Group
High Performing Individuals, Teams, and Organisations
Research theme(s): Health Innovation
School: School of Science and Technology
Overview
Our research theme aims to understand, support, and enhance the factors and practices that contribute towards the optimal preparation, performance, recovery, and health of individuals (e.g., athletes, coaches), teams, and organisations in organised and competitive environments.
The High Performing Individuals, Teams and Organisations research theme is led by Dr Mustafa Sarkar.
You can find more about the research theme and the work we do here.
Our research addresses the following areas:
The multidisciplinary approach of the research spans across wide areas and methods with a particular focus on current issues and real-world application:
Optimising Sporting Performance
Understanding and improving factors limiting individual and team performance such as technique, tactical, mental, and physical variables.
Injury and Health
Reporting injury surveillance and factors that impact injury rates such as rule changes, workload, seasonal variations, and gender differences.
Environmental Performance
Exploring strategies to understand and enhance performance in different sporting environments, such as acclimation and cooling in hot climates and altitude training; and non-sporting domains including business, education, law enforcement, and the military.
Psychological Development and Mental Health
Studying the development of individual, team, and organisational resilience, focusing on enriching mental health, enhancing coach and parent education, and improving academy release processes.
Equipment Design and User Interaction
Developing an understanding of the impact of equipment design on users’ health and performance, such as footwear and prosthetic design.
Head Impacts and Brain Health
Addressing issues regarding concussion and non-concussion management and brain injury prevention focusing on technological interventions, pathology exploration, cultural processes, and documenting individual’s experiences.
Nutritional Innovations
Focusing on the impact of nutritional interventions to improve health and performance, including the effects of dietary biotics and the gut microbiome on health and performance in athletes, and the effects of turmeric supplementation on post-exercise recovery.
High Performance Cultures
Investigating high performance culture and its effect on the performance, health, and practice, of athletes and support staff, including investigating long-term psychological effects of performance-driven focuses, and the relationship between athletes and medical staff.
Theme lead
Mustafa Sarkar
Dr Mustafa Sarkar is an Associate Professor of Sport and Performance Psychology. His research addresses the psychology of performance excellence with a particular focus on resilience, psychological safety, and mental health. Dr Sarkar is Head of the "High Performing Individuals, Teams and Organisations" (HPITO) theme within the SHAPE Research Centre.
Researchers
Jon Wheat
Professor
School of Science & Technology
Caroline Sunderland
Associate Professor
School of Science & Technology
Dr Gavin Weedon
Associate Professor
School of Science & Technology
Philippa Jobling
Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Nathan Cobb
Senior Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Ella McLoughlin
Senior Lecturer
School of Science and Technology
Christopher R. Matthews
Senior Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Ian Varley
Professor
School of Science & Technology
Paul Felton
Senior Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Steve Faulkner
Senior Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Samuel Giles
Senior Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Neil Williams
Senior Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Dr. Fieke Rongen
Senior Lecturer
Department of Sport Science
Laura Healy
Associate Professor
School of Science & Technology
Pete Holmes
Senior Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Noel Kinrade
Senior Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Jack Ashby
Senior Lecturer
Department of Sport Science
Rachel Malcolm
Senior Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Ben Ashdown
Senior Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Prof Angus Hunter
Professor and Head of Department
Department of Sport Science
Chris Harwood
Professor
School of Science & Technology
Prof Simon Cooper
Professor
School of Science & Technology
Katy Griggs
Principal Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Chris Saward
Senior Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Ruth Boat
Senior Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
John Morris
Associate Professor
School of Science & Technology
John Hough
Associate Professor
School of Science & Technology
Julie Johnston
Senior Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Connor Parker
Lecturer
School of Science & Technology
Teams and organisations we work with
Our research is conducted with, and/or funded by, national and international teams, national and international governing bodies and organisations, charities, and industry:
