Inaugural Lecture of Professor Maria Kavussanu

This is an in-person event in the Teaching and Learning Building at the University of Birmingham.

The lecture will also be streamed live via Zoom Webinar. Registration for the webinar is here.

To cheat or not to cheat? Understanding and preventing doping in sport

Join Professor Maria Kavussanu for their Inaugural Lecture - To cheat or not to cheat? Understanding and preventing doping in sport

Why do some athletes cheat by using banned performance-enhancing substances, whereas others choose to compete clean? What are the psychological factors that facilitate or inhibit doping behaviour? Can we intervene on these factors to prevent doping in sport? In her inaugural lecture, Professor Maria Kavussanu will discuss the psychological factors that protect, or put athletes at risk, for doping. She will also present her research on doping prevention and explain how it is currently impacting international organisations.

Maria Kavussanu is a Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Birmingham. She earned her BSc from the University of Athens, Greece, and her PhD from the University of Illinois, at Urbana-Champaign. Maria’s main area of research is morality in sport, which she has been studying for over twenty years. In the past 10 years, she has been focusing on understanding and preventing doping behaviour in athletes. 

Maria has published over 140 journal articles and book chapters on a variety of sport psychology topics. She has received funding for her research from the Economic and Social Research Council, the Nuffield Foundation, the World Anti-Doping Agency, and the International Olympic Committee, and research awards from the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity and the European College of Sport Science. Maria has served as Editor-in-Chief of Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology, has been involved with most sport psychology journals either as Associate Editor or Editorial Board member, and has delivered several keynote addresses at meetings of international organisations, such as the International Society of Sport Psychology and the Italian Association of Sport Psychology. Funded by the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, this year Maria has been working with the International Testing Agency to deliver anti-doping education to athletes and their support personnel worldwide. In her spare time, Maria plays tennis and swims. 

Everyone is welcome to this event. Guests are invited to join Maria after the lecture for refreshments.