Mary Quinton

Dr Mary Quinton is an Assistant Professor in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham. Her work bridges academic research and community practice, focusing on how sport-based interventions promote psychological resilience and well-being in young people, particularly those facing adversity such as homelessness.

Her research interests include positive youth development, mental skills training, and imagery in sport and community contexts. She applies sport psychology and pedagogical theories to understand how young people’s backgrounds and support needs influence their development, engagement, and motivation across diverse settings.

The trends in her recent publications reflect a strong focus on evaluating real-world interventions, particularly the My Strengths Training for Life (MST4Life)™ programme. Her work combines qualitative and quantitative methods to assess outcomes such as emotional regulation, social connectedness, and resilience, often in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. Key themes include mastery imagery, stress appraisal, and strengths-based approaches.

Among her scientific contributions is a policy briefing that attracted attention from senior advisors at 10 Downing Street, underscoring the societal impact of her research. She has also contributed significantly to theoretical and applied understandings of imagery in performance and well-being.

Dr Quinton supervises doctoral research, including that of Georgia Bird, whose ESRC-funded PhD explores athletes’ emotion regulation and mental health. She leads a large first-year module in Sport, Exercise and Health Psychology and serves as Year 1 Tutor, actively engaging in student support and academic leadership.

She is involved in applied work through her role as operational lead of MST4Life™, where she translated psychological techniques into practical tools for youth development. Her lab and team affiliations center on community-based research, with strong links to youth services and policy-making bodies.