Dr Noel Brick is lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology in the School of Psychology at Ulster University. Noel is a chartered psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS), a Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist, and a Fellow with the Higher Education Academy.

Noel completed an undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Limerick in 1997, an MSc in Sport and Exercise at Ulster University in 2003, and an MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology at Staffordshire University in 2017. In 2016 he completed a PhD on Attentional Focus during Endurance Activity at the University of Limerick.

Grant Awards

2022: Awarded £364,801 from the Department for the Environment Higher Education Research Capital fund for SPORTLAB: Sport Performance Optimised through Research and Technology Living LAB. 

2022: Awarded £20,000 from the Public Health Agency for The Daily Mile: a data linkage study exploring health inequalities and uptake of the Daily Mile across Northern Ireland. 

2018: Awarded £3890 from the Ulster University Civic Impact Fund for Thinking on your feet: Psychological strategies supporting endurance exercise activity. 

2017: Awarded £3000 from the British Psychological Society Division of Sport and Exercise (DSEP) Psychology Research Working Groups award for RESIST: Research-evaluated Endurance Strategies Intending to Support Training Research Working Group

2016: Awarded £8706 from the Irish Research Council New Foundations Scheme for GO GREEN EX: Going Outdoors: Gathering Research Evidence on ENvironment and Exercise.

2015: Awarded £2000 from the Higher Education Innovation Fund for a Physical Activity for Health networking and outreach event.

2014: Awarded £3163 from the British Psychological Society Research Seminar Series Award for a Metacognition and Action Research seminar series. 

Research Interests

Noel’s research interests focus on mental health in sporting populations, with a specific focus on mental health in sports officials (referees). Noel's research also explores psychological strategies, self-regulation, and metacognitive processes in endurance performance. He has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and has written two books on sport and exercise psychology and the psychology of running.

PhD Supervision and Examination

Noel has supervised five PhD Researchers to completion, including two PhD Researchers as chair of supervisors. He currently supervises an additional three PhD research programmes. Noel has served as internal examiner for five PhD viva examinations at Ulster University.

Teaching and Administrative roles

Noel is Chair of the School of Psychology Research Ethics Filter Committee (2021-present).

He teaches modules on sport and exercise psychology and health psychology at undergradute and postgraduate level within the School of Psychology. He co-ordinates PSY107 Psychology Applied to Health on the BSc Psychology programme, and PSY720 Contexts and Perspectives in Health Psychology on the MSc Health Psychology programme. Noel also supervises student dissertations at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

External Positions

External Examiner, MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology, Health Sciences University (formerly AECC University College).