Team Bio

Our group came together over an idea and coffee, which lead to a PhD supervision team. We have a well rounded groups of individuals whose diverse specialties in health psychology, sport and exercise psychology, applied sport psychology, and youth mental health will bring life to this project. Together, the team offers a wealth of both supervision and research experience, and a PhD student who is hungry to learn and contribute positively to the mental health of young people.

Lauren Brooke

I am a current PhD student and bring to the project a background in applied sport psychology and a fresh enthusiasm for research. My educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Davis (2009), and a Master of Arts in Sport Psychology from John F. Kennedy University (2013). After receiving a competitive Endeavour Postgraduate Research Scholarship from the Australian government, I relocated from California to Perth in late 2015 to pursue my PhD at Curtin University.

My PhD project, encompassing both health and sport psychology elements, focuses on using sport as a platform to teach important life skills to young people with mental health issues. I have always been passionate about sport, and learned first hand growing up as an athlete the power it has to shape an individual and teach lessons and skills that are profoundly useful well outside of the sporting venue.

When not studying, I can be found exploring Perth and beautiful Western Australia, planning my next travel adventures, practicing yoga, running, riding horses, and trying to understand the Aussie accent.

Daniel Gucciardi

I am an Associate Professor in the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science. I grew up with sport and outdoor activities in Perth, Australia - playing Aussie Rules football (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...) during the winter months and enjoying the water lifestyle during the summer months (e.g., wakeboarding). Along the way I developed an interest in the psychological aspects of sport and exercise, having seen firsthand the importance of psychology for performance but also fostering positive outcomes for young people (e.g., well being, social inclusion). Now I "work" as a teacher and researcher who explores the intersection of psychology with sport and exercise in areas such as (anti)doping in sport, resilience, and life skills development. You can follow me on Twitter (@DanielGucciardi) for updates on my work in this space.

Nikos Ntoumanis

I am interested in personal and contextual factors that optimise motivation and promote performance, morality, psychological well-being and health-conducive behaviours. My areas of interest are physical activity
promotion in different community settings, self-regulation of weight management goals (diet and physical activity goals), and psychology of sport with emphasis on applications of contemporary theories of motivation. Please see my Curtin staff profile for more information.

Ashleigh Lin

I am the odd one out in the team – I am not very sporty but I bring my vital knowledge of the mental health of young people to the project. I am a Research Fellow at the Telethon Kids Institute and my research is focused on the mental health and well being of young people. I work with a range of young people with various mental health concerns and have many years’ experience of research with people in the early stages of psychotic disorder. I am interested in how we can reduce the disability associated with psychosis to help young people recover socially and vocationally.