The Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport (TISS) has rapidly established itself as a global leader in sport science and medicine, thanks to the generous support of the Larry & Judy Tanenbaum Family Foundation.
Having completed its third year of operations, the institute has made significant strides in research, education, clinical care and international collaboration, positively impacting high-performance athletes, para-athletes and athletes from underrepresented communities.
“TISS has become a hub for international collaboration, bringing together researchers, clinicians, coaches, and decision-makers in the high-performance sports community to advance sport science and medicine,” says Ira Jacobs, a professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education and the institute’s inaugural director. “Its initiatives are generating knowledge with the potential to improve athlete wellbeing, performance and safety”
Jacobs, who will be retiring in July 2026, says the institute’s commitment to open science, interdisciplinary research and global partnerships ensures that its work will continue to benefit athletes and high-performance sport communities worldwide.
“TISS is poised for further growth, with plans to expand research facilities, launch innovative trials and strengthen international collaborations,” he says. “As we enter the next phase, the institute remains dedicated to its mission of transforming sport science and medicine to support athletes in achieving their highest potential.”
The institute’s recent 3-year retrospective report highlights the following accomplishments across several areas:
1. Advancing sport science research and education
• The institute is supporting groundbreaking research, such as using motion capture technology to reduce basketball injuries and developing a tiltable platform to optimize golf putts.
• The Research Accelerator Fund awarded grants to 21 innovative projects, including studies on hip and groin injuries in hockey goaltenders, optimizing prosthetic performance for para-athletes and understanding the role of emotions and cognition in athletic performance.
• The institute expanded its Research Rounds together with the University of Toronto’s Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Program, hosting an average of nine monthly sessions annually with an average of 40 attendees per session.
2. Clinical research and care
• The U of T Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Program, led by Tanenbaum Professor Daniel Whelan, trained six fellows who secured leadership roles globally and conducted impactful research on orthopaedic injuries.
• The program hosted its inaugural knee dislocation study group meeting, with plans for a follow-up meeting in 2026.
• The Young Adult Hip Injuries Program (YAHIP) enrolled 150 participants in the FASTHip study, which focuses on accelerated rehabilitation after arthroscopic hip surgery. Nearly 80 per cent of participants avoided surgery through a novel home-based exercise program.
• The institute is preparing to launch the AMIREADY Trial in 2026, a pioneering study to accelerate recovery after ACL surgery using innovative therapies like cryocompression, neuromuscular electrical stimulation and blood flow restriction training.
3. International partnerships
• The institute has established collaborations with global organizations, including FIFA, the Australian Football League, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association and the Queensland Academy of Sport. These partnerships have led to significant funding, such as a €384,000 grant from the Croatian Science Foundation for research on genetic, biological and environmental factors in athlete development.
• The institute is exploring new partnerships with organizations like the WNBA, MLB and the Toronto Blue Jays, as well as international entities like the International Olympic Committee and Defence R&D Canada.
4. Conferences and knowledge sharing
• The second annual Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport Research Conference (September 2025) featured leading experts and executives from Canada and abroad. Topics included athlete health during climate change, return-to-play protocols and mental health interventions in high-performance sports.
• The institute hosted a speaker series in October 2025, featuring Jane Thornton, Health, Medicine and Science Director for the International Olympic Committee, who shared insights on building a healthier world through sport.
5. Open science and publications
• The institute published open-access resources, including a guide on evidence-informed athlete selection and a study on a novel return-to-play assessment tool for youth post-concussion.
• Plans are underway for the launch of the "Tanenbaum Reports," a science publication synthesizing research on sport science, medicine, and analytics. The first report, led by Tanenbaum Chair Joseph Baker, will focus on high-performance athlete development.
6. Funding
• The institute establishment and operations over the last three years were made possible by over $8 million in donations by the Larry and Judy Tanenbaum Family Foundation (LJTFF) over $1.5 million from the University of Toronto’s Institutional Strategic Initiatives (ISI), along with additional in-kind support from U of T's Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and the Sinai Health System.