Rate My Professor Ben Serpell

Benjamin G. Serpell is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Science and Technology at the University of New England, Armidale, Australia. He earned his PhD in Medical Science from the Australian National University between 2010 and 2016, with research focused on musculotendinous stiffness. In his academic role at UNE, which commenced around May 2021, Serpell teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students in sport and exercise science, emphasizing practical applications in high-performance sport.

Serpell's research interests center on stress physiology, hormonal responses such as cortisol and testosterone awakening responses, warm-up effectiveness, training load impacts on athlete well-being, decision-making under stress, team behaviors and performance, particularly in professional rugby union and elite surfing. His investigations explore how physiological fluctuations map to performance outcomes, including strategic decision-making and opinion strength. Key publications include 'What Can Support Teams in High-Performance Sport Learn from Organizational Psychology’s Literature on Teamwork in Non-Sport Settings?' (2022, cited over 190 times); 'Performance Analysis in Rugby Union' (2020, cited 100 times); 'The Effects of a Land-Based Warm-Up and Accompanying Passive Heat Retention on Core Body Temperature, Hormones, and Subsequent Performance in Elite Surfers' (2024); 'The Influence of Light and Heavy Training Weeks on the Cortisol and Testosterone Awakening Responses of Elite Male Judokas: Is Skeletal Muscle Damage a Mediating Factor?' (2024); 'Dose-Response and Time-Lagged Effect of Daily Training Load on Athlete Well-Being During an International Rugby Series' (2025); and 'Perceptions of Warm-Up Effectiveness Maps to Stress Physiology in Surfers' (2025). With 47 publications and over 1,300 citations, Serpell's work influences sport science by integrating biomechanical, physiological, and psychological perspectives to enhance athlete and team performance. Beyond academia, he serves as High Performance Manager at the Richmond Football Club, following his tenure as a strength and conditioning coach with the Geelong Cats Football Club. His dual roles bridge research and applied practice in elite Australian football.