Dr. John Sullivan is a Clinical Sport Psychologist, Sport Scientist, and the Head of Psychology for High Performance Sport New Zealand. With over 25 years of clinical and scholarly experience, he spent 16 years (2000–2016) with the New England Patriots in the NFL, coordinating sports science and clinical care. He has also worked with elite organizations such as the English Premier League, Football Association, Premier Rugby League, Australian Football League, and Olympic National teams. Additionally, Dr. Sullivan has served as a subject matter expert for elite military units (USSOCOM), NASA, and DARPA.
A recognized contributor to sports science and medicine literature, Dr. Sullivan has published in peerreviewed journals and popular media, including The Atlantic, ESPN, The Guardian, The New York Times, and Sports Illustrated. He co-authored The Brain Always Wins, with a second edition due in 2025, and is currently working on a new book exploring human factors in sport. His research focuses on neuroscience, biofeedback, decision-making, and athlete well-being.
Dr. Sullivan is a visiting scholar at Queensland University of Technology and has held academic roles at Brown University Medical School and the University of Rhode Island. He earned degrees in Psychology and Mass Communication from Niagara University, a Master’s in Sport Psychology from Springfield College, and both a Master’s and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Hartford, with additional post-graduate studies in neuroscience, psychophysiology, and complex systems analysis. Before relocating to New Zealand, he worked in Washington, D.C., and Newport, Rhode Island
