Hazzaa M Al-Hazzaa, PhD, FACSM, FECSS, is currently professor emeritus and former director of Pediatric Exercise Physiology Research Laboratory at King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He has also served in the scientific board of the Obesity Research Chair in the College of Medicine, KSU (2008-2014). In addition, professor Al-Hazzaa held a joint position for four years (2011-2014) as a visiting research professor in the faculty of health and life sciences, Coventry University, Coventry and in the school of human sciences, Newman University, Birmingham, both in UK. He earned his BSc degree in Biology with minor in Chemistry from KSU, and PhD degrees in clinical Exercise Physiology from USA in 1985. His research involves the investigation of physical activity/inactivity, sedentary behaviors, energy expenditure and obesity relative to cardiorespiratory fitness and cardio-metabolic health. He also studies the interaction between lifestyle habits, obesity and health, especially in children and youth. He has been the principle investigator in numerous funded research projects in physical activity, energy expenditure, obesity and cardio-metabolic health and fitness in Saudi children and youth. Professor Al-Hazzaa has published ten books, edited 3 more books and contributed numerous chapters in published books. In addition, he has published nearly 200 scientific papers in local, regional and international peer reviewed journals in the areas of exercise physiology/sports medicine, adolescent’s lifestyle behaviors, childhood obesity and physical activity, fitness, fatness & cardio-metabolic health. He is a Fellows of the American College of Sports Medicine and the European College of Sport Science as well as a member of numerous scientific organizations in the field of sports medicine, sports science, clinical exercise physiology, public health, health promotion and pediatric exercise medicine. He serves in the editorial boards of numerous regional and international Journals in obesity, sports medicine and exercise medicine and Rehabilitation. He is a regular peer reviewer for 45 regional and international journals. Professor Al-Hazzaa has recently served as a lead guest editor in a special issue of Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. He had also participated in variety of local and regional committees and task forces and has previously held administrative positions as department head of movement sciences, College’s vice dean for academic affairs and board members in the graduate school council and academic council of KSU. He has been among the recipients of the KSU’s Scientific Excellence Prize in 2013 & 2014. Recently, professor Al-Hazzaa has lead a group of Arab scientists and scholars in conducting the Arab Teens Lifestyle Study (ATLS), which is a school-based multicenter epidemiological study involving lifestyle habits, in relation to health and weight status, among adolescents living in major Arab cities.

Dr. Hazzaa M Al-Hazzaa primary research focus is Physiological adaptations of children and adolescents to exercise training. Obesity prevalence and trends in Saudi children and adolescents. Physical activity level, cardiorespiratory fitness and coronary risk factors in Saudi youth. Obesity and energy expenditure in children and youth relative to cardiovascular and metabolic health. Tracking of physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness and CAD risk factors from childhood to adulthood. Physiology of youth soccer. Fluid loss and energy expenditure of youth during training in hot climate. Physiological and anthropometric assessments of Saudi elite athletes relative to sports performance.