Professor's health visit to Azerbaijan

Professor John Buckley of the University Centre Shrewsbury is an internationally renowned leader in cardiovascular health and rehabilitation and was recommended for the trip by the Chief Physician of the British Olympic Association.

Azerbaijan is investing in sport medicine and exercise science to help both advance the culture of sport and the health and well-being of their nation.

As a result, in the past decade Azerbaijan has created State Academies for Sport and National Centres for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Professor Buckley was invited to teach the country’s newly emerging sports medicine doctors on the topic of cardiovascular health and rehabilitation and also met with state leaders during the trip.

The visit followed a recommendation from Dr Mike Loosemore, Chief Physician of the British Olympic Association who helped set up the new State Academy in the city of Baku.

Professor Buckley said: “I was absolutely delighted to get the call to go and teach young doctors and meet with Azerbaijan’s national leaders in sport, medicine and cardiology.

“Their academies, like our new UK centres for sports and exercise medicine, have two aims: to support the health and well-being of their best athletes and to promote physical activity for the health of the whole nation.

“I was treated royally while in the beautiful city of Baku, which resides on the Caspian Sea.

“They have sympathetically integrated its modern place as a centre for oil business with its ancient history as a centre of trade on the ‘Silk Road’.

“My aims and hopes are to return soon to Azerbaijan to develop further research and teaching collaborations between our new Centre for Active Living at University Centre Shrewsbury with their State Academies of Sport Medicine and Rehabilitation.”