Trost, S. (2020). School-based physical education: Physical activity and implementation barriers in Vietnamese elementary schools. European Physical Education Review, 26(2), 587–606. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/133479
- To, G., Gallegos, D., Do, D., Tran, H., To, K., Wharton, L. & Trost, S. (2018). The level and pattern of physical activity among fifth-grade students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Public Health, 160, 18–25. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/223717
QUT ePrints
For more publications by Lee, explore their research in QUT ePrints (our digital repository).
Filter publications:
A complete list of publications is available at: https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/lee.wharton
Awards
- Type
- Consultancy
- Reference year
- 2022-2025
- Details
- Evidence-based Physical Activity Interventions for Health Promotion in Vietnam: A collaborative Approach
- Type
- Funding Award/Project
- Reference year
- 2020
- Details
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 2020 NCPST India 30558 $33,000 - Exploring Coaching Pedagogies in a High Performance Sports Academy in Bangalore India
- Type
- University Prize including VC Award
- Reference year
- 2020
- Details
- QUT Faculty of Education. Faculty of Education Awards - Innovation in Curriculum Design and Pedagogy
- Type
- Funding Award/Project
- Reference year
- 2019
- Details
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 2020 NCPST Fiji 30439 Multi-year project $99,000 - Recognizing Individual and Cultural Identities as Learning Devices
- Type
- Funding Award/Project
- Reference year
- 2019
- Details
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. New Colombo Plan $66,000 (2 successful applications: Vietnam and India)
- Type
- Funding Award/Project
- Reference year
- 2019
- Details
- Endeavour Leadership Program. Endeavour Leadership Program $36,500: International Research Exchange
- Type
- University Prize including VC Award
- Reference year
- 2019
- Details
- QUT. Faculty of Health Certificate of Performance
- Type
- Award or Prize
- Reference year
- 2018
- Details
- Australian Council for Health and Physical Education. ACHPER Queensland President's Award
- Type
- Reviewer, Assessor or Judge
- Reference year
- 2018
- Details
- National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and National Foundation for Science and Technology Development of Vietnam (NAFOSTED). External Assessor of an NHMRC grant
- Type
- Funding Award/Project
- Reference year
- 2016-2017
- Details
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. New Colombo Plan $33,000 (Vietnam)
Selected research projects
- Title
- Co-designing a Food Sovereignty Model with Indigenous Communities
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- IN230100047
- Start year
- 2023
- Keywords
- Title
- Scale-Up of the Australian Fans in Training (Aussie-FIT) Men's Health Behaviour Change Program: A Randomized Controlled Hybrid Implementation Trial
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- 106534
- Start year
- 2023
- Keywords
- Title
- Using Rugby League Clubs to Reduce Diabetes Risk in Overweight and Obese Men: League Fans in Training (League-FIT)
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- Y21G-PAVT
- Start year
- 2021
- Keywords
Projects listed above are funded by Australian Competitive Grants. Projects funded from other sources are not listed due to confidentiality agreements.
Supervision
Current supervisions
- Exploration of guided teacher participatory action research on personal and social capability integration and student outcomes
MPhil, Mentoring Supervisor
Other supervisors: Dr Hugh Shannon, Associate Professor Brendan Moy - Footy-FIT: promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles in female sports fans
MPhil, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Associate Professor Toby Pavey - Have We Moved Beyond Mindless Practice? A Critical Analysis of HPE Curriculum Implementation
MPhil, Principal Supervisor
Other supervisors: Associate Professor Toby Pavey - How does 'Aboriginal Alcohol liberation' empower 'Aboriginal sovereignty over identity and health choices'?
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Associate Professor Deb Duthie - Indigenous food sovereignty and the revitalisation of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge in urban and rural contexts
PhD, Principal Supervisor
Other supervisors: Associate Professor Deb Duthie, Professor Danielle Gallegos - Learning and Moving: A Mixed-Methods Approach examining the feasibility of an activity permissive learning environment within the primary school setting
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Associate Professor Toby Pavey - Pain Among Amateur Athletes and Exercise Enthusiasts in Australia: Experiences, Impacts on Daily Life Activities, and Management Approaches
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Associate Professor Toby Pavey - Physical Performance Factors and Evidence-Based Practice in Cricket Fast Bowling
MPhil, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Associate Professor Geoffrey Minett
Completed supervisions (Doctorate)
- Assessment practices of Early Career Teachers: A comparative analysis of praxis in Health and Physical Education and Mathematics (2026)
- Comparing Health Outcomes of Moderate and Vigorous Physical Activity Intensities in a Population-Based Study and Assessing the Impact of Vigorous Exercise on Health Indicators in Inactive Adults (2025)
- Epidemiological Insights into the Combined Associations of Physical Activity and BMI on the Prevalence of Chronic Disease: Analysis of 2.3 Million U.S. Adults from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2025)
- Thermoregulatory and neuromuscular responses to passive heating in 42°C hot water (2021)
- Physical Activity Among Fifth-Grade Students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (2018)
Completed supervisions (Masters by Research)
- Classroom Teacher Self-Efficacy and Ability to Provide Physical Activity in Primary Schools (2026)
- HEADFIRST: Exploring Two Methods of Concussion Assessment in Adolescent Rugby Union and Adult Rugby League Players (2024)
- Assessment in Health and Physical Education (HPE) - An Exploratory Investigation into Teacher Assessment Practices in the Motor Domain (2021)
- The Effects of Outdoor Learning Environments on Engagement Levels of Primary School Children (2021)
- Non-formal Coach Education in a Secondary School High Performance Volleyball Academy (2017)
Supervision topics
The supervisions listed above are only a selection.