Mirko Schmidt is professor and head of department of Sport Pedagogy at the Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern, Switzerland. He is a former PE teacher, holds a master's degree (2005) in sport science and philosophy and received his PhD from the University of Bern in 2011. After research visits in Rome (Italy), Wollongong and Newcastle (Australia), he was researching and teaching as an assistant professor with tenure track at the University of Bern. He completed his habilitation in 2019 and acquired one of the first Eccellenza Grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) to become a full professor in 2020. The focus of his research is on the design and evaluation of interventions to promote cognitive performance, personality development and body-related self-perception. He is also interested in the implementation and scientific evaluation of holistic school-based physical activity programs. In addition to book chapters, he has published several articles in recognised journals. One of his first-author articles was honoured with the Excellence in Research Award 2015 by the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Since 2020, he has been on the editorial board of the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity.
