Centre of Excellence for Women in Sport
Manchester Metropolitan University’s Institute of Sport in partnership with the UK Sports Institute.
Our partnership
About us
A pioneering partnership of world leaders aims to amplify and accelerate the development and application of science, medicine and technology to support female athletes and women worldwide who exercise, regardless of their age.
We will become a ‘go to’ global reference for the advancement of research, education, and applied practice in female health and performance.
UK Sports Institute
The largest single provider of world-class science, medicine, technology, and engineering services to Paralympic and Olympic sport in the UK.
Institute of Sport
Harnessing expertise across the world of sport to push boundaries, improve lives and shape society.
Our ambition
We are a unique collaboration between Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport and the UK Sports Institute (UKSI).
Bringing together world leaders from sport, academia, and industry, our goal is to provide high-quality, credible, pragmatic research and practice-based evidence to support women in sport everywhere.
Initially working across four agendas, our partnership will look to deliver impact across three key areas:
- Research and innovation: Co-producing world-leading research that optimises elite performance and improves women’s health. This will include laboratory and field-based research, developing innovative technology and building global networks.
- Athlete, practitioner and researcher services: Informing policy and practice through position statements, educational workshops and training programmes, clinical services, consultancy and building support for our ideas.
- Knowledge dissemination: Ensuring our findings and best practice advice are shared through our global networks via conferences, workshops, resource development, postgraduate degrees, public engagement and outreach.
These agendas will build on existing work by the Institute of Sport and UKSI, with the centre’s initial focus being on athlete-facing activity. Broader activities will cater for students, patients and the public. Our focus will shift to reflect the emerging needs of female athletes and women who exercise.
This partnership will support the enhancement of Great Britain’s future female Paralympic and Olympic medal prospects and ensure that Great Britain remains at the forefront of female high-performance sports science and medicine. Female athlete research is a key strategic theme for the Institute of Sport, with this partnership serving to further support this, as well as amplify the impact of this research on sport and society.
What we do
Meet our founders
Professor Kirsty Elliott-Sale
Professor of Female Endocrinology and Exercise Physiology, Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport
Kirsty conducts research on female athletes, which includes the menstrual cycle, hormonal contraceptives, pregnancy and menopause. Her work has involved designing and implementing exercise interventions during and following pregnancy in a variety of populations including servicewomen, athletes and women with obesity. She has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, expert statements, and editorials on and for sportswomen, and she works with many organisations including the Football Association, The European Club Association, UEFA, Arsenal Women’s Football Club and Manchester Thunder.
Dr Richard Burden
Co-Lead of Female Athlete Health and Performance, UK Sports Institute
Richard provides leadership in the science, medicine and technology support to female athletes and their sports across the UK Paralympic and Olympic system. As an applied physiologist, he has worked with Olympic and Paralympic athletes across four Games cycles. Alongside his work at the UKSI, Richard is also Reader in Elite Performance & Innovation at Manchester Met.
Help us shape the future of women's sport
Help us shape the future of women's sport
Research participation opportunities
We are seeking participants to take part in research that will have a real impact for female athletes and exercisers. See our research projects currently recruiting participants below.
We are seeking female athletes who are 13 or 14 years old to complete an online questionnaire regarding their wellbeing that should take no longer than 10 minutes.
The project will run until July 2024.
To take part, please contact Sophie Chatwin at sophie.chatwin@stu.mmu.ac.uk.
We are seeking healthy women and men aged 18-40 who play or have recently played football at any level. Participants must not have had a diagnosed concussion in the past twelve months or a previous ACL rupture.
In one single visit to the Institute of Sport Building, participants will complete a five minute computer-based task while eye movements are tracked by a camera, followed by a running and turning task where their body movements will be recorded. They will then either head a football or perform a simulated heading task in virtual reality before repeating the computer task and the running and turning task.
Participants will need to wear tight-fitting clothing (e.g., cycling shorts or leggings) so their movements can be tracked accurately during the running and turning task. We will have appropriate clothing available to borrow if required.
The project will run until July 2024.
To take part, please contact Dr Kat Daniels at k.daniels@mmu.ac.uk.
We are seeking cis-gendered females aged 18 to 40 years old with a regular menstrual cycle length of 21 to 35 days who have not used hormonal contraception for a period of over three months or longer. Participants should play a sport a least two times a week that includes jumps, turns or landings, and they should be completely free from lower limb injury.
We will initially track your menstrual cycle using calendar counting and ovulation kits for one to two months (remotely). Once your menstrual cycle has been established, you will visit Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport over three lab visits which correspond to different phases of your menstrual cycle to undergo a series of different tests. These involve a wellness survey, blood sample, jump assessment, lower body strength assessment, and 3D motion and muscle activation assessment of deceleration, landing and change of direction activities. The test will last approximately 3-5 hours.
The project will run until September 2025. Participants will receive a £126 Amazon voucher on completion of the study.
To take part, please contact Dr Thomas Dos’Santos at t.dossantos@mmu.ac.uk.
Contact information
Contact us
To find out more, please contact Kirsty Elliott-Sale, Professor of Female Endocrinology and Exercise Physiology at Manchester Met.