IPEP Alumni and Associates (selected):

Dr Francesca Mottola - thesis: The Role of Cognitive Challenges in Endurance Performance and Recovery

  • Francesca completed her PhD in 2021 and has returned to her native Italy. She has been employed as a Guest Lecturer delivering online sport psychology sessions for students at Mid-Sweden University, while also volunteering with the Italian Red Cross.

Dr Will Hardy - thesis: Developing excellence in outdoor provision: Enhancing training pathways for outdoor qualifications

  • Will completed his PhD in 2021 and has secured employed as a Research Officer in the School of Medical and Health Sciences at Bangor University.

Dr Dior Anderson - thesis: Understanding the Holistic Development of Elite Performance in Olympic Weightlifting: A Machine Learning Approach

  • Dior completed his PhD in 2020 and has been working as a Guest Lecturer in Psychomotor Behaviour at Bangor University.

Dr Robin Owen - thesis: Focus of attention and anxiety’s respective effect on motor control

  • Robin completed his PhD in 2020 while also working as a Lecturer in Motor Control at Bangor University. He was recently appointed as a Sport Psychology Lecturer at Liverpool Hope University.

Dr Eduardo Bellomo - thesis: A psychophysiological examination of concept conscious processing of movements

  • Eduardo completed his PhD in 2019, winning the prestigious Drapers Medal for exceptional quality research. He secured employment with the Brain Products neurophysiological research team in Germany.

Dr Turki Alzahrani – thesis: A multidisciplinary approach to examine mental toughness

  • Turki completed his PhD in 2019 before returning to his native Saudi Arabia as a Lecturer at Taif University.

Dr Shuge Zhang – thesis: The Interaction of Adaptive and Maladaptive Narcissism, and its Relevance to Performance Under Pressure and Quality of Training

  • After completing his PhD in 2019, Shuge was appointed as a Lecturer in Sport Psychology at the University of Derby.

Dr Ben Jones – thesis: ‘Game Changers’: Discriminating Features within the Microstructure of Practice and Developmental Histories of Super-Elite Cricketers - a Pattern Recognition Approach

  • After completing his PhD in 2019, Ben was appointed as Lead Youth Recruitment Analyst at Chelsea FC.

Dr Leanne Simpson – thesis: Neurocognitive Processes Underpinning Different Aspects of Mental Robustness in British Military Personnel

  • After completing her PhD in 2018, Leanne was appointed as Principal Psychologist for BMT Global.

Dr Freya Glendinning – thesis: Self-Determination Theory: An Individual Differences Perspective

  • After completing her PhD in 2018, Freya secured employment as a Research officer at Bangor University, before moving to work for the Youth Endowment Fund.

Dr Leonie Webster – thesis: Team Effectiveness in Professional Cricket

  • Leonie completed her PhD in 2018 and won the prestigious PhD thesis of the year award from the British Psychological Society. She was appointed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Southampton.

Dr Recep Gorgulu – thesis: An examination of the precise nature of ironic performance breakdown

  • Recep completed his PhD in 2018 before returning to his native Turkey as an Associate Professor at Bursa Uludag University. One of his PhD chapters entitled “Anxiety and Ironic Effects of Performance: Task Instruction Matters” won the Excellence in Research award for being the best paper published in the 2019 edition of the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology.

Dr Tommie Du Preez – thesis: Examining Personality and Performance in Extreme Environments

  • Tommie completed his PhD in 2017 and works as a Lecturer in Sport Psychology at Bangor University and at Coleg Llandrillo.

Dr Peter Tomsett – thesis: Transformational Leadership in Higher Education Research Supervision

  • Peter completed his PhD in 2017, receiving funding from the Higher Education Academy Mike Baker doctoral scholarship programme.

Dr Itzhak Zur – thesis: A psychophysiological examination of the emotions-performance relationship

  • Itzhak completed his PhD in 2016 and runs a Mental Performance Consultancy alongside appointments as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Exercise Science at Lehman College and Bronx Community College in New York, USA.

Dr Ahmad Alqallaf – thesis: Examining the Interactive Effects of Mental Toughness, Self-Regulated Training Behaviors, and Personality in Swimming

  • After completing his PhD in 2016, Ahmad was appointed as a Lecturer at the College of Basic Education, Al-Ardiya, Kuwait.

Dr Chelsey Dempsey – thesis: Self-efficacy and Performance Relationships: Examining the Roles of Personality, Bias, and Effort

  • After completing his PhD in 2016, Chelsey secured employment in professional football, working in sport psychologist roles at Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough and The FA, before being appointed as Lead Academy Psychologist at Leeds United.

Dr Ed Barney – thesis: Preliminary stages in the validation of a talent identification model in cricket

  • After completing his PhD in 2015, Ed secured employment with the ECB as Talent Identification Scientist and then England Hockey as Head of Talent Development. In 2016 he was appointed as the Performance Director for Great Britain and England Hockey.

Dr Victoria Hadnett – thesis: An investigation examining the effects of specificity within the construct of anxiety on planning and execution of movement

  • Since completing her PhD in 2015, Victoria has worked in the Leisure and Adventure Sector in various Managerial roles.

Dr Alexandra MacGregor – thesis: Exploration of the processes and outcomes associated with participation in outdoor sports

  • Alexandra completed her PhD in 2015 – her work was supported by the European Social Fund in partnership with outdoor pursuits provider Surf-Lines.

Dr Samantha McElligott – thesis: Overseas expeditions ; : self-esteem and transformational leadership

  • Alexandra completed her PhD in 2015 and became a self-employed Leadership Consultant.

Dr Chin Wei Ong – thesis: The Temporality of Narcissistic Leadership

  • After completing his PhD in 2015, Chin Wei was appointed as Applied Research Manager at Manchester City FC.

Dr Niamh Reilly – thesis: Enhancing motor skill acquisition in individuals with a learning disability.

  • After completing her PhD in 2014, Niamh became a sport psychology lecturer at the University of Derby.

Dr Mohammed Fakehy – thesis: Exploring the possible negative effects of self-efficacy upon performance

  • After completing his PhD in 2013, Mohammed was appointed Associate Professor of Sport Psychology at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia.

Dr Lauren Mawn – thesis: Transformational leadership in higher education lecturing

  • Since completing her PhD in 2013, Lauren has become a Clinical Psychologist working in Hospitals and also as a Clinical Lecturer in the School of Psychology at Newcastle University.

Dr James Bell – thesis: Preliminary evidence for a neuro-cognitive model of mental toughness

  • After completing his PhD in 2012, James secured employment as a psychologist with the ECB, before moving to become Director of Psychological Services for the Cleveland Browns NFL team. He then returned to the UK as National Lead for Psychology for the Rugby Football Union, before becoming Head of Culture Development at UK Sport in 2017. In 2020 he became Lead for Performance Services at Changing Minds applied psychology services.

Dr Matt Barlow – thesis: The motives for participation in high-risk sport

  • Since completing his PhD in 2012, Matt has worked as a private sport psychology consultant with various elite teams and individuals in international cricket, professional football, and Olympic sport. He is still a close collaborator of IPEP on various applied projects.

Dr Emily Oliver – thesis: Advancing the understanding of self-talk: A self-determination theory perspective

  • Emily completed her PhD in 2010 and entered the world of academia. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences at Durham University.

Dr Calum Arthur – thesis: Conceptualisation, measurement, and impact of transformational leadership in military recruit training

  • After completing his PhD in 2008, Calum worked as a Lecturer at Bangor University and the University of Stirling. In 2018 he was appointed at Culture Development Advisor for UK Sport.

Dr Sally Akehurst – thesis: Choking under pressure : mechanisms and individual differences

  • Sally completed her PhD in 2005 and entered the world of academia. She is Head of the School for Human Sciences at the University of Derby.