The Lincoln Sport and Exercise Psychology Research Club’s first seminar series in partnership with the Motivation of Health Behaviours (MoHB) Lab at Central Queensland University (CQU), Australia recently concluded after six excellent seminars focused on student research projects.

During 2021, six undergraduate or postgraduate students in the School of Sport and Exercise Science and six Honours students from the MoHB Lab delivered talks on their research projects. Recent BSc Health and Exercise Science graduate, Dona Hall, who joined the Lincoln Sport and Exercise Psychology Research Club as a first year and recently commenced a PhD at the University of Lincoln, delivered a presentation about her research on visually impaired running. Reflecting on her experience, Dona said, “Attending the MoHB Lab broadened my interests and made me feel connected to the international research community. It was helpful being able to cut my teeth presenting my work to such a friendly and supportive group”. University of Lincoln MSc Sport Science student and BSc Sport and Exercise Science graduate Esther Carter, who recently started a PhD at the University of Hull, talked about her research on the effects of green exercise and remarked that, “It was a great opportunity and privilege to share my research findings and be able to build my confidence for presenting in front of a friendly network. I enjoyed discussing the outcomes and potential future directions with staff and students with a diverse range of academic interests both in the UK and Australia.”

Similarly, students from the MoHB Lab spoke about the benefits of taking part in the series. Ashlee Forshaw, a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours), commented, “This experience has been fabulous. It’s great to see other young researchers from different countries get together and share their research. It has also helped me gain confidence in presenting and create connections with other aspiring academics”. Kristie-Lee Alfrey (PhD Candidate), also spoke of how inspirational the seminar series has been: “Sharing insights and learning about each other’s research has been really inspiring. I particularly like hearing about the different perspectives and methods we all use, and I often find myself wondering how I could integrate all these exciting components into my own research.”. MoHB Lab Director, Associate Professor Amanda Rebar, also spoke about the benefits for students at CQU: “It provides a safe, encouraging space for students to practice presenting and answering questions about their work. It’s also really invaluable for me to help learn about new methodologies and expand my thinking about what’s next for our research.”

Reflecting on the seminars over the last year, Dr Trish Jackman, who leads Lincoln Sport and Exercise Psychology Research, said: “Our seminar series with the MoHB Lab has given our students an opportunity to not only showcase their own research, but also to develop their professional network, gain feedback on their research, and build confidence in their presentation skills. We are already looking forward to organising this series again in 2022 and to hearing about many excellent student-led research projects”.

If you would like to join the seminar series in 2022, please email Trish (pjackman@lincoln.ac.uk). You can also follow the latest updates via @LincsSpExPsych on Twitter.

LSEP Presenters: Rachel Langbein, Ollie Williamson, Rebecca Hawkins, Dona Hall, Esther Carter, Georgia Clay

MoHB Presenters: Katie Newman, Lachie Irvine, Genevieve Cushan-Kain, Ashlee Forshaw, Matthew Hill, Kristie-Lee Alfrey