Emily was appointed as a faculty member of the School of Applied Social Sciences at Durham University in January 2014. Having read a BSc. in Sport Science with Psychology, followed by an MSc. in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology, Emily completed her PhD at Bangor University in 2010. Her doctoral thesis focused on the application of self-determination theory as a framework to understand the antecedents and effects of self-talk, in particular its role in motivated behaviour.
She was appointed as a Lecturer at Aberystwyth University in October 2009, and whilst there her work contributed to both the 'Human Performance' and 'Physical Activity in Ageing, Rehabilitation and Health' research groups within the Institute of Human Sciences. In 2012 she was selected by the International Congress of Psychology for an Emerging Psychologist Scholarship (40 world-wide), and she served as both Director of Admissions (2011-2013) and Director of Postgraduate Studies (2013-2014).
Emily is a British Psychological Society Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a member of the Institute for the Psychology of Elite Performance.Her current projects focus primarily on the application of motivational principles to the design and delivery of public health interventions.