Faculty and Staff

Jan. 29, 2026 | Read time 3 min

Ferguson named chair of International Council of Motorsport Sciences

Summary

Associate Professor David Ferguson has been elected chair of the International Council of Motorsport Sciences. A global leader in race car driver physiology, Ferguson’s research has shaped safety practices and performance strategies across motorsport, including collaborations with NASCAR and Formula 1 teams. Learn how his leadership will help advance innovation and safety in the sport.

Associate Professor David Ferguson has been elected to chair of the International Council of Motorsport Sciences. Within that role, he will oversee the multiple committees that focus on financial health, membership and industry impact of the organization. His leadership began on January 1, 2026 and he will hold the roles through 2027. 

Headshot of David Ferguson wearing a white button shirt. He is standing in front of bookshelves and a wall with a green hexagon pattern.

The International Council of Motorsport Sciences (ICMS) is "dedicated to advancing the scientific, medical and educational aspects of the human element in motorsport,” their website reads, in part. ICMS aims to “bring forth the latest innovations and initiatives in motorsport safety.” 

Ferguson is the recognized global authority in the study of race car driver physiology. His research has made a measurable difference in health (especially for racers with diabetes), race times and has analyzed how female racers might differ from males. 

Notably, he was the first ever to receive an exercise physiology-related grant from NASCAR in 2023, which led to systematic changes to improve driver cooling. Additionally, he collaborated with the Mercedes Formula 1 team to develop protocols and technology to reduce heat stress in drivers following the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. 

Motorsport researchers gather for a photo at a conference; they stand in front of conference signage.
From left to right: Alyssa Paquette (student, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, who works with Ferguson remotely; Gaurav Mittal (student, Kase Western Reserve, who completed an internship with Ferguson on driver cooling; his research was recognized as one of the top-3 at ICMS' annual congress); Aidan Davis (MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine Student; his research project recognized as one of the top-3 at the ICMS annual congress); Ferguson; Mira Athmarao (MSU student who works in Ferguson's lab); Caterina Vaglica (MSU Kinesiology student who works in Ferguson's lab); Ariana Cojocaru (student, Skidmore College who completed an internship with Ferguson); Micheal Reid (dean and professor, University of Florida and long-time collaborator on research.)

Ferguson has been an ICMS member since 2014. He became a member of the Board of Directors in 2019 and chaired the Education Committee where he developed programs to increase student involvement in the organization. 

Specifically, he created a mentoring program where students could interact with leaders in motorsport medicine, engineering and science to grow their career in motorsports. He also regularly shares his research with current MSU students and Spartan alums at the annual conference, most recently held in December. 

“The ICMS was founded by pillars of the field (Dan Marisi Ph.D., Jacques Dallaire Ph.D., Terry Trammell M.D., Steve Olvey M.D., and Sam Odle) who transformed automobile racing from a very dangerous sport to a very safe sport,” said Ferguson, part of the Department of Kinesiology. “It is an honor to be the steward of an organization that has a profound impact in motorsports and I am excited for the projects we are going to do over the next couple of years.”

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