I am a social psychologist interested in how people’s, particularly (but not limited to) women's, appearance, bodies and body image interact with societal factors from a critical sociopsychological perspective.

I completed an MSc in Applied Social Psychology and a PhD in Psychology at the University of Sussex. My doctoral thesis examined how social class contexts, beyond being indicators of access to resources, shape women’s body image in the UK.

My research interests include:

• Body image experiences amongst people from underrepresented and/or Minoritised groups (e.g., gender, social class, race and sexual orientations) and in particular, amongst working-class women
• Work that redresses majoritised perspectives (e.g., white supremacy, middle-class-ness as the gold standard), particularly in body image research
• Experiences of discrimination and/or dehumanisation in relation to appearance and bodies
• Objectification, sexualisation and the commodification of women’s appearance and bodies

I also contribute to the following research networks as:

• Management Board member (Communications Lead) - Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender (CTSG), University of Brighton
• Committee Member - British Psychological Society (BPS) Psychology of Women and Equalities Section (POWES)
• ECR Rep - Inclusive Digital Societies REG, University of Brighton
• External member - Sports, Physical Activity, Health and Exercise Research (SPHERE) Group at the University of Sussex.

I currently teach across different levels and modules, including Psychology Beyond the Barriers, Psychological Investigations, Introduction to Applied Psychology, Developmental Psychology and Psychology of Wellbeing, and I am a dissertation supervisor in the Psychology Dissertation module. I also lecture on the Social Psychology module and am the Module Lead for the newly approved Consumer Culture, Body Image and Wellbeing module (starting in 2025/26).

My approach to teaching is very much aligned with critical pedagogy, in that I acknowledge that students' learning is shaped by systemic and societal power dynamics, as well as the intersectionality of their experiences. I like to encourage students to engage in a dialogical interaction by creating an inclusive, open and equal environment, and by posing problems/questions to encourage and empower students to think critically. 

I am interested in supervising PhD projects in body image generally, or any specific (critical) body image research relating to social class (particularly for working-class women) and racialised dynamics (including acculturation, cultural influences, addressing systemic racism/white supremacy, racialised discrimination, etc.).

Doctoral projects that I currently supervise (as part of a team) include:

- A project examining sexual orientation and career-related decisions amongst gay and bisexual men in South Asian.

- A project on understanding social class in young people's educational experiences in the UK.

I am particularly interested in supervising and providing mentorship in accessing PhD programmes for individuals from Minoritised backgrounds.