John Sullivan
Head of Psychology, High Performance Sport New Zealand
Dr. John Sullivan is a Clinical Sport Psychologist, Sport Scientist, and Head of Psychology at High Performance Sport New Zealand. During a distinguished 30-year career, he has worked across elite sport, military, healthcare, and other high-consequence environments. He spent 16 years with the New England Patriots, coordinating sport science and clinical care, and has supported professional leagues and Olympic teams internationally. Dr. Sullivan has served as a subject matter expert and technical lead for U.S. Special Operations Command and provided specialist expertise to NASA and DARPA.
His work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals and prominent media publications. He co-authored The Brain Always Wins, the second edition of which was published in 2025. His research encompasses psychophysiology, neuroscience, biofeedback, decision-making, athlete wellbeing, and human performance. A Visiting Scholar at Queensland University of Technology, he has held academic appointments at Brown University Medical School and the University of Rhode Island and is currently writing a book on human factors in sport.