Welcome to my web page!

I am an Assistant Professor in Sport Business and Management at the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham.

My interdisciplinary research lies at the intersection of consumer psychology, emerging technologies and sport. I am particularly interested in human–AI interaction, service and sport marketing, and consumer well-being. My work examines how people perceive, interact with and respond to AI agents, robots, avatars and other technology-enabled services, particularly in sport, fitness and digital health contexts. I use quantitative, experimental and mixed-method approaches in my research.

Before joining the University of Birmingham, I held Lecturer (Assistant Professor) positions in Marketing at the University of Southampton and the University of East Anglia.

I completed my Ph.D. in Digital Technologies at Institute for Digital Technologies, Loughborough University, London campus. During my doctoral studies, I was a visiting PhD researcher at the AFAR lab, Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge. I also hold an Master of Research (MRes) Sport Business Degree from the Institute for Sport Business, at Loughborough University, and BSc in Sport Economics and Management from Beijing Sport University.

Latest Publications

•Zitian Adam*, Ying Feng (2026),“Indulgent visuals go viral? Brand luxury matters,” Marketing Letters, 37(43). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-026-09838-1

•Ying Feng, Jun Hwa (Jacky) Cheah*, Tippayanet Sorosrungruang, Jie Meng, Senmao Xia (2026),“Can AI alleviate loneliness? The role of psychological closeness, co-presence and enjoyment in digital workout environment,” Internet Research, 36 (3), 926–946. https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-11-2024-1843

•Ying Feng*, Jie Meng, Jun Hwa (Jacky) Cheah (2025), “From Virtual Trainers to Companions? Examining How Digital Agency Types, Anthropomorphism, and Support Shape Para-social Relationships in Online Fitness,” Psychology & Marketing, 42(3), 842-865. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.22154

Core Skills

• Behavioural Research; Experimental Design; Quantitative; Qualitative; SEM

• Publications in the Top 3% of Classics Journal

• Grant and Funding Application