I’m excited to announce that I am recruiting for a funded PhD opportunity for students with UK fees status.
Participation in sport is widely known to enhance both physical and mental wellbeing. Yet women who are neurodivergent (e.g. ADHD, autism, and related conditions) often face additional barriers to physical activity, from sensory sensitivities to executive functioning challenges and social exclusion. These conditions have historically been under-recognised or misdiagnosed in women (Bargiela et al., 2016), meaning many have missed out on support. Diagnosis rates are now rising, with growing numbers of women seeking inclusive ways to engage with sport and manage their wellbeing.
Personal informatics tools (such as wearables, fitness apps, and health trackers) have become popular technologies to offer structure, feedback, and self-monitoring: which could help neurodivergent individuals maintain routines and achieve personal goals. However, HCI research highlights a ‘dark side’ to self-tracking: relentless data can reinforce perfectionism, create dependency, and undermine wellbeing. This is particularly relevant for neurodivergent users, where traits such as hyperfocus, routine-seeking, and cognitive rigidity may heighten vulnerability to anxiety, guilt, or burnout. Self-tracking has been linked to orthorexia (an unhealthy obsession with ‘clean’ eating) or orthosomnia (sleep anxiety driven by tracker feedback) (Ryan et al., 2019).
Despite widespread use, we know little about how neurodivergent women use, benefit from, or are harmed by these technologies. Do they support long-term sport engagement, or introduce new pressures that exacerbate health inequalities? Commercial tools often prioritise performance, yet recent work in HCI and digital wellbeing calls for more flexible, user-centred approaches that accommodate diverse cognitive needs. SportsHCI research has shown the value of inclusive design for supporting underrepresented individuals (Harrison, 2024), while studies on neurodivergence and wellbeing highlight the need for customisation, cognitive offloading, and adaptive technologies (Campbell et al., 2023). This research gap, at the intersection of sport, technology, and neurodiversity, aligns directly with the Women’s Sport and Wellbeing IDRT and Northumbria’s broader mission to reduce health inequalities through interdisciplinary research.
This PhD will investigate how self-tracking technologies can be reimagined to better support neurodivergent women’s participation in sport and wellbeing activities. It will explore the following questions:
- How do neurodivergent women engage with self-tracking tools in the context of sport and wellbeing?
- What are the perceived impacts of these technologies—do they help overcome barriers, or introduce new pressures and negative behaviours?
- How can tracking tools be adapted or redesigned to better support the sport and wellbeing goals of neurodivergent women?
Supervisory team
- Dr Daniel Harrison (Design) is a leading researcher in SportsHCI and inclusive personal informatics, exploring how digital tools can support underrepresented groups in sport through qualitative and participatory approaches.
- Dr Marta Cecchinato (Computer & Information Sciences) specialises in digital wellbeing and neurodivergence, with a strong track record of research on how people manage digital tools for health, productivity, and self-care.
A flexible, participatory research approach will involve:
- Qualitative exploration through interviews and diary studies with neurodivergent women using (or having abandoned) tracking tools
- Co-design workshops with participants and relevant practitioners to identify opportunities for more inclusive tracking
- Development and evaluation of low-fidelity prototypes or strategies, assessed for usability, inclusivity, and wellbeing impact
Expected outcomes include:
- Empirical insights into the lived experiences of neurodivergent women using self-tracking tools
- Inclusive design principles and prototypes
- Academic publications (e.g. CHI, CSCW)
- A community-facing toolkit developed with and for regional charities and neurodiversity advocates
We are seeking a motivated candidate who:
- Holds a strong background in a relevant field (e.g. HCI, Psychology, Design, Sports Science)
- Has experience with qualitative research and/or participatory design
- Demonstrates sensitivity to neurodiversity and inclusive practice
- Has strong problem-solving and communication skills
Researchers with lived experience of neurodivergence are encouraged to apply.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Academic excellence i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities with preference for 1st class honours); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
- Appropriate IELTS score, if required.
- Applicants cannot apply if they are already a PhD holder or if currently engaged in Doctoral study at Northumbria or elsewhere.
- Must be able to commit to campus-based full-time or part-time study.
To be classed as a Home student, candidates must:
- Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or
- have settled status, or
- have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
- have indefinite leave to remain or enter.
If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an International student.
Applicants will need to be in the UK and fully enrolled before stipend payments can commence
- Costs associated with English Language requirements which may be required for students not having completed a first degree in English, will not be paid by the University.
- International applicants (including EU) need to have their own valid immigration permissions to live and study in the UK if they wish to study on a part-time basis as Northumbria University does not sponsor part-time Student Visas.
For further details on how to apply see: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply
In your application, please include a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words and the advert reference (e.g. RDF25/…).
Deadline for applications: 15 September 2025
Start date of course: 1 March 2026
This project will provide up to 3 years of funding. The deadline for this opportunity is 15th September 2025, I strongly encourage prospective candidates to contact myself (daniel.b.p.harrison@northumbria.ac.uk), at an early stage to discuss the project.
