Professor Susan Backhouse

Sue is Professor of Psychology and Nutrition, Head of the Centre for Human Performance and Director of Research for Sport and Exercise Science, Leisure and Tourism. She graduated from Loughborough University with a BSc (Hons) in Physical Education and Sports Science at Loughborough University, for which she was awarded the Department prize for outstanding achievement. Following this, Susan completed her PhD with Professor Clyde Williams and Professor Stuart Biddle at Loughborough University. Susan joined Leeds Beckett University in 2003.

Sue leads the sporting integrity research team at Leeds Beckett University, conducting research that addresses the complexity of doping in sport by investigating the issue from multiple stakeholder perspectives using an interdisciplinary lens. With a focus on implementation, Sue and her team strive to bring about change in the anti-doping system through the development of strong partnerships and evidence-informed interventions.

Examples of recently funded projects include two cross-cultural interventions to prevent doping in sport (RE>ACT and CoachMADE) and two Erasmus+ funded collaborative projects (FAIR and RESPECT). Sue is an active member of the clean sport community, serving as a member of the WADA Social Science Research Committee, Convenor of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science Clean Sport Interest Group and Co-Founder of the Clean Sport Alliance. Sue is regularly invited to give keynote lectures at international conferences.

Sue is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.

• Contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate taught provision
• Supervise postgraduate research students
• Supervise trainee sport and exercise psychologists (British Psychological Society Qualification in Sport and Exercise Psychology Stage 2)