Melissa Fothergill

Melissa Fothergill is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Northumbria University. She holds dual registration as a Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist and a British Psychological Society (BPS) Chartered Psychologist. Her academic journey includes a PhD in Psychology from Northumbria University (2010), focusing on hormonal factors (testosterone/cortisol) influencing home advantage in football and stakeholder perceptions in sports.

Her research spans applied sport psychology, psychological wellbeing through physical activity, and community-based health interventions. Notable projects include evaluating a family football programme's impact on child-parent bonding, studying food insecurity among adolescents, and adapting mental health programs for underserved youth. She has collaborated with organizations like Newcastle United Academy, Special Olympics Gateshead, and the England Athletics coach development program.

Melissa’s consultancy work spans elite and grassroots sports, emphasizing practical applications of psychological principles. Her teaching expertise includes roles as Degree Programme Director at Newcastle University’s School of Psychology and contributions to Northumbria’s sport science curriculum. She is actively involved in interdisciplinary research on aging, mindfulness in sport, and physical activity’s cognitive benefits for older adults.