Personal profile

Research interests

I am a critical social scientist based in the School of Humanities and Social Science.

My primary research interests include the body/embodiment in relation to gender, sexuality, exercise/health inequalities,  with a specific focus on improving trans and non-binary people's participation and inclusion in movement, grassroots sport and physical activity. Other topics include LGBTQ+ youth/community, qualitative, creative and participatory research methods and trans feminist/queer theory, and working across disciplines (eg, social psychology and sociology).

After completing my PhD at Brighton, I worked as a Researcher for the UK charity Mermaids, who support trans, non-binary and gender diverse children, young people and their families. This gave me a valuable understanding of how research can be used to change lives and have the power to make a real and lasting difference.

 

Approach to teaching

My approach to teaching draws on the importance of accessibility, simplicity and listening to the student experience. This is because I think the best kind of teaching works torwards changing systems, not people, and breaking down language barriers in education.

I use bell hook’s work on engaged pedagogy, enjoy using creative methods to explain difficult theoertical concepts which (hopefully) then in turn help students to understand social inequalities in relatable ways. I encourage students to share resources, methods and techniques which centre their own lived experiences.

Supervisory Interests

I am third supervisor for a TECHNE funded PhD candidate, whose research explores heritage visbility for gender diverse young people in the Traveller, Gypsy and Romany (GRT) community.

Knowledge exchange

I am a member of the Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender, and was previously the external expert for the Cross-School Research Ethics Committee (School of Humanities and Social Science, 2021 - 2023).

Keywords

  • H Social Sciences (General)
  • Transgender, non-binary, exercise, the body/embodiment, health.
  • trans feminist theory

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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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