By Michael Sun

Before his McMaster rugby career and before he became a McMaster Kinesiology professor and researcher, Stuart Phillips' interest in human health was ignited at Oakville Trafalgar high school.

Today, Phillips has been involved in over 220 original scientific research and review papers over the years. He's studied biochemistry and the impact of exercise and nutrition on human health. He's the Director of the Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE) and the McMaster Centre for Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Research. He's a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health. 

It all started in high school, where he was influenced by two teachers: Gary Turnbull and Marty Rich. Rich taught him about biology and the human body. Turnbull taught him about being physically active and being part of that community. 

From then, Phillips was fascinated by human health and the human condition. "Being able to understand that common bonds between people have an extraordinary effect on human health," he said. 

He took classes with Rich, where he was drawn to his teacher's passion and enthusiasm. "Every time I took his class, it just reinforced for me, 'this is what I want to do'," Phillips recalled. 

Fast forward to his time at McMaster, where he was studying biochemistry and playing on the McMaster men's rugby team. He was part of that community. 

Phillips met mentors and made friends during his time there. He thinks about those friendships made and moments shared. He still sees them at alumni games even 35 years later. 

He also learned about persistence and perseverance. He learned about grit. "I was never the smartest person," he noted. "But I worked my butt off for everything I got…grittiness is something that I inherited or was imbued in me because of those years at McMaster." 

Phillips carries that perseverance and grit with him in his work in academia. It's a world where you have to develop a thick skin, he points out, where you face critique and rejection much of it anonymous. Where new data emerges, and things have to be revised. 

Even as his rugby playing career at McMaster came to an end in 1989, his academic one was getting going. He kept learning and learning and learning. Phillips enjoyed that, always enjoying it through the years. 

He got into exercise physiology and studied genes, studied what was going on with cells and how that related to human physiology and human beings. "It just pushes my mental buttons," he added.

Yet, after all his time in school – his master's at McMaster, his doctorate at Waterloo and a postdoctoral fellowship in Texas – he was facing a decision: what to do next? 

Phillips had doubts. He wasn't sure. He went into academia and became a professor but wasn't 100 percent sure this was what he wanted to do until he started his new role. 

Wow, it's real, he thought to himself once he began. He was back home at McMaster, and it felt like a homecoming. "Just to return to the place where I was shaped," he said. "It's awesome to come back to a great institution."

Phillips also took pride in the students and student-athletes he has helped along the way – as a professor and rugby coach. "It's humbling and a source of great pride for me," he said. 

He remembers calling men's rugby head coach Phil White after he returned and asking how he could be involved. He told White he would love to coach – which he did for several years. 

Phillips understood the impact he had on those he was coaching and teaching. He remembers the impact Turnbull and Rich had on him. 

Over the years, Phillips has studied many aspects of human health. Now, he's been more focused on aging. "Talking about aging and trying to have people live not longer but live better for the time that they are here," he said. "Where their health span is as good as their lifespan." 

He's studied the impact and importance of not just being physically active while aging but also strength training. "Being stronger is a huge cornerstone of aging successfully," he said. 

He talks about the importance of building muscle. He talks about weight training and resistance exercises, for instance. It's something he also personally enjoys.

With his work also comes promoting it. He sees it as part of his mission to translate it for the public. That means doing so through social media, giving lectures and presentations and talking to journalists. The hope is that it can spark a behavioural change for someone reading or seeing it. 

With all his time at McMaster, there have been many memorable moments along the way. Phillips mentions how every paper is something to celebrate. His perspective shifted as well.

At first, he thought about it being his journey and making a name for himself. Then, over time, he realized it was about the journey of the people he's worked with, about the team. "There's something inside me, part of my psyche, I guess, that enjoys the fact that I've been able to help people get to where they want to go," he said. 

Whether it's working with undergrads, masters, doctoral or postdoctoral students or visiting professors, his questions always are: What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? What do you want to end up with? "My job is to help you get there," he said.

Phillips wants to continue doing research, driven by his intrinsic curiosity. However, it's a lot more about the team – something he also learned from playing rugby. "The team aspect is about just being around people and sharing a common purpose," he said. 

He learned during the past few years that his energy and drive came from people. He remembers how good it felt to see people in person after so many Zoom and online meetings. He missed the social contact. 

It's also a hallmark of successful aging – finding that community and purpose, according to him. He understands how precious it is. He sees it in sports and the teams he's a part of. 

Phillips wants to continue doing research, driven by his interests and also to help people. However, it's much more about the team – something he also learned from playing rugby. "The team aspect is about just being around people and sharing a common purpose," he said. 

He learned during the past few years that his energy and drive came from people. He remembers how good it felt to see people in person after so many Zoom and online meetings. He missed the social contact. 

According to him, it's also a hallmark of successful aging – finding that community and purpose. He understands how precious it is. He sees it in sports and the teams he's a part of. 

"It's like, we're here. We're together. We did this," he said. "And it wasn't me. It wasn't you. It was us – and that's pretty cool.

As Phillips continues his career – he's closer to the end of it but says he has a few more years yet, he said – he's thought about his legacy. "I would be very happy if people were saying, 'Well, you know, he promoted exercise and good nutrition to make people healthier,'" he said. He admits that it may be an overgeneralization, but it's been a common thread through all the work and research he's done. All the work he continues to do as well. 

He's also learned a lot from his family, having shared his journey with his spouse of 26 years and his three kids. They teach him a lot about himself. They humble him. They also pick him up when he's down.

Phillips has also learned to make the best of his time at McMaster. Leaving a bit of a mark, he calls it. He thinks about a colleague who teaches aging and talks about writing their own obituary. "It sounds a little morbid, I know," Phillips added. "But it's an odd thing to think about because it does make you create a vision of your future you." 

What does Phillips envision for his future self? Staying physically active for one – until he can't anymore.

"The epitaph is something around probably the legacy and contribution to human health. I would love for that to be something on the headstone," he said. "At the same time, it would be, and 'he was a good husband and a pretty good dad'."