Meredith Schertzinger
Co-supervised by Dr. Fergus Neville exploring the positives and negatives to solitary versus collective physical activity.
Examining the health and social consequences of solitary versus collective physical activity.
I received my undergraduate at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Psychology. During my undergraduate I worked in Dr. Jarred Younger’s Neuroinflammation, Pain, and Fatigue lab. I worked on an R01 grant recruiting female participants with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, two pain disorders that currently have no objective way of diagnosis for patients, in hopes of finding biomarkers within the blood that could become a form of diagnosis. My undergraduate thesis specifically looked at the ways in which sex hormones influence the daily pain response of women with Fibromyalgia.
Following a football career ending knee injury I took my love for football to academics and published a book chapter discussing the sexism displayed during the 2015 Women’s World Cup as well as the gender inequality that still surrounds the sport.
My passion for sport and exercise took me to Scotland where I obtained my masters in the Psychology of Sport at the University of Stirling. My master’s thesis examined the relationship between first year students’ exercise identity and exercise attendance as well as a factor that may mediate this relationship, the cognitive appraisal of perceived exercise benefits. This is where I realized I wanted my PhD to look at ways in which we may be able to decrease the physical inactivity epidemic that is sweeping across the globe.
As a St. Leonard’s Interdisciplinary Doctoral Scholar at the University of St. Andrews I will receive co-supervision with Gozde Ozakinci (School of Medicine) and Fergus Neville (School of Management). My PhD will be examining the social and health consequences of solitary and collective physical activity. In addition the mediating social processes which determine these outcomes and result in sustainable motivation and health outcomes. This will be looked at in a novel method combining both health and social psychological theory. Additionally, this will look at how, typically solitary activities are made collective via events such as parkrun or online platforms.
Beyond university, I love to be outdoors whether that be hiking or laying by the beach soaking up the sun. I enjoy traveling, pushing myself to experience new adventures, cooking, and curling up with a new book, preferably with my dog by my side.
Publications
Schertzinger, M., Wesson-Sides, K., Partkitny, L., Ness, T., and Younger, J. Daily fluctuations of progesterone and testosterone are associated with fibromyalgia pain severity, The Journal of Pain (2017).
Schertzinger, Meredith M. “Turf Wars: Safety, Sexism, and the 2015 Women’s World Cup,” in Adrienne N. Milner and Jomills Henry Braddock, II (eds.), Women in Sports: Breaking Barriers, Facing Obstacles, Volume One: Sportswomen and Teams, Santa Barbara, CA Praeger.
Oral Presentations
Schertzinger, M., Hartley, C., Dickson, A., (2019, May) Introducing Impact: Student Sport Psychology Placement Presented at The Scottish Sport and Exercise Network Conference, Stirling, Scotland.
Schertzinger, M., McMahan, S., Bailey, C., Lambert, A., Wesson-Sides, K.M., Younger, J. (2016, November) Progesterone and Testosterone Influence On Pain in Women with Fibromyalgia Presented at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Undergraduate Expo, Birmingham, Alabama
McMahan, S., Bailey, C., Schertzinger, M., Lambert, A., Wesson-Sides, K.M., Younger, J. (2016, November) Greater Fatigue is Associated with Executive Function Presented at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Undergraduate Expo, Birmingham, Alabama
Bailey, C., Schertzinger, M., McMahan, S., Lambert, A., Wesson-Sides, K.M., Younger, J. (2016, November) Pulse, Blood Pressure, and Pain in Fibromyalgia Presented at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Undergraduate Expo, Birmingham, Alabama
Mehra, N., Bailey, C., Schertzinger, M., McMahan, S., Wesson-Sides, K.M., Younger, J. (2016, April) Demographics and Pain Severity in Fibromyalgia Presented at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
Undergraduate Expo, Birmingham, Alabama (First Place Winner, Social and Behavioral Sciences Oral Division)
Bailey, C., McMahan, S., Schertzinger, M., Wesson-Sides, K.M., Younger, J. (2016 July) Current Fatigue Symptoms Impact Future Activity Levels in Chronic Fatigue Patients Presented at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Undergraduate Expo, Birmingham, Alabama (First Place Winner, Social and Behavioral Sciences Oral Division)
Poster Presentations
Bailey, C., Schertzinger, M., McMahan, S., Lambert, A., Wesson-Sides, K.M., Younger, J. (2016, October) Pulse, Blood Pressure, and Pain in Fibromyalgia Presented at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Undergraduate Expo, Birmingham, Alabama
Bailey, C., McMahan, S., Schertzinger, M., Wesson-Sides, K.M., Younger, J. (2016, November) An Increase in Fatigue Symptoms Affects Activity Levels the Following Day In Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Presented at the University of Alabama at Birmingham New Frontiers of Pain Research in the 21st Century Conference, Birmingham, Alabama
Chapman, A., Langer, M.B., Bailey, C., Mehra, N., Mc Mahan, S., Schertzinger, M., Wesson-Sides, K.M., Younger, J. (2016, April). Stressful life events predict increased fatigue severity in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients Presented at University of Alabama at Birmingham Undergraduate Expo, Birmingham, Alabama (Winner Health Sciences Division)
Chapman, A., Langer, M.B., Bailey, C., Mehra, N., Mc Mahan, S., Schertzinger, M., Wesson-Sides, K.M., Younger, J. (2016, April). Stressful life events predict increased fatigue severity in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients Presented at University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Honors Research Presentation, Birmingham, Alabama
Mehra, N., Bailey, C., Schertzinger, M., McMahan, S., Wesson-Sides, K.M., Younger, J. (2016, April) Demographics and Pain Severity in Fibromyalgia Presented at University of Alabama at Birmingham Undergraduate Expo, Birmingham, Alabama (Winner Social and Behavioral Sciences Division)
Mehra, N., Bailey, C., Schertzinger, M., McMahan, S., Wesson-Sides, K.M., Younger, J. (2016, April) Demographics and Pain Severity in Fibromyalgia Presented at Southern Regional Honors Council Conference, Orlando, Florida
Mehra, N., Bailey, C., Schertzinger, M., McMahan, S., Wesson-Sides, K.M., Younger, J. (2016, April) Demographics and Pain Severity in Fibromyalgia Presented at the UAB Undergraduate Neuroscience Program Senior Research Presentation, Birmingham, Alabama