Dr. Lyndsay Hayhurst is an interdisciplinary, internationally recognized York Research Chair in Sport, Gender & Climate Mobility Justice and Digital Participatory Research (DPR). She is one of Canada’s leading experts on the use of sport to 1) contribute to community and global development issues; and 2) address pressing national and global inequalities related to gender, data justice, sexual and gender-based violence, mobility justice, and climate change. She is the Co-Chair for the Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport's Commission on Inclusive and Accessible Data.

Dr. Hayhurst's research adopts a strong community-based and policy-directed approach and has been supported by over $13M as applicant or co-applicant from SSHRC, Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), with $3M of that secured as PI/Co-PI. She is currently leading a number of grants researching climate mobility justice and sport; feminist data justice and inclusive data in gender equality and sport; trauma-and violence-informed sport for development and safe sport in Canada, Nicaragua, and Uganda. Dr. Hayhurst is the PI on a SSHRC Insight Grant (IG, 2021- 26), SSHRC Partnership Development Grant (PDG, 2025-28), SSHRC Connection Grant (2025-26) and a co-investigator on three IGs, one Partnership Development Grant (2025-28) and two Partnership Grants (2023-30; 2025-2032). She has over 100 academic publications (1 co-authored monograph; 3 co-edited books; 29 book chapters; 67 refereed journal articles) and 38 other publications in other venues. She is co-author of Sport, Gender and Development: Intersections, Innovations and Future Trajectories (with Holly Thorpe and Megan Chawansky, 2021). She has published extensively in leading journals such as Women’s Studies International Forum; Mobilities; Gender, Place & Culture; Third World Quarterly, and the Sociology of Sport Journal.

View: Sport, Gender and Development: Intersections, Innovations and Future Trajectories

Dr. Hayhurst aims to break down the barriers between academia and the public through wide-ranging knowledge mobilization and the meaningful inclusion of community researchers globally. She has led a number of initiatives that have successfully translated research into action, creating accessible, inclusive spaces for policy dialogue and public learning. She also co-directed and executive produced the documentary Changing Gears (2024), which focuses on bicycles, development and mobility justice and was screened globally in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Dr. Hayhurst has previously worked for the UNDP and Right to Play, and her research continues to inform policy, advocacy, and curriculum development in sport, physical culture, and social justice for a variety of local, national and global sport for development organizations.

View current projects

Degrees

PhD (Kinesiology and Physical Education, socio-cultural studies) - University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
MA (Human Kinetics, socio-cultural) - University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
BAH (Sociology and Global Development Studies) - Queen's University, Kingston, Canada

Awards

Faculty of Health Minor Research Grant, York University. “Feminist Data Justice, Artificial Intelligence and Participatory Evaluation in Sport and Gender.” - 2026-2027
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Destination Horizon Grants. “Building a Transnational Consortium for Participatory Approaches to Gender Equality and Sport Policy.” - 2026-2027
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council USRA. “Participatory Research for Health Equity: Mobilizing Justice in Marginalized Communities.” - 2026
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Development Grant. “Partnering for the Planet: Co-Creating Gender-Just Climate Solutions through Sport for Development and Peace.” (Co-Is: Brian Wilson, University of British Columbia; Brad Millington, Brock University; Cathy van Ingen, Brock University; Mitchell McSweeney, University of Minnesota; Nadine Schuurman, Simon Fraser University; Lisa McIntosh Sundstrom, University of British Columbia) - 2025–2028
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Connection Grant. “Cycling Towards Change: Advancing Mobility Justice, Gender Equity, and Sustainable Development through Bicycles.” Co-Is: Brian Wilson, University of British Columbia; Brad Millington, Brock University; Cathy van Ingen, Brock University; Mitchell McSweeney, University of Minnesota; Nadine Schuurman, Simon Fraser University; Francine Darroch, Carleton University; Carly Koinange, United Nations Environment Programme; Jessica Nachman, York University) - 2025-2026
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Development Grant - “Assessing the Human Rights Promises of FIFA 2026 in Toronto, Ontario.” (PI: Simon Darnell, University of Toronto) - 2025-2028
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Grant - “Building a Pan-Canadian Community of Practice: The Creating Opportunities through Physical Literacy for All Newcomer children and Youth (CO-PLAY) Network.” (PI: Matthew Kwan, Brock University) - 2025-2034
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Connection Grant - “Coming together to establish a priority agenda for knowledge mobilization initiatives for healthier Canadian children and youth.” (PI: Rebecca Bassett-Gunter, York University) - 2025-2026
Abuse-Free Sport Canada Grant (Principal Investigator) – 2024-2027
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Insight Grant (Principal Investigator) – 2021-2026
E-Alliance Grant – 2021-2023
Canadian Foundation for Innovation, John R. Evan Leaders Fund Infrastructure Award – 2018-2022
Ontario Research Fund - Small Infrastructure Award – 2018-2022
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Insight Grant (Principal Investigator) - 2016
SSHRC Insight Grant (co-investigator) - 2015
SSHRC Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship - 2013
SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship - 2011

Students

Lyndsay is incredibly proud of the students she has had the privilege to work with, many of whom have won a number of outstanding awards, fellowships and scholarships such as those from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and Ontario Graduate Scholarships.

Degrees

Awards

Students

Post Doctoral

Ph.D.

Masters

Volunteers & Research Assistants

Graduated Students and Alumni

Ph.D.

Masters

Lyndsay Hayhurst, Associate Professor