Kayana Vakil

• MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology Student
• Email: K.Vakil2@newcastle.ac.uk
• Role: Chair

Kayana is an MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology student at Newcastle University, having previously completed a BA (Hons) in Sport Studies at the University of Stirling. She is passionate about applied sport psychology, with a particular focus on supporting athlete wellbeing, performance, and motivation. Outside of her academic work, she enjoys dance, creative arts, and exploring different areas of performance psychology.

Her experience includes student leadership roles, involvement in community sport initiatives, and supporting university engagement projects. As Chair of PIICP 2026, Kayana plays a central role in the planning and delivery of the conference, with a particular focus on the attendee experience. She oversees the coordination of the organising team, supports engagement and communications across platforms, and works to ensure that attendees feel informed and supported throughout the event. She is committed to leading an event that brings together diverse perspectives from across sport and psychology, and to creating an engaging, meaningful, and impactful conference experience for all involved.