Cynthia Thomson
Cynthia Thomson completed her PhD in Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia. Her graduate research centered on gaining a better understanding of high-risk sport participation, a topic largely inspired by time spent between degrees living in the Canadian Rockies as she observed beneficial effects adventure sports can have on its participants. Her PhD thesis explored potential innate drivers (genetics) and individual differences (personality) associated with high-risk sport participation. As an assistant professor in Health Sciences at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) (Chilliwack, BC), her research has continued to focus on risk-taking and sport. She has explored potential positive mental health benefits of adventure-based learning programs in youth and has been investigating physiological and environmental factors that may influence risk-taking. Recent work at UFV includes exploring the effects of an acute bout of exercise on risky decision-making and whether exercise at moderate altitude impacts decision-making.