Professor Duda is internationally known for her expertise on motivational processes and determinants of adherence and optimal functioning within physical activities as well as the psychological and emotional dimensions of sport, exercise, and dance. She is experienced in developing, implementing and evaluating theory-based interventions in healthy and clinical populations across the lifespan. Her work is marked by an integration of major theoretical frameworks, methodological advancements and incorporates field to lab-based studies employing sophisticated quantitative techniques and qualitative approaches. Joan leads the Motivating Healthy Lifestyle theme within the Centre for Obesity Research and is associated with the Center on Healthy Ageing and Institute of Sport, Exercise and Movement.
Professor Duda is Past-President of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology and has also been a member of the executive boards of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, the Sport Psychology Academy, Division 47 of the American Psychological Association, and the International Society for Sport Psychology. She is currently on the Scientific Committee of the European College of Sport Sciences. She was Editor of the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, was on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology for 17 years and currently is Associate Editor of Motivation and Emotion and an Editorial Board member for the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Psychology of Sport and Exercise, Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, and the European Journal of Sport Sciences. A Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology, the European College of Sport Sciences, the International Association of Applied Psychology and the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Professor Duda has published over 220 scientific and applied papers and book chapters. She is the editor of the book Advances in Sport and Exercise Psychology Measurement (1998) and co-editor of the Handbook of Applied Sport Psychology Research, with D. Hackfort and R. Lidor (2005).
Professor Duda has been an invited keynote speaker in numerous countries around the world. In 1997, she was named the Visiting International Scholar by the Australian Sport Psychology Society. Based on her academic record and contributions to the field, she was appointed to Sub-Panel 46 for RAE 2008 and was the recipient of an honorary doctoral degree from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (2008). She is presently Principal Investigator or Co-investigator on projects (totaling over £3 million) supported by diverse funders including the European Commission (FP7 Health; see www.projectpapa.org), the UK Medical Research Council/National Prevention Research Initiative, the Economic and Social Research Council, BUPA Medical Research, The FA and the Association of Applied Psychology.