Dr Joanne Hudson and Dr Neil Bezodis bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the renowned Swansea University sports science research team.  

Swansea University launched its Sport and Exercise Science BSc in 1998. Since then Swansea has gone from strength to strength. Its research is ranked 5th in the UK for research impact and ranked 11th in the UK's Complete University Guide 2016.

Welcoming the new recruits Professor Stratton, Head of the Research Centre in Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine (A-STEM) said:

“ We are delighted that we have been able to attract two academics of such high calibre to Swansea University. As a team we are committed to a hands on student experience and we are in the top 10 universities for graduate prospects with 75% of our students in education or employment 6 months after graduating (DLHE). Applications to our undergraduate BSc Sports Science degree have seen a 25% increase in the current UCAS application cycle and have doubled since 2012 demonstrating the popularity of this subject area at Swansea University.

“ Three quarters of our research is World-Leading. We use this research to inform a cutting edge curriculum and help Olympic athletes, professional sports teams, health and fitness professionals and the NHS. We also engage in research and development with industry to help develop policies, products, practices and services. With Joanne and Neil on board it will help us to expand our work even further.”

Personal Profiles

Dr Joanne Hudson, CPsychol, AFBPS, FBASES, PGCE, FHEA, HCPC Registered Sport & Exercise Psychologist has been appointed Associate Professor in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the Applied Sports Technology, Exercise and Medicine Research Centre of Swansea University. 

Dr. Hudson is a British Psychological Society Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow, a Health Care Professions Council Registered Psychologist, as well as a British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences Fellow and Accredited Sport Scientist (Research).

She has considerable research experience in the field, she has supervised 11 PhD completions and published over 40 peer reviewed articles and 5 authored or edited texts.

Joanne has developed her expertise through the research that she has conducted or supervised in athletes’ experiences of competitive sport stressors. This includes research focused on elite athletes from a range of sports examining varied and diverse sources of stress, and exploring the use of interventions to manage these athletes’ competitive stressors. Her research in exercise psychology has involved work with NHS partners to examine exercise uptake and motivation in exercise referral, cardiac rehabilitation and falls prevention interventions.

Joanne’s consultancy experience includes work with athletes across a range of sports and levels, up to international level competitors. She has extensive experience of conducting international quality rated research, using quantitative and qualitative methods.  

Before joining Swansea University Joanne was a Reader in Sport & Exercise Psychology, Leeds Beckett University; a Reader in Sport & Exercise Psychology, Aberystwyth University (2011- 2013: Head of Department); Senior Lecturer in Sport Psychology, St Mary’s University; Lecturer in Sport Psychology, University of Teesside and Research Assistant, University of Brighton.

Joanne has been involved in the British Psychological Society for 15 years, having held a number of significant roles that have contributed to the development of the Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology. She has previously been Chair of the Division of Sport & Exercise Psychology, Chair of the Standing Committee for CPD and currently is Chair of the Qualifications Board for the Division of Sport & Exercise Psychology. 

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Dr Neil Bezodis (PhD, BSc (hons), PGCert, FHEA) was appointed as a Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics & Technology at Swansea University in January 2016 and is a member of the Elite and Professional Sport (EPS) research group within the Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine (A-STEM) Research Centre. Neil Bezodis is the supervisor of a new Sports Science MSc scholarship Investigating the Musculoskeletal Demands of Rugby Place Kicking

Dr Neil Bezodis received a first class honours degree in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Bath in 2005, during which time he completed two 6-month industrial placements at Lilleshall Sports Injury and Human Performance Centre and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Following this, Neil completed a PhD at the University of Bath in Sports Biomechanics which developed empirical methods and a computer simulation model for application to elite sprinting performance. Following his PhD, Neil was appointed by St Mary’s University as a Lecturer in 2009 where he became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) in 2012.

Neil’s broad research focus is the biomechanics of elite sports performance with specific applications in sprint acceleration and rugby union. His research uses both empirical and theoretical methods (computer-based simulation models) to develop a more complete understanding of sports movements from both a performance and injury perspective.

Current research projects:

•           Technical contributions to rugby place kicking performance

•           Investigating the musculoskeletal demands of rugby place kicking

•           Understanding constraints on rugby place kicking performance: implications for learning design

•           The biomechanics of the start phase in elite sprinters

•           Biomechanics of the transition phase in sprint acceleration

•           Biomechanics and motor control of early accelerative sprint running in team sports athletes

Collaborative partners:

•           The Rugby Football Union (RFU)

•           British Athletics & The English Institute of Sport

•           University of Bath

•           Cardiff Metropolitan University

For more information about Sports and Science at the College of Engineering, Swansea University go to http://www.swansea.ac.uk/sports-science/ .