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Mustafa Sarkar

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Associate Professor of Sport and Performance Psychology, Nottingham Trent University

Dr Mustafa Sarkar is an Associate Professor of Sport and Performance Psychology and teaches across the undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. He is Module Leader for Advanced Topics in Sport and Exercise Psychology as well as contributing to several other modules across the undergraduate curriculum (e.g., Introduction to Research). He is also the Module Leader for the postgraduate module Current Issues in Sport and Exercise Psychology (MRes Sport and Exercise Psychology).

Dr Sarkar joined the Sport Science Academic Team at Nottingham Trent University in September 2015. He graduated from Loughborough University in 2008 with a first-class honours degree in Sport and Exercise Science. He went on to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology (with distinction) from Middlesex University to achieve Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS).

In October 2009, he returned to Loughborough University and gained a distinction on the MSc Psychology of Sport and Exercise programme. Following this, in 2014, he gained his PhD which investigated the assessment of psychological resilience in sport performers.

Before arriving at Nottingham Trent University, Dr Sarkar served a post-doctoral role at the University of Gloucestershire. Specifically, he spent two years as a Research Fellow in Sport, Exercise and Wellbeing working within the School of Sport and Exercise, across the Faculty of Applied Sciences (psychological sciences subject group), and with external partners to develop the Faculty's research profile in related areas.

Dr Sarkar is a member of the Sport, Health, and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) research group. His research focuses on the psychology of sporting excellence and its application to other high performance domains (e.g., business). His work addresses how high achievers thrive on pressure and deliver sustained success, and clusters around the following themes:

- Psychological, team, and organisational resilience
- Growth and thriving
- Sport psychology consultancy

Experience

  • 2020–present
    Associate Professor in Sport and Performance Psychology, Nottingham Trent University
  • 2015–2020
    Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology, Nottingham Trent University
  • 2013–2015
    Research Fellow in Sport, Exercise, and Wellbeing, University of Gloucestershire

Education

  • 2014 
    Loughborough University, PhD in Sport Psychology
  • 2010 
    Loughborough University, MSc Psychology of Sport and Exercise
  • 2009 
    Middlesex University, Post Graduate Diploma in Psychology
  • 2008 
    Loughborough University, BSc Sport and Exercise Science

Publications

  • 2015
    Understanding team resilience in the world’s best athletes: A case study of a rugby union world cup winning team, Psychology of Sport and Exercise
  • 2015
    Psychological resilience in sport performers: A review of stressors and protective factors, Journal of Sports Sciences
  • 2015
    Preparing athletes and teams for the Olympic Games: Experiences and lessons learned from the world’s best sport psychologists, International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology
  • 2015
    What doesn’t kill me . . . Adversity-related experiences are vital in the development of superior Olympic performance, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
  • 2015
    Resilience training in the workplace from 2003-2014: A systematic review, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology
  • 2014
    Working with religious and spiritual athletes: Ethical considerations for sport psychologists, Psychology of Sport and Exercise
  • 2014
    Ordinary magic, extraordinary performance: Psychological resilience and thriving in high achievers, Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology
  • 2013
    How should we measure psychological resilience in sport performers?, Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science
  • 2013
    Defining and characterizing team resilience in elite sport, Psychology of Sport and Exercise
  • 2013
    Psychological resilience: A review and critique of definitions, concepts and theory, European Psychologist
  • 2012
    A grounded theory of psychological resilience in Olympic champions, Psychology of Sport and Exercise

Grants and Contracts

  • 2015
    ESPN’s Greatest Sporting City 2015
    Role:
    Co-Investigator
    Funding Source:
    ESPN
  • 2015
    Evaluating the impact of neighbourhood support and timebanking on older adults’ wellbeing and resilience
    Role:
    Co-Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Fair Shares
  • 2015
    Self-determination theory and young people
    Role:
    Co-Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Sports Coach UK
  • 2015
    Developing excellence in elite sport: The dual role of psychological characteristics and the sporting environment
    Role:
    Principal Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Nottingham Trent University
  • 2015
    Evaluation of the Health Education North West (HENW) Mental Health First Aid Programme
    Role:
    Co-Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Health Education North West
  • 2015
    Does psychological resilience predict sports performance under pressure?
    Role:
    Principal Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP)
  • 2014
    Evaluation of Mental Health First Aid for the Armed Forces
    Role:
    Co-Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Families Association (SSAFA)

Professional Memberships

  • Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP)
  • British Psychological Society (BPS)
  • British Association for Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES)
  • International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP)