Fleur van Rens

Fleur van Rens is a Senior Lecturer at Murdoch University's School of Allied Health within the College of Health and Education. Her research program focuses on psychological aspects of elite performance and disability, with particular emphasis on circus artists, athletes, and individuals with visual impairments.

Dr. van Rens investigates the mental health and well-being of expert performers through qualitative and mixed-methods approaches. Her work examines psychological resilience in high-pressure environments and develops interventions for mobility challenges in visually impaired populations. Key research domains include:

• Stress management in artistic and athletic performance
• Psychosocial adaptation to visual impairment
• Circus-specific psychological phenomena
• Innovative methodologies for disability research

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong interdisciplinary focus, combining sports psychology, rehabilitation science, and technology development. Dominant themes include innovative assessment tools using wearable sensors, physical activity patterns in special populations, and cognitive-motor interactions in neurodegenerative conditions. Methodologically, her work emphasizes real-world applicability through field studies in sports and clinical settings.

She actively mentors graduate researchers, having supervised 11 honors, 3 master's, and 5 PhD students (3 completed, 2 ongoing) investigating aspects of exercise science and psychology.