Scientific Committee
The Mountain Games Scientific Committee consists of six internationally recognised scientists—five of whom are ranked among the top 1–2% of researchers worldwide—whose work spans the fields of exercise science, human performance, health, and environmental research.
The Committee provides the scientific foundation of the Mountain Games Cyprus 2026 programme, ensuring that all activities are guided by evidence-based research and international best practices. Collectively, its members have led major national and European research initiatives, secured millions of euros in competitive research funding, and contributed to scientific advances that have influenced international health and sports policies.
Dr. Yiannis Koutedakis
Professor Emeritus of Exercise Physiology
Scientific Coordinator, Mountain Games Cyprus 2026
Dr. Yiannis Koutedakis is Professor Emeritus of Exercise Physiology and an internationally recognised expert in physical activity, health, and human performance.
Throughout his distinguished career, he has served as the National Rowing Coach for both Greece and the United Kingdom, Dean of the University of Thessaly, Director of the Institute of Human Performance and Rehabilitation, Director of three postgraduate programmes in Greece and the UK, President of the National Centre "Exercise is Medicine – Greece", and was a founding member of the British Olympic Medical Centre.
He has participated in nationally and European-funded research programmes with a combined value exceeding €20 million and has authored more than 300 scientific publications. His research has contributed to international health guidelines adopted by organisations including NHS Scotland (2011), the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR, 2016), and the American Heart Association (2023).
Dr. Koutedakis has consistently been recognised among the top 2% of scientists worldwide (2019–2023), was listed among the 45 leading Greek scientists in Medical Sciences (2022), and ranked first at the University of Thessaly in both 2023 and 2024 based on scientific impact.
He is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Wolverhampton and serves as an External Examiner for the Faculty of Medicine at the University of London.
Dr Ioannis Fatouros
Professor of Exercise Biochemistry
Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, Greece
President of the International Symposium of Mountain Games Cyprus 2026
Dr Ioannis Fatouros is a Full Professor of Exercise Biochemistry at the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science of the University of Thessaly, Greece. He has authored more than 180 scientific publications, the majority of which have been published in high-impact international scientific journals. He has successfully secured research funding from national and European organisations exceeding €2 million.
His scientific work has been applied internationally to improve health and performance outcomes in both clinical populations, including individuals with chronic non-communicable diseases, and athletic populations. As a result, Dr Fatouros is consistently ranked among the top 2% of scientists worldwide across all scientific fields.
His research focuses on:
a) redox physiology,
b) the impact of exercise and physical activity on the health of individuals with chronic non-communicable diseases, including people with obesity,
c) the effects of exercise and physical activity on older adults, and
d) the interaction between nutrition and exercise in human biological adaptations.
Dr Andreas Flouris
Professor of Physiology
Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, Greece
Curator of the Orienteering Activities
Dr Andreas Flouris is a Professor at the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science of the University of Thessaly and a Visiting Professor at the University of Ottawa.
At the University of Thessaly, he is also Director of the postgraduate programme "Applied Kinesiology in the Armed Forces and Security Forces" and a member of the Research, Innovation and Excellence Council.
For more than 15 years, he has advised governments, national and international organisations, including the Ministries of Labour of Greece and Qatar, the Bank of Greece, the European Trade Union Confederation, the World Health Organization, and the International Labour Organization, on the impact of environmental factors on health and productivity.
He has published more than 250 scientific articles on these topics in high-impact international journals and has contributed to large-scale research programmes across Europe, America, and Africa.
He is also an advocate for climate action and collaborates with national and international organisations to support initiatives towards a more sustainable world.
Dr Thanasis Tziamourtas
Professor of Exercise Biochemistry
Taste, Move & Thrive · Exercise, Nutrition and Quality of Life
Dr. Thanasis Tziamourtas is a Professor of Exercise Biochemistry at the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly (Greece). He also teaches in the postgraduate programme of the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology at the University of Thessaly.
He holds a degree from the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, an MSc from Syracuse University, and a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (USA).
His research focuses on the role of endogenous opioids in metabolism during exercise, the effects of exercise on redox status, and the impact of exercise and inflammation on muscle and connective tissue damage.
Dr. Tziamourtas is the author of two books and has published more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers in leading international journals. He has successfully secured more than €3.5 million in research funding through national and European programmes.
According to the Stanford University World's Top 2% Scientists ranking, he was listed among the top 2% most-cited scientists worldwide in 2023.
Dr Georgios Metsios
Professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Thessaly, Greece
Curator of the educational activities of Mountain Games Cyprus 2026
Dr Georgios Metsios is a Full Professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at the University of Thessaly, Greece, and the University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. He has authored more than 200 scientific publications, many of which have been published in high-impact international scientific journals, and has successfully secured research funding from various European organisations exceeding €8 million.
His research has been applied internationally to improve the clinical management of patients with chronic conditions. He also collaborates closely with Action Heart, the largest cardiac rehabilitation centre in England.
His research focuses on the positive effects of exercise and physical activity on various health outcomes in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular conditions, and cancer. He is also an elected member of the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR), the leading organisation responsible for developing health guidelines for patients with autoimmune diseases. In addition, he serves as a reviewer for internationally recognised scientific journals and research funding organisations.
Dr Nikolaos Comoutos
Psychology of Physical Education and Sport
Dr Nikolaos Comoutos is a Professor at the School of Physical Education and Sport Science of the University of Thessaly.
He graduated from the University of Thessaly in 2002 and, in 2003, received a Master's degree with a scholarship from the Onassis Foundation from the University of Wales (MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology). In 2008, he completed his PhD at the Democritus University of Thrace and the University of Thessaly, supported by a scholarship from the State Scholarship Foundation.
From 2009 to 2013, he participated as a postdoctoral researcher in a health promotion programme focused on increasing physical activity (FP7 programme). From 2013 to 2015, he participated as a postdoctoral researcher in the THALES programme, focusing on combating smoking and alcohol consumption through exercise.
His research interests focus on enhancing performance in physical education and sport, as well as the relationship between exercise and health. He has published extensively and serves as a reviewer for leading international and Greek scientific journals. He is a member of international scientific organisations, including FEPSAC, ISSP, and APS.
He is President of the Hellenic Society of Sport Psychology, Editor of the journal Sport Psychology, and Assistant Editor of the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology.
Dr Petros Dinas
Researcher in Human Physiology
Department of Physical Education and Sport Science & Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Thessaly, Greece
Programme Design and Implementation Coordinator of Mountain Games Cyprus 2026
Curator of the Mountain Biking Activities
Dr Petros Dinas is a researcher in Human Physiology at the Environmental Physiology Laboratory and a lecturer at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics of the University of Thessaly. He is also a retired Special Forces officer of the Hellenic Army.
He holds five university degrees, including a Master's degree in Space Sciences and a PhD in Exercise Physiology. His main research area focuses on human brown adipose tissue, which he has studied using genetic markers and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.
Previously, he worked as a Human Physiology Researcher at the University of Wolverhampton, UK, where he specialised in systematic literature reviews and meta-analysis. He has received funding from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organization to conduct systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
He has authored more than 60 scientific publications, some of which have contributed to the development of health improvement guidelines by national governments and international organisations.