Batrakoulis Alexios
External Department Instructor Academic Year 2023-2024Dr. Alexios Batrakoulis has been involved in the health and fitness industry for the past 30 years and holds a B.Sc. in Physical Education and Sports Science with an emphasis in fitness, an M.Sc. in Exercise and Health with an emphasis in exercise and obesity, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Exercise Physiology with an emphasis in exercise and obesity. His primary research interests focus on the study of hybrid-type, multicomponent interval training in obesity, and has authored over 65 international peer-reviewed publications on exercise, including research articles and textbook chapters, and has been the editor for 3 international books. His work has more than 900 citations with an h-index of 17. He has also earned 20 professional credentials through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), the American Council on Exercise, and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He has many years of experience as an educator teaching exercise science-related courses in private Vocational Education and Training Institutes and Lifelong Learning Centers, while he has been an adjunct professor in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science and the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Thessaly as well as the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science at the Democritus University of Thrace. He also teaches as an invited speaker of the International Obesity Exercise Training Institute (IOETI) in over 45 countries across five continents. Additionally, as a deputy director of the Professional Standards Committee at EuropeActive, which leads the development of educational standards, oversees the accreditation process for all courses, and registers qualified exercise professionals for all occupational roles in the European fitness sector. More specifically, he has respectively led and contributed to the Technical Experts Groups that developed standards for the occupational roles of Weight Management Exercise Specialist and Diabetes Exercise Specialist in Europe. Also, he has been serving on several ACSM and NSCA Committees and is also the Chair of the ACSM's Committee for Certification and Registry Boards International Subcommittee and an ACSM Fellow. Lastly, he received global recognition as the 2018 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, 2019 IDEA China Fitness Innovator, 2020 NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year, 2021 PFP Trainer of the Year, and 2022 ACSM Certified Professional of the Year.