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Ali Bowes

Ali Bowes

Associate Professor

School of Science & Technology

Staff Group(s)
Sport

Role

Dr. Bowes is an Associate Professor in the Sociology of Sport and the Women in Sport Research Theme Lead in the SHAPE Research Centre.

Winner of the 2021 NTU Vice Chancellors Teaching Award, Ali teaches across the Sport Science degree programmes, contributing to the Sociology of Sport and leading the final year Research Project module.

Dr. Bowes supervises research dissertations at UG and PhD level in the sociology of sport. This work primarily focuses on women's sport, and the related issues of professionalisation, commercialisation, motherhood and maternity, media coverage, as well as broader research areas connected to women and girls in sport and physical activity.

Career overview

Dr. Bowes joined NTU in January 2019 and was promoted to Associate Professor in August 2025.

Prior to working at NTU, Dr. Bowes was a Programme Area Lead in the Higher Education Sport department at Loughborough College, the Course Leader for Sport Science and Sport Coaching blended degrees, and a Lecturer in the Sociology of Sport and Physical Education.  She is a trained PE Teacher, and taught at schools in Nottingham and Leicester.

In 2013, Ali was awarded her PhD at in the Sociology of Sport from Loughborough University under the supervision of Prof. Alan Bairner.  She also holds a BSc in Sports and Exercise Science, and a PGCE in Secondary Physical Education from Loughborough University, as well as a PGCAP from Nottingham Trent University. She is a fellow of the HEA.

Research areas

Ali's is internationally known for her work on the professionalisation of women's sport. Her current research centres on sociocultural examinations of women’s sport, specifically:

  • Professional/elite women’s sport
  • Media representations of women in sport
  • Gender and sport more broadly

Current PhD Supervision focuses on these key research areas. Ali is the Director of Studies on the following PhD projects:

  • Alex Harris: Women in sports journalism and the media production of women's sport.
  • Glory Ejike: Girls football and the intersection of race, gender and ethnicity
  • Erin Pruett: Gender equality and allyship in football coach development

Ali also co-supervises a number of PhD projects at NTU and beyond:

  • Rebecca Jackson (University of Nottingham, ESRC DTP Funded)
  • Val Craft (Loughborough University)
  • Charlotte Small (NTU)
  • Debi Forbes (NTU)
  • Molly Pocock (NTU)

For any potential doctoral students interested in studying a PhD in the above areas, please email Ali, and visit the Research Degree page.

External activity

Media Engagements

Ali has been interviewed about her research for both television and radio, and has had her research featured in a range of media outlets nationally and internationally. This includes BBC Radio 4 Women's Hour, BBC Radio Nottingham, BBC News, Sky Sports News, the Telegraph, the New York Times, The Week, Eurosport, the Irish Times and the Irish Examiner. Ali also writes for The Conversation:

Sponsors and collaborators

Dr. Bowes is currently involved in collaborative research funded by the IOC's Advanced Olympic Research Grant Programme (2025-202) on Female Athlete Health Provision, working with Dr Jessica Piasecki (NTU), Dr. Stephanie Coen (University of Nottingham) and Dr. Joanne Parsons (University of Manitoba).

Publications

Ali has published over 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, and over 20 peer-reviewed book chapters. Significantly, Ali is the co-editor of the The Professionalisation of Women's Sport and Women's Football in a Global, Professional Era.

See all of Ali Bowes's publications...

Press expertise

Dr. Bowes can provide expert opinion on the following topics:

  • Women in sport
  • Professional women's sport
  • Media coverage of women's sport