Dr Lauren Guilfoyle

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

Biography

Background

Dr Lauren Guilfoyle is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Sport Injury and Illness Epidemiology in Moray House School of Education & Sport at the University of Edinburgh. Lauren is a Chartered Physiotherapist and has worked across a variety of sports including Gaelic Games, Rugby Union and basketball. Following completion of her MSc in Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology, she undertook a PhD at the University of Limerick (Ireland) which was supported by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). Her doctoral thesis explored both tackle injury epidemiology and coach education for injury prevention in youth Rugby Union while she also led analysis of injury outcomes during the Global Lowered Tackle Height trial. 

 

Lauren's research at the University of Edinburgh explores health outcomes in retired athletes. Her current project is a three-year multi-site study focusing on retired female Olympian Health in collaboration with the UK Sports Institute, Scottish Institute of Sport, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, LaTrobe University (Melbourne) and the Canadian Olympic Committee.

Qualifications

PhD Injury Epidemiology and Prevention in Youth Rugby Union: Tackling Prevention Through Coach Education, University of Limerick - 2025

MSc Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology, University of Limerick - 2021

BSc Physiotherapy, University of Limerick - 2016

Undergraduate teaching

  • Sport and Exercise Medicine 4

Research summary

  • Sports injury and illness epidemiology
  • Sports injury prevention with a special interest in implementation
  • Female athlete health
  • Retired athlete health

Affiliated research centres

Project activity

  • Retired Female Athlete Health - AUKCAUS Collaboration (Funding: SportScotland Institute of Sport, UK Sports Institute, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee) (2025-2028) (Post-doc)
  • Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance (Funding: Irish Rugby Football Union) (2022-2025) (Doctoral Scholar)

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