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Lloyd Emeka

PhD Student

Lloyd Emeka

About Research

Email: 191831@live.stmarys.ac.uk

Biography

Lloyd completed a BA (hons) in Business Administration at Staffordshire University and an MSc in Marketing Management at Aston University. He then proceeded to work in the advertising industry for several years before embarking on a career change in 2016.

Lloyd returned to academia after a thirteen-year break and completed a Postgraduate Diploma (conversion degree) in Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London. After completion of the postgraduate diploma, Lloyd studied for an MSc in Applied Sport Psychology at St Mary’s University and graduated in 2021.

He then had a one-year break before returning to St Mary’s University to start his PhD on a part-time basis. Lloyd is currently PGR Student Rep for the Faculty of Sport, Technology and Health Sciences and is a member of the St Mary’s University Academic Research and Ethics Committee. Alongside his PhD commitments, Lloyd also works in a Diversity & Inclusion role at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Lloyd has also held several committee roles at the British Psychological Society (BPS), and served as Chair of BPS London & Home Counties for two years. He is currently an editorial board member for Sport & Exercise Psychology Review (SEPR) which is an international, peer-reviewed publication.

During his spare time, Lloyd is a keen marathon runner and a UK Athletics qualified endurance running coach. He can often be found running in the parks, commons and streets in South West London.


Research

Research profile

PhD title

Lloyd is exploring the relationship between chronic pain, mental health and social support in endurance athletes. His doctoral research considers the perceptions and experiences of chronic pain in endurance athletes and how this might interrelate with mental health and social support.

Lloyd developed an interest in pain research during his masters’ degree at St Mary’s University where he completed his dissertation on lived experiences of pain tolerance in male ultra-marathon runners under the supervision of Dr Carla Meijen.

His research interests include: pain research, chronic injury, chronic illness and endurance sport.

PhD supervisors: Dr Peary Brug, Dr Carla Meijen, Dr Emily Martin and Prof David Sheffield.

Conference presentations

  • Emeka, L, (2024, Dec 4).  Exploring the perceptions and experiences of chronic pain in endurance athletes and the association with health-related quality of life:  A qualitative systematic review.  BPS Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology annual conference, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
  • Emeka, L. (2024, Nov 8).  Looking back & moving forwards:  Learnings derived from a career change to Sport Psychology.  BPS Psychology Careers Festival.
  • Emeka, L.  (2024, 15th June).  Exploring the perceptions and experiences of chronic pain in endurance athletes and the association with health-related quality of life:  A qualitative systematic review. (Keynote speaker).14th International Congress of Education, Health and Human Movement, Bucharest, Romania.
  • Emeka, L.  (2024, 7th June). Exploring the perceptions and experiences of chronic pain in endurance athletes and the association with health-related quality of life:  A qualitative systematic review. (Oral presentation).  St Mary’s Faculty of Sport, Technology and Health Sciences (FSTHS) Festival of Research.
  • Emeka, L. (2023, Jun 17). Lived experiences of pain tolerance in ultra-running: considerations for coaches and practitioners. (Oral presentation). 13th International Congress of Education, Health and Human Movement, Bucharest, Romania.
  • Emeka, L. (2022, May 26 – 28). ‘Pushing through the pain cave’: Lived experiences of pain tolerance in male ultra-marathon runners (Oral presentation). 17th European Network of Young Specialists in Sport Psychology (ENYSSP) conference, Bucharest, Romania.
  • Emeka, L. (2022, July 26 – 28). ‘Pushing through the pain cave’: Lived experiences of pain tolerance in male ultra-marathon runners (Oral presentation). 8th International Conference on Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise (QRSE) conference, Durham, UK.
  • Emeka, L. (2022, Oct 26 – 29). ‘Pushing through the pain cave’: Lived experiences of pain tolerance in male ultra-marathon runners (Oral presentation). Association of Applied Sport Psychology 37th annual conference, Fort Worth, Texas, US.
  • Emeka, L., Pattinson, E. Shanmuganathan-Felton, V. Meggs, J. & Lafferty, M. (2022, Nov 29 – 30). Intersectionality in sport and exercise psychology: Developing theoretical and practical understanding to enhance applied competence. (Workshop). BPS Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology annual conference, Swansea, Wales.

Publications

  • Emeka, L. & Meijen, C. (2023).  ‘Pushing through the pain cave’:  Lived experiences of pain tolerance in male ultra-marathon runners.  Sport and Exercise Psychology Review, 18(2), 40 - 54.
  • Morris, R. Pattinson, E. M. Lafferty, M. Brown, D. J. Emeka, L. Williams, J. Byrne, L. Shangumanathan-Felton, V., & Kiemle-Gabbay, L. R. (2022). Understanding Inequality: The experiences and perceptions of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion of those working or studying within Sport and Exercise Psychology. Sport and Exercise Psychology Review, 17(1), 4 – 15.

 Podcasts

  • KoopCast (episode 219).  Exploring the Pain Cave.

Media enquiries

For media enquiries, please contact our Press Office Team by emailing press.office@stmarys.ac.uk.