Lead supervisor:
Dr Sophie Harrison 
Other supervisor(s):
- Dr Natalie Brown
- Dr Eleri Jones
Start date: October 2025 (Full time)
Award: Collaborative
Subject Pathway:
Sport and Exercise Science
Thematic Cluster:
Society and Well-Being Cluster
In partnership with:
Menstrual cycle symptom management in female athletes
This PhD project is focused on understanding the holistic impacts of menstrual health and symptoms on active females, and how these disrupt the ability and/or desire to participate in sport and exercise. The purpose is to explore active female’s menstrual symptom experiences, the current management strategies available and their effectiveness, the perceived barriers to accessing support, and recommendations for improving accessible and effective support. This project will explore the effectiveness of diverse interventions in alleviating menstrual cycle symptoms and improving overall well-being and performance in the active population.
This project aims to explore how menstrual cycle symptoms affect sport and exercise participation, training and performance, health and well-being, and social interactions. To understand what current facilitators and barriers exist to impact the support and management of menstrual cycle symptoms from the perspective of women and support personnel (e.g., coaches, sport science and sport medicine practitioners, etc.), creating an open dialogue and reducing stigma surrounding women’s health. Additionally, this project aims to develop or identify effective interventions to manage and mitigate the various menstrual cycle symptoms experienced by active females.