Greg Wells, Ph.D. is a scientist and physiologist who specializes in health and performance in extreme conditions. Most recently, Dr. Wells was the host of the Gemini-Award winning “Superbodies” segments for Canada’s national Olympic broadcast and the on-camera sport science and sport medicine analyst for the CTV Broadcast Consortium, ABC News and ABC’s 20/20 during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and Canada's 2012 Olympic broadcast for London 2012. Dr. Wells is also a regular contributor to CTV’s Canada AM, CTV News, and has appeared on TSN’s Off the Record and CBC News.
Dr. Wells is currently an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education and in the Department of Anesthesia at the University of Toronto where he directs the Human Physiology Research Unit. He is also an Associate Scientist in Physiology and Experimental Medicine at the Hospital for Sick Children. As a researcher, Dr. Wells is working in a field of investigation called ‘exercise medicine’ where he uses specific exercise protocols to test the limitations of the human body in various diseases – mostly related to muscle and lung conditions. He has been using advanced MRI technologies to measure these limitations, as MRI does not require any radiation or drugs and can offer a look inside the human body without the use of needles or other invasive measures with the ultimate objective of creating exercise interventions that are targeted to specific diseases.
Previously, Dr. Wells served as the Director of Sport Science at the Canadian Sport Centre where has had the opportunity to work with dozens of athletes who have won medals at Commonwealth Games, World Championships and the Olympic Games. Dr. Wells also taught Canada's elite sport coaches at the National Coaching Institute. From 2002-2010 he has served as the Exercise Physiologist for the Royal Canadian Golf Association and is a regular contributor to Golf Canada and Fairways Golf magazines.
Dr. Wells is invited to speak at leading sports and medical organizations around the world, including the International Olympic Committee, International Congress on Child Neurology, Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, and the American College of Sports Medicine. He also is active in the corporate community where he presents the latest research on human performance in business.
Dr. Wells also believes that to truly understand extreme conditions you should experience them yourself. To this end he continues to build on his experiences as a former international level competitive swimmer, as a marathon runner (having twice completed the world's toughest marathon 600 miles north of the arctic circle), and participated in the inaugural Tour D'Afrique bike race – the longest bike race in the world. Dr. Wells is the expedition physiologist for impossible2Possible, an organization that encourages youth to reach beyond their perceived limits by using adventure as a medium to Educate, Inspire and Empower our global community.
Dr. Wells helping Jessica Suvak use a portable metabolic analysis system during the impossible2possible expedition to the Salar de Uni salt flats at 14,000 ft elevation in Bolivia