Professor Jan Burns MBE Appointed as Head of Research and Strategic Development for the Virtus Academy

Virtus is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Jan Burns MBE as the new Head of Research and Strategic Development for the Virtus Academy. 

Jan has earlier served as Virtus Head of Eligibility for more than 17 years on the Virtus Governing Board. Throughout that time, Jan has played a pivotal role in shaping the future of sport for athletes with intellectual disabilities and has been one of the key figures behind many of the organisation’s most significant achievements. 

Jan has played a central role in establishing the Virtus Academy in 2021 too, creating a platform to advance research, education and knowledge-sharing across the Virtus movement. Her appointment to this new role ensures that her vision, expertise and passion will continue to guide the Academy’s future development. In her new role, Jan will contribute to the further development of the Academy and offer advice and help in our ongoing and future research and education projects.

Jan was one of the driving forces behind the development of the evidence-based eligibility and classification system that led to the re-inclusion of athletes with intellectual disabilities in the Paralympic Games. Working alongside the International Paralympic Committee and leading international researchers, she helped establish the scientific framework that continues to underpin classification in the sport today.

Her outstanding contribution has been recognised globally. In 2012, she received the UK Research Council’s Gold Podium Research Award for her work supporting the London Paralympic Games, before being awarded an MBE in 2015 for services to disability sport and research. In 2023, she was appointed Chair of the International Paralympic Committee’s Classification Compliance and Oversight Committee, further recognising her expertise and leadership in the field.

A major focus of her work is currently supporting several important evidence-based classification research projects that will help strengthen and evolve eligibility systems for future generations of athletes with intellectual disabilities. Further updates on these initiatives will be announced in due course.

As Virtus marks 40 years of advancing inclusion through sport, Professor Jan Burns MBE stands among the most influential figures in the organisation’s history. From helping to shape world-leading classification systems to founding the Virtus Academy, her contributions have left a lasting impact on athletes, researchers and sport leaders across the globe. This appointment not only recognises her extraordinary legacy but also ensures that her expertise will continue to drive innovation and opportunity for future generations.