Dr. Michael O'Leary
Dr. Michael O'Leary
Dean
Faculty of Applied Health & Community Studies
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Biography
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Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
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Dr. Michael O’Leary has garnered a wealth of experience within Ontario's post-secondary education system. His distinguished career commenced in 2007 at Humber College, where he initially took on the role of a part-time faculty member in the School of Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism.
Through his dedication and expertise, he soon secured a full-time position, teaching across multiple disciplines including Kinesiology, Fitness and Health Promotion, Exercise Science and Lifestyle Management (ESLM), and Massage Therapy.
Dr. O’Leary’s remarkable journey at Humber College continued with his appointment as Program Head of Kinesiology from 2010 to 2013 at the University of Guelph-Humber. Following this, his leadership skills and academic excellence led to his role as Associate Dean in the School of Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism from 2012 to 2014, and subsequently in the School of Health Sciences from 2014 to 2017.
In the fall of 2017, Dr. O’Leary expanded his academic influence by joining Sheridan College as Dean of the Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies. Since then, Dr. O’Leary has held numerous distinguished roles such as Principal of the Davis Campus, Institutional Lead for the Integrated Health Strategy, Executive Dean, and has recently been appointed Interim Dean of the Pilon School of Business. Under his leadership, he has overseen a significant expansion of programming and revitalized the Faculty’s approach to teaching and learning. Over the past eight years, the Faculty has launched ten new programs, including Sheridan’s first Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Canada’s first Osteopathic Manual Practitioner credential, and three diplomas in diagnostic imaging. Additionally, advancements in augmented and virtual reality have been integrated into the health, public safety, and community curriculum, with Sheridan pioneering the integration of the Holo Anatomy system for curriculum delivery.
A key focus of Dr. O’Leary’s work and leadership has been developing the Centre for Healthy Communities (CHC), Sheridan’s leading capital development plan. The CHC building is envisioned to house revolutionary academic spaces, become a hub for campus and community activity, and provide flexible delivery and learning environments for students and faculty. The hallmark feature of the CHC is the interprofessional clinic, which aims to offer preventive care for community members managing chronic diseases such as diabetes.
Dr. O’Leary’s academic credentials are equally impressive. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and a Master's degree in Kinesiology and Health Science from York University. His doctoral research focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms governing muscle atrophy and adaptation to exercise.
Dr. O’Leary's contributions to the field are documented through several peer-reviewed journal articles and co-authorship of three book chapters, including a contribution to ACSM’s Advanced Exercise Physiology textbook. His dedication to exercise physiology was recognized with the Ontario Exercise Physiology Graduate Student Award in 2009, underscoring his commitment and excellence.
Dr. O’Leary's career is distinguished by a synergistic blend of teaching, leadership, and research, establishing him as a revered figure in Ontario's post-secondary education landscape.
Book Chapters
O'Leary, M., Saleem, A., Kazak, L., Hood, D., Reed, J., Green, D. (2011). Cell Death Regulation in Muscle. In Apoptosis: Physiology and Pathology(pp. 313-322). Cambridge University Press.
O'Leary, M., Hood, D., Uguccioni, G., Irrcher, I., Farrell, P., Joyner, M., Caiozzo, V. (2011). Mitochondrial Biogenesis Induced by Endurance Training. In ACSM's Advanced Exercise Physiology(pp. 447-465). Lippincott, Williams and Wilkens.
Journal Articles
O'Leary, M., Zhang, Y., Iqbal, S., Menzies, K., Saleem, A., Ding, S., Hood, D. (2013). Altered mitochondrial morphology and defective protein import reveal novel roles for Bax and/or Bak in skeletal muscle.American Journal of Physiology, 305(5), C502-C511.
O'Leary, M., Ostojic, O., Singh, K., Menzies, K., Vainshtein, A., Hood, D. (2013). The effects of chronic muscle use and disuse on cardiolipin metabolism.Journal of Applied Physiology, 114(4), 444-452.
O'Leary, M., Vainshtein, A., Iqbal, S., Ostojic, O., Hood, D. (2013). Adaptive plasticity of autophagic proteins to denervation in aging skeletal muscle.American Journal of Physiology, 304(5), C422-C430.
O'Leary, M., Vainshtein, A., Carter, H., Zhang, Y., Hood, D. (2012). Denervation-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and autophagy in skeletal muscle of apoptosis-deficient animals.American Journal of Physiology, 303(4), C447-C454.
O'Leary, M., Chabi, B., Adhihetty, P., Menzies, K., Hood, D. (2009). Relationship between Sirt1 expression and mitochondrial proteins during conditions of chronic muscle use and disuse.Journal of Applied Physiology, 107(6), 1730--1735.
O'Leary, M., Hood, D. (2009). Denervation-induced oxidative stress and autophagy signaling in muscle.Autophagy, 5(2), 230-231.
O'Leary, M., Hood, D. (2008). The effect of chronic contractile activity on mitochondrial function and apoptotic protein expression in denervated muscle.Journal of Applied Physiology, 105(1), 114-120.
O'Leary, M., Adhihetty, P., Chabi, B., Wicks, K., Hood, D. (2007). Effect of chronic denervation on the mitochondrially-mediated apoptosis signaling pathway in skeletal muscle.Journal of Applied Physiology, 102(3), 1143-1151.
