Maria Kavussanu

Professor Maria Kavussanu is a leading academic in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Birmingham's School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, where she also serves as Head of Postgraduate Research. She holds a BSc from the University of Athens, an MSc from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

• BSc, University of Athens, Greece
• MSc, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Her primary research focuses on morality in sport, including the antecedents and consequences of prosocial and antisocial behaviors, doping prevention, and the development of moral interventions to reduce doping and promote authentic leadership in coaches. She has also explored achievement goals, motivation, performance under pressure, and parental influence in sport. Her recent publications reveal strong trends in psychological interventions for doping reduction, leadership's role in athlete well-being, and cross-cultural studies on athlete behavior.

Her scientific contributions have been recognized with awards including the Student Research Award from NASPSPA (1995, 1996) and the Young Investigator's Award from the European College of Sports Science. She has served as Editor-in-Chief of Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology (2016–2021) and held editorial roles in several top journals.

Maria has successfully supervised postgraduate students such as Thomas Mackman, Katherine Sparks, and Jennifer Henderson. She has secured substantial research funding from the International Olympic Committee, World Anti-Doping Agency, Economic and Social Research Council, and the Nuffield Foundation. Her work is conducted within a vibrant research environment, contributing to both theoretical and applied advancements in sport psychology.