A LEGACY OF HEART

“Our program builds exceptional community and professional leaders –the Outdoor Projects serve as one of many foundation cornerstones that they build their success upon over the next four years.”

Jack Goodman says there are many things that make him feel grateful and proud when reflecting on his University of Toronto career, but two in particular stand out. One is the pride he feels about his graduate students, and the other is watching first-year KPE students immerse themselves in the annual Outdoor Projects at Camp New Moon, which he continues to oversee.

“For their first experience at U of T, first-year KPE students leave for camp on a bus, many feeling uncertain, worried and full of anticipation about the next four days and the next four years,” he says. “At camp, they all go through a truly transformative experience, returning home with a sense of community, more confidence and lifelong friendships.

“Our program builds exceptional community and professional leaders – the Outdoor Projects serve as one of many foundation cornerstones that they build their success upon over the next four years.”

Goodman is also proud when reflecting on his 34 years of teaching.

“I loved both the undergraduate classroom and supervising graduate students,” he says. “I loved to challenge my undergraduate students to use critical thinking and taught them concepts by telling stories they could relate to. I also really enjoyed seeing the grad students gain independence. I tried my best to get out of the way as they flourished and became fantastic researchers, scientists and professors themselves. We all had fun, and I tried my best to promote a healthy life – work balance for all of my students. The grad students were the fuel that propelled my research, and I’ll always be grateful to them for their amazing work and all that I learned from them.”

Goodman’s research explored cardiac risks of exercise, with a special focus on how the heart adapts to exercise in athletes and those with heart disease. “I had a bug for research since my third year of undergraduate studies when I volunteered in the Toronto Rehabilitation Centre,” he says. “After that, I discovered an interest in heart health and exercise and never looked back.”

In the 1980s, Goodman found a niche building a bridge between exercise physiology and clinical cardiology. He developed a new approach for the simultaneous assessment of cardiac function and cardiopulmonary exercise performance. He recalls turning traditional cardiology imaging labs upside down, convincing technologists and clinicians to truly integrate concepts from exercise physiology.

“I knew I could get the clinicians interested, but it was more important to win over the technologists who were so essential for our success,” he says. “That’s a lesson that I continued to share with my grad students.”

Goodman says it was extremely rewarding to build these clinical collaborations in various cardiology departments, particular at Mount Sinai Hospital, where he maintains his adjunct scientist cross appointment in cardiology.

“I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with incredibly smart people, all of whom generously provided me with unique opportunities,” he says. “Over the years, we did some pretty cool research about how the heart responds to prolonged exercise using various non-invasive imaging methods, and quite novel invasive studies in athletes with catheters in their hearts.”

Goodman says there have been concerns raised by health professionals and athletes alike that high-intensity exercise performed over a long period of time can have a negative impact on the heart.

“As researchers and physicians, we need to determine if there can be ‘too much of a good thing,’ and at times, dispel exaggerated claims of danger given the extremely low risks that exercise poses,” he says.

Over the years, Goodman came to realize that athletes needed highly specialized support, which led to him spearheading the creation of Sports Cardiology Toronto, a research and education clinical service to athletes in the GTA, which he continues to nurture and develop.

With his professor emeritus status, he will continue research in the sports cardiology arena during his retirement, picking and choosing the projects that interest him the most.

“I will always have my finger on research,” he says. “I am still reviewing and writing papers and am happy to help, if called upon, to assist my younger colleagues, if they’ll have me.”

His priority has always been family, and he looks forward to continuing spending time with his growing family – two kids and two grandchildren, with more on the way. Travel is also high on his list. This past fall, he and his wife hiked five national parks in Utah.

“We want to pursue active travelling for as long as we can,” he says. “The adventure is just beginning.” — Janet Gunn