Rate My Professor Dylan Poulus

Dr Dylan Poulus is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology within the Faculty of Health at Southern Cross University. He holds a Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology) (BBehavSc(Psych)) and a PhD from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), along with Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) designation. His PhD investigated the psychological determinants of success in competitive and elite esports players, focusing specifically on stress and coping, mental toughness, and overall mental health.

Poulus's research specializes in sports and performance psychology, with an emphasis on mental health in esports and video game players. He concurrently serves as Senior Research Fellow (Esports and Video Games) at the Movember Health Institute, Southern Cross University. His influential publications include 'Stress and coping in esports and the influence of mental toughness' (Frontiers in Psychology, 2020, 373 citations), 'The association between esports participation, health and physical activity behaviour' (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020, 184 citations), 'Social support, self-regulation, and psychological skill use in e-athletes' (Frontiers in Psychology, 2021, 128 citations), 'A qualitative analysis of the perceived determinants of success in elite esports athletes' (Journal of Sports Sciences, 2022, 119 citations), 'Longitudinal analysis of stressors, stress, coping and coping effectiveness in elite esports athletes' (Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 2022, 100 citations), and 'Physical exercise and performance in esports players: An initial systematic review' (Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports, 2023, 82 citations), among others, amassing over 1,700 citations on Google Scholar. Poulus founded Australia's first university-supported esports program, received the Australian Institute of Sport's inaugural esports grant for Southern Cross University, and was awarded a Mid-Career Researcher Award by the university. He supervises PhD students, engages in public outreach via podcasts such as SCU Buzz, and contributes to initiatives like world-first esports guidelines with Movember, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals for health and well-being.