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Emma Kavanagh

(She/Her)
Associate Professor in Sport Psychology and Safe Sport, Bournemouth University

Dr Emma Kavanagh is an Associate Professor in Sport Psychology and Safe Sport and a BASES Accredited Performance Psychologist and Chartered Sport and Exercise Scientist, working with a number of athletes at National and International level. Her research interests are within the academic disciplines of psychology and sociology. Her work is focussed on understanding human rights in elite sport and an exploration of online and face-to-face abuse in high performance environments. Emma is part of a number of research networks which have a clear vision to enhance the climate and environment in which high-performance athletes function. As examples Emma has been a member of the NSPCC Sport England Child Protection in Sport Unit Research Evidence and Advisory Group, and the UK Coaching Safeguarding Talented and Elite Children Expert Group. She is also an invited expert member of the Research Chair in Security and Integrity in Sport at Laval University, Quebec, Canada and a member of IRNOVIS an International network of researchers examining violence in sport hosted by the University of Antwerp. Emma's research impact has been recognised through her being one of 12 leading international experts selected by the IOC to draft the forthcoming IOC Consensus Statement on Safeguarding in Sport (2023).

Experience

  • 2017–present
    Senior lecturer, Bournemouth University
  • 2010–2017
    Lecturer, Bournemouth University