Our WiSEAN directors
Dr Jacky Forsyth
Dr Jacky Forsyth is an exercise physiologist, specialising in women’s exercise and health. She is passionate about encouraging more research on women in sport and exercise (hence the development of this network), since women are often overlooked when it comes to designing, prescribing and evaluating exercise and nutrition programmes. She wishes to promote a better understanding of the physiological factors affecting women’s exercise and sports performance, by not only carrying out research, but also by disseminating this research for the benefit of all women who take part in exercise and sport. Jacky's research specialism is on the interactive effect of ovarian hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) and bone health. She also undertakes consultancy work on menstrual health.
Dr Claire-Marie Roberts
Dr Claire-Marie Roberts is a BPS Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol), Chartered Scientist (CSci) and BASES Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist who is the Performance Director at Coventry City Football Club. She has worked in various roles in men’s and women’s professional footballfor 20 years, including nearly a decade at the Premier League, leading transformationalchange in elite football development. She is a senior research fellow at the University of theWest of England, a special advisor to Nike on women athletes, and a Trustee of Restart—theofficial charity of The Rugby Players Association dedicated to supporting elite men’s andwomen’s rugby players suffering from serious injury, illness or hardship. Claire-Marie's specific research interests include the psychology of the female athlete and the psychology of combining motherhood and an elite athletic career.
Dr Rachael Bullingham
Dr Rachael Bullingham is a Senior Lecturer of Sport and Exercise at the University of Gloucestershire. She is course leader for Physical Education and is involved with several EDI projects and initiatives. Rachael’s PhD analysed the experiences of openly lesbian athletes participating in team sports and she published ‘Out in Sport’ which offers an up-to-date examination of homophobia in sport. Additionally, she has published on lesbian athletes in the sports media and athletes coming out and has edited the Routledge Handbook on Gender Politics in Sport and Physical Activity.
Dr Nicola Brown
Dr Nicola Brown is an Associate Professor in Female Health and Performance and teaches on undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in the Faculty of Sport, Allied Health and Performance Science at St Mary’s University. She is also a member of the Research Group in Breast Health at the University of Portsmouth who are well known within the commercial sector, with research projects funded by many of the major lingerie, sports bra, and sporting apparel manufacturers around the world. Recent projects Nikki has been involved in include investigation of sports bra use, sports bra preferences, breast pain and bra fit issues in exercising females, breast education of adolescent schoolgirls, and the relationship between breast size and body composition. These projects aim to increase scientific knowledge of breast health issues and to inform effective strategies for optimising health and performance of female athletes and exercisers.
Our volunteers
Melissa Lodge, MS: Social media co-ordinator
Melissa is an Interdisciplinary Health Sciences PhD candidate, graduate research and teaching assistant, dietetics student, and elite runner. Her research focuses on female athlete physiology, particularly under conditions of low energy availability (LEA), such as Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), and its associated impact on health and performance across the lifespan. She has presented her work at several regional, national, and international conferences featuring work in female athletes on LEA outcomes. Melissa is interested in exploring intervention-based models, such as education, to improve outcomes for female athletes and girls in sports in the future. She is passionate about translating research to the athletic population and also runs the social media account @FED_collaborative on female athlete physiology, LEA/REDs, and eating disorders/disordered eating.
Dr Tess Flood: Blog editor
Tess is an exercise physiologist specialising in female endocrinology and exercise/ environmental physiology. Tess is currently a senior research associate at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, where her research focuses on the effect of ovarian hormones on performance and other physiological processes. Tess is a huge advocate for promoting women in sport but also in encouraging women to take part in research projects with the end goal to produce more high-quality impactful research in women.
Avital Prais: Webinar host
Avital lectures full time on the Sport and Exercise Science course at Birmingham City University, UK whilst completing her PhD on sport performance and the menstrual cycle. Her research focuses on the coach-athlete-parent relationship and aims to improve menstrual cycle support for female athletes at all ages, with an emphasis on raising younger generations with better opportunities to maximise their potential. Alongside her research, Avital has helped establish a new Strength & Conditioning Master's degree at Birmingham City which combines her passion for female athletes and her knowledge and love of weightlifting. She’s a little biased, but if she could, she’d get a barbell in every girl and woman’s hands!
Laura Andrea López Restrepo, MBBS: Sponsorship co-ordinator
Laura is passionate about empowering women in sport and exercise through advocacy, representation and research. With a background in medicine and community engagement, she has seen firsthand how sport can transform lives, including her own. She is excited to bring that perspective to her role at WiSEAN. She values building meaningful partnerships and supporting initiatives that celebrate diversity and inclusion, closely aligning with WiSEAN’s mission to grow, strengthen and promote research on women in sport and exercise.
Our regional co-ordinators
Dr Tegan Hartmann: Regional Co-ordinator (Australia & New Zealand)
Tegan is a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Science at Charles Sturt University. Her research is focussed on women’s health, particularly examining the links between physical activity, mental wellbeing and complex health conditions. She is passionate about addressing conditions such as endometriosis, pregnancy loss and other under-researched areas that significantly impact women’s quality of life. Through her work, she advocates for greater awareness, education and strategies to support women across the lifespan. Dr Hartmann also mentors students and early career researchers, encouraging innovation, compassion and evidence-based practice in the exercise sciences.
Dr Danielle Girard: Regional Co-ordinator (Australia & New Zealand)
Dani is a Senior Lecturer and Program Director of the Clinical Exercise Physiology degree within the Allied Health & Human Performance Unit at the University of South Australia. She is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with Exercise & Sports Science Australia and currently serves as Vice President of the Council of Heads of Exercise, Sport and Movement Sciences (CHESMS), Australia. Her research focusses on exercise-based interventions for the prevention and management of cancer, mental illness and cardiovascular disease, with a particular emphasis on women’s health conditions such as pregnancy loss, endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
WiSEAN Articles of Association
Equality & Diversity Policy