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Joan Duda is internationally known for her expertise on motivational processes and determinants of adherence and optimal functioning within physical activities, as well as the psychological and emotional dimensions of sport, exercise and dance. She is experienced in developing, implementing and evaluating theory-based interventions in healthy and clinical populations across the lifespan. Her work is marked by an integration of major theoretical frameworks and methodological advancements, and incorporates field to lab-based studies employing sophisticated quantitative techniques and qualitative approaches.

1980 …2024

Research activity per year

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Biography

Joan L. Duda is a Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology in the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences at The University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.  Born in the USA, she completed her B.A. (1977) in Psychology (Minor degrees in Sociology and Women’s Studies) at Rutgers University, her M.S. degree (1978) in Physical Education at Purdue University, and Ph.D. (1981) in Sport Psychology/Kinesiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

Professor Duda is one of the most cited researchers in her discipline (with more than 36,000 citations; Google Scholar h-index = 98; i10-index = 269).  She has published over 300 scientific and applied papers and book chapters, and has edited two books: Advances in Sport and Exercise Psychology Measurement(1998) and co-editor of the Handbook of Applied Sport Psychology Research(2005). Joan is internationally known for her expertise on motivational processes and determinants of adherence and optimal functioning within physical and performance-related activities such as sport, exercise, and dance/the performance arts.   She also has an extensive applied and research background in the development of psychological skills in sport and other performance domains.  Based on her long-standing research and applied work in this area, Joan has created the theory- and evidence-based Empowering CoachingTMfamily of training programmes which are being delivered to coaches (recreational thru elite), parents and teachers in the UK and abroad.  She is experienced in developing, implementing and evaluating such theoretically grounded interventions in healthy as well as clinical populations across the lifespan. Her research is marked by an integration across major theoretical frameworks, methodological advancements and incorporates field to lab-based studies employing sophisticated quantitative techniques and qualitative approaches.   

Professor Duda is currently President of the European College of Sport Sciences.  She is a Past-President of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology and Division 12 (Sport Psychology) of the International Association of Applied Psychology and has also been a member of the executive boards of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, the Sport Psychology Academy, Division 47 of the American Psychological Association, and the International Society for Sport Psychology. She was Editor of the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, was on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Sport and Exercise PsychologyandPsychology of Sport and Exercise for many years, and currently is Consulting Editor of Motivation and Emotionand an Editorial Board member for the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, European Journal of Sport Sciences and theJournal of Clinical Sport Psychology. 

Joan is a Fellow of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology, the European College of Sport Sciences, the International Association of Applied Psychology and the American Kinesiology Association. Joan has been an invited keynote speaker in numerous countries and, at the 2012 meetings of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, she was invited to give the prestigious Coleman Griffith Lecture. Based on her academic record and contributions to the field, Professor Duda was named the Visiting International Scholar by the Australian Sport Psychology Society (1997), appointed to Sub-Panel 46 for the Research Assessment Exercise 2008 and now Sub-Panel for REF2021 in the UK, was the recipient of an honorary doctoral degree (honoris causa) from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (2008) and has received the Distinguished Scholar Award from the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (2019). 

 

She is/has been recently Principal Investigator or Co-investigator on projects (totaling over £6 million) supported by diverse funders including the European Commission (FP7 Health; see www.projectpapa.org), Erasmus+, the UK Medical Research Council/National Prevention Research Initiative, the Economic and Social Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, The FA, Sport Wales, StreetGames charity, Coca Cola Foundation, and the English Federation of Disability Sport.  At the University of Birmingham, she has been the Lead for the Motivating Healthy Lifestyles theme within the MRC-ARUK Centre of Excellence in Musculoskeletal Ageing during its first 5 years of funding.

Professor Duda has been a mental/life skills consultant for over 25 years, working with athletes, coaches, and parents involved in a variety of sports at different competitive levels.  She was certified as a Consultant by the Association of Applied Sport Psychology and was listed on the US Olympic Registry when she lived in the USA.  At Purdue University, she set up and directed the Mental Skills Training program that serviced intercollegiate athletes and coaches in tennis, track and field, softball, basketball, swimming, and wrestling. At the University of Birmingham, she has worked with TASS and USB sport-scholars and also offers consultation with other elite athletes and coaches with respect to performance excellence and motivational issues.  In collaboration with the Winning Scotland Foundation and the Scottish Rugby Union, she was Principal Investigator on a 3 year study entailing the development, delivery and evaluation of a sport- and age-specific Mental Skills Training program for young elite rugby players.  This work was later extended to coaches.  Joan regularly consults with performing artists and was the performance psychology consultant for the Birmingham Royal Ballet for many years.  With the contribution of other members of her Dance Psychology team, Professor Duda has ensured the University of Birmingham to be a founding member of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science. She also developed a collaborative translational exchange with Elmhurst School of Dance comprising a research arm along with dance psychology training and services being offered to both staff and students.

From the standpoint of trying to impact policy based on scientific evidence, Joan serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the UK Government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport and also is on the Research Panel for UK Coaching.  She recently contributed to a consensus statement (funded by the Danish government) on children’s physical activity, health and well being.

 

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality
  • SDG 13 - Climate Action
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

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