Professor Fournier is an exercise physiologist and biochemist whose academic activities also extend to epistemology and philosophy of science. Professor Fournier received his PhD from Laval University, Canada, before taking on a position as postdoctoral scientist in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Western Australia. Then, in 1998, Professor Fournier joined the School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health at the University of Western Australia, and is now Professor in the School of Human Sciences. Professor Fournier specialises in the field of bioenergetics in exercise, health and disease. This discipline is concerned with not only the regulation of energy utilization, intake and storage, but also with the mechanisms whereby these processes are affected by exercise, nutrition, and metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes. Professor Fournier's teaching and research interests in philosophy of science and epistemology have focused mainly on the problem of demarcation between science and non-science and the problem of justification in epistemology.  The success of the research programmes initiated by Professor Fournier is best illustrated by the many national competitive grants he has been awarded since the start of his career, his published work in high impact journals, and the many postgraduate students he has supervised.

As a testimony of the impact and quality of his collaborative research work, Professor Fournier and his collaborators have been highly successful in receiving funding from national (National Health Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council) as well as international competitive (International Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) research funding organisations, totaling in the vicinity of $19,000,000.00 since the start of Professor Fournier's career.

Professor Fournier's current teaching responsibilities are to:

(a) coordinate and teach a third year unit entitled Bioenergetics in Exercise, Nutrition and Energy  Balance

(b) coordinate and co-teach a post-graduate unit entitled Good, Bogus and Corrupted Sciences

(c) provide a series of lectures in other units.

Professor Paul Fournier is an exercise physiologist and biochemist at the School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health at the University of Western Australia who has directed a number of research programmes in exercise biochemistry, diabetes research, evolutionary biology, nutrition biochemistry, philosophy of science and epistemology, involving 39 PhD students, 4 Master students, and 81 Honours students, and a number of state, interstate and international collaborators. In particular, his research in recent years has focused, for instance, on (a) the evolution of glycogen sparing mechanisms in vertebrates, (b) exercise as a therapeutic tool for the prevention of hypoglycaemia in type 1 diabetes mellitus, (c) carbohydrate nutrition for athletes, (d) the role of oxidative stress in muscle fatigue and diabetes complications, (e) the problem of demarcation between science and non-science, and (f) the problem of justification in epistemology. As a result of his work, Professor Fournier has published extensively in high impact refereed journals, and has been an invited speakers at a number of national and international conferences.