Michael E. Bodner, PhD

Associate Professor of Human Kinetics

Dr. Bodner’s academic and research interests lie at the intersection of exercise physiology, physical activity, and health behavior change, with a recent focus on sleep health in university students and athletes. His current work builds on earlier research exploring heart rate-based methods for assessing training thresholds and the integration of health behavior change as a clinical competency in healthcare, including the role of physical therapists in delivering smoking cessation counseling.

From 2011–2012, Dr. Bodner was a Visiting Research Scholar in the Cancer Prevention, Detection, and Control Research Program at the Duke Cancer Institute (Duke University) as part of a research team examining how physician communication of health messages affects weight loss outcomes in patients with overweight or obesity.

Dr. Bodner also has extensive experience in performance testing with elite athletes, including roles with the NHL Vancouver Canucks (1997–2013), the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team (2006 Winter Olympics, Turin), and the NBA Vancouver Grizzlies (1997–1998).

He is a Strategic Fellow in Rehabilitation Research in the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Quality of Life Training Program, and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, Society of Behavioral Medicine, and American Physical Therapy Association.

  • PhD Rehabilitation Sciences (University of British Columbia)
  • MSc Human Kinetics (University of British Columbia)
  • BSc Biology (Trinity Western University)
  • BA Physical Education (Trinity Western University)

Expertise

Survey methodology, health promotion, smoking cessation, exercise physiology

Recent Publications

Published Manuscripts

  • Morrison BN, Mittermaier PM, Lester GR, Bodner ME, Cote AT. Sex differences in ventricular-vascular interactions associated with aerobic capacity. Echo Res Pract. 2025 Jan 20;12(1):2. doi: 10.1186/s44156-024-00066-9. PMID: 39828701; PMCID: PMC11744966.
  • Szakun N, Liva S, Bodner ME, Wolff A, Kim MY, Cote AT (2024). Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Premenopausal Canadian Women: Knowledge, Perceptions, and Health Behaviours, Canadian Journal of Cardiology Open, 6(2); 30-313.
  • Rebello LJ, Roberts AW, Fenuta AM, Cote AT, Bodner ME. Sleep quality and sleep behaviors in varsity athletes: A pilot study. Front Sports Act Living. 2022 Jun 22;4:906663. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2022.906663. PMID: 35813053; PMCID: PMC9256907.
  • Bodner ME, Lyna P, Ostbye T, Bravender T, Alexander SC, Tulsky JA, Lin P-H, Pollak KI. Accuracy and congruence of physician and adolescent patient weight-related discussions: Teen CHAT (Communicating Health: Analyzing Talk) Patient Education and Counseling 2018; 101:2105-2110
  • Bodner ME, Miller WC, Rhodes R, Dean E. Predictors of physical therapists’ intentions to counsel for smoking cessation: Implications for practice and professional education. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice 2018; doi: 10.1080/09593985.2018.1490365
  • Bravender T, Lyna P, Coffman CJ, Bodner ME, Østbye T, Alexander SC, Lin PH, Pollak KI. Physician weight-related counseling is unrelated to extreme weight loss behaviors among overweight and obese adolescents. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2018; 57(8): 954-957
  • Alfadhli S, Al-Mazeed S, Bodner ME, Dean E. Discordance between lifestyle-related health practices and beliefs of people living in Kuwait: A community-based study. Med Princ Pract 2017; 26: 10–16
  • Østbye T, Lyna P, Bodner M, Alexander C, Coffman C, Tulsky J, Dolor R, Pollak K. (2015).  The effect of parental presence on weight.  Clinical Pediatrics DOI: 10:1177/0009922814566027
  • Pollak KI, Alexander SC, Bennett, G, Lyna P, Coffman CJ, Bilheimer A, Farrell D, Bodner ME, Swamy GK, Østbye T. (2014).  Weight-related SMS texts promoting appropriate pregnancy weight gain:  A pilot study.  Patient Education and Counseling 97(2):256-60
  • Bodner ME, Dolor R, Ostbye T, Lyna P, Alexander SC, Tulsky JA, Pollak KI. (2014).  Accuracy and congruence of patient and physician weight-related discussions:  From Project CHAT (Communicating Health:  Analyzing Talk).  Journal of American Board of Family Medicine 27(1):70-7
  • Bodner ME, Miller WC, Rhodes R, Dean E. (2013).  Benchmarking curriculum content in entry-level health professional education with special reference to health promotion in physical therapy:  a multi-institutional international study.  Advances in Health Sciences Education 18(4):645-57
  • Bodner ME, Rhodes RE, Miller WC, Dean E. (2012). Smoking cessation and counselling: practices of Canadian physical therapists. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 43(1):67–71.
  • Bodner ME, Miller WC, Rhodes R, Dean E. (2011). Smoking cessation and counselling: knowledge and views of Canadian physical therapists. Physical Therapy 91(7): 1051-1062.
  • Bodner ME, Dean E. (2009). Advice as a smoking cessation strategy: A systematic review and implications for physical therapists. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 25(5):369-407.
  • Bodner ME, Rhodes EC, Martin AD, Coutts KD. (2002) The relationship of the heart rate deflection point to the ventilatory threshold in trained cyclists. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 16(4): 573-580.
  • Bodner ME, Rhodes EC. (2000). A review of the concept of the heart rate deflection point. Sports Medicine, 30(1): 31-46.

 

  • HKIN 292 Social Determinants of Health and Physical Activity
  • HKIN 375 Research Methods
  • HKIN 391 Exercise Physiology
  • HKIN 420 Sport Nutrition
  • HKIN 492 Health Promotion
  • PSYC 207 Data Analysis