Dr Oliver Runswick

Ollie joined King’s College London in January 2020 to develop modules in performance psychology and expertise for the BSc Psychology and BSc Sport and Exercise Medical Sciences courses. Ollie is co-lead of the Basic Psychological Science Research Theme, and his academic interests focus on applied research under for main themes of exercise and cognition, perceptual-cognitive skill, applied vision, and motor learning and control. This work is often underpinned by applications of new technology, such as virtual reality, to enhance learning and performance. Ollie applies his work in a variety of domains including sport, education, military, and clinical populations and is experienced in delivering consultancy and contract research in these areas.

Ollie is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Chartered Psychologist, and BASES Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist. He is also an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Sport Sciences and a member of the Expertise and Skill Acquisition Network’s committee.

Research Interests

Ollie currently supervises PhD students working on:

• Classification in athletes with vision impairment.
• Visual exploratory activity in women’s football.
• Motivation and cognitive load in learning complex motor skills.
• Definition, measurement, and training of efficient movement in dance.

Other primary research interests and areas for supervision include:

• Applications of virtual reality in sport and exercise.
• Cognitive training and performance.
• Talent development and coaching.

Teaching

Ollie leads modules on ‘Psychology of Human Performance and Expertise’ and ‘Applied Performance Psychology’ available to both BSc Psychology students and BSc Sport and Exercise Medical Sciences students.

Expertise and Public Engagement

As well as featuring in numerous print outlets and popular podcasts, Ollie has communicated his research on gaze behaviour in cricket batting through media outlets such as BBC Breakfast, BBC iWonder and BBC Test Match Special.