Matthieu Boisgontier

Professor Matthieu Boisgontier received degrees in kinesiology, physiotherapy and neuroscience from Université Grenoble Alpes (France). After working as a part-time physiotherapist for five years and receiving a PhD in 2012, Professor Boisgontier pursued his career as a researcher in Belgium, Switzerland and Canada. In addition to his appointment as an associate professor at the University of Ottawa, he is a senior investigator at the Bruyère Health Research Institute.

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Professor Boisgontier is accepting new students for thesis supervision.

• Aging
• Health
• Neuroscience
• Physical activity
• Sensorimotor control
• Postural control
• Rehabilitation

Professor Boisgontier’s research program blends neuroscience, gerontology and health to contribute to understanding physical inactivity and sensorimotor control. His scientific work has resulted in 20+ open datasets and codes, as well as over 100 scholarly articles, which have attracted over 5,000 citations and been featured in over 50 countries and over 500 media outlets (e.g., the New York Times, Le Devoir, the Globe and Mail). His research program has been supported by NSERC, CFI, the Banting Research Foundation and Mitacs.

Professor Boisgontier has further contributed to his scholarly community through the peer-review of over 200 scientific manuscripts and proposal evaluations for funding agencies (e.g., NSERC, CIHR, CFI, Mitacs, FRQ, FWO), and service on over 10 editorial boards, including those of Communications in Kinesiology and of Peer Community In (PCI) Health & Movement Sciences.

• Park K, Boisgontier MP. A novel robotic reaching task to advance the assessment of approach-avoidance tendencies through kinematic analysis. Peer Community Journal 2025, 5, e25.
• van Allen ZM, Boisgontier MP. Prospective classification of functional dependence: Insights from machine learning and the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. MedRxiv 2024.
• Farajzadeh A, Jabouille F, Benoit N, Bezeau O, Bourgie T, Gerro B, Ouimet J, Boisgontier MP. Apathy, intentions, explicit attitudes, and approach-avoidance tendencies in physical activity behavior. Communications in Kinesiology 2024.
• Goubran M, Farajzadeh A, Lahart IM, Bilodeau M, Boisgontier MP. Relationship between fear of movement and physical activity in patients with cardiac, rheumatologic, neurologic, pulmonary, or pain conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Physical Therapy 2025.
• Farajzadeh A, Hébert A, Lahart IM, Bilodeau M, Boisgontier MP. Apathy and physical activity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Physiotherapy Canada 2025.
• van Allen ZM, Orsholits D, Boisgontier MP. Prestroke physical activity matters for functional limitations: a longitudinal case-control study of 12,860 participants. Physical Therapy 2024, 104(10), pzae094.
• Farajzadeh A, Goubran M, Fessler L, Cheval B, Van Allen Z, Boisgontier MP. Training older adults to inhibit the automatic attraction to sedentary stimuli: a cognitive-bias-modification protocol. European Rehabilitation Journal 2023, 3(1), 1-9.
• Cheval B, Maltagliati S, Courvoisier DS, Marcora S, Boisgontier MP. Development and validation of the physical effort scale (PES). Psychology of Sport & Exercise 2024, 72, 102607.
• Farajzadeh A, Goubran M, Beehler A, Cherkaoui N, Morrison, de Chanaleilles M, Maltagliati S, Cheval B, Miller MW, Sheehy L, Bilodeau M, Orsholits D, Boisgontier MP. Automatic approach-avoidance tendency toward physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli as a function of age, explicit affective attitude, and intention to be active. Peer Community Journal 2023, 3, e21.
• Cheval B, Boisgontier MP. The theory of effort minimization in physical activity. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews 2021, 49(3), 168–178.
• Boisgontier MP, Iversen MD. Physical inactivity: a behavioral disorder in the physical therapist’s scope of practice. Physical Therapy 2020, 100, 743–746.
• Boisgontier MP, Cheval B, van Ruitenbeek P, Cuypers K, Leunissen I, Sunaert S, Meesen R, Zivari Adab H, Renaud O, Swinnen SP. Cerebellar grey matter explains bimanual coordination performance in children and older adults. Neurobiology of Aging 2018, 65, 109–120.
• Boisgontier MP, Cheval B, Chalavi S, van Ruitenbeek P, Leunissen I, Levin O, Nieuwboer A, Swinnen SP. Individual differences in brainstem and basal ganglia structure predict postural control and loss of balance in young and older adults. Neurobiology of Aging 2017, 50, 47–59.
• Boisgontier MP, Beets IAM, Duysens J, Nieuwboer A, Krampe RT, Swinnen SP. Age-related differences in attentional cost associated with postural dual tasks: Increased recruitment of generic cognitive resources in older adults. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 2013, 37, 1824–1837.