Dr. Jack Taunton

In Memoriam

Jack Taunton was Professor of Medicine and Co-founder of the Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre, where he maintained an active sports medicine practice and conducted clinical and exercise medicine research , with a focus on overuse injuries and injury prevention, until his passing in October 2024. He was Chief Medical Officer for the 2010 Winter Games, with extensive real-life experience in scaling up physical activity initiatives. Notably, he co-founded the Vancouver Sun Run, which continues to engage thousands of people to walk/jog 10 km annually. Dr. Taunton also founded SportsMed BC, which delivers and supports the massively popular Vancouver Sun Run In-Training Program for >35 years. This Program prepares individuals of all fitness levels to safely and comfortably walk, Nordic walk, or run 10K. Over the last decade, the SportMed BC has promoted physical activity to over 40 First Nations communities through its Aboriginal Walk/Run Program.

As a lifelong educator and mentor, Dr. Taunton will be remembered for his boundless energy and unwavering commitment to health and wellbeing. While the UBC community will miss Dr. Taunton greatly, his legacy will endure in the thousands of lives he has touched and the pioneering advancements he has made in his field.

First Nations land acknowledegement

The UBC Point Grey campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm.

Physical Activity for Precision Health

Vancouver, BC Canada

Research Excellence Clusters at UBC Vancouver is a joint initiative of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic, UBC Vancouver and the Vice-President, Research and Innovation. Funding support for the clusters is provided by Academic Excellence Funds – UBC Vancouver.

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