Kay Aranda

I am interested in supervising students in the areas of health and social inequalities, gender, sexuality and age, and/or using feminist and material feminist theories or  socio-materialist and practice related theories for revitalising approaches to health inequalities and social justice.

I have supervised in the areas of community nurses and weight, midwives roles, domestic violence, women's experiences of birth, living with back pain and supporting children with disabilities, as well as coproducing participatory research in mental health and mental health, identiy and gender.

I am currently supervising postgraduate researchers in the areas of feminist phenomenology, embodiment and sea swimming;  involvement and engagement in GP Commissioning using social material approaches; in occupational therapy and exploring narratives and the socio-material pracitces of embroidery; exploring coproduction of care for frail older people with district nurses; and revising supervision in a community trust using communities of practice and social learning theories

Inequalities in health, gender, sexuality and age

Feminism and new or socio materialist approaches to health and care

Feminist phenomenology, embodiment, mobile, visual and sensory methods

Arts, wellbeing and health

Community health and community nursing and equalities.

I have a work background in primary care, community nursing, community/public health and the voluntary sector, including numerous research related and activist roles. My academic background is in the social sciences, having graduated with a BSc(Hons) social sciences and MSc in Sociology of Health and Illness from Southbank Polytechnic and a PhD, Department of Sociology, Southampton University in 2001. The focus of my thesis was on exploring 'post' theorisations of equality and discrimination in health care and community nurses, using poststructural feminist theories.  My research draws on creative and innovative qualitative approaches and has led to research and publications in the areas of health inequalities, the poltiics of health, community health and community nursing, with a focus on gender, sexuality, and more lately, questions of embodiment, sensory methods and age. I have worked in public and patient involvement,  working as the PPI Lead in the NIHR Research Design Service:South East and was also a qualitative research advisor here too.  I supervise, write and promote the use of theory informed research with more recent use of social theory in health and health care research including the potential of new materialist, practice and sensory turns, which was further explored as co applicant through an ESRC seminar series. I also promote the critical and quesitoning use of feminst theories in health related research. I publish widely in peer reviewed health journals, have been co and lead editor for books on queering health and use of critical qualitative health research respectively, exploring philosophies, politics and practices, and have also witten for PhD researchers on using feminist theory and qualitative research. I peer review for numerous international health related journals and act as peer review for NIHR Public Health on the Inequalities in Health Research theme and calls; I am also a member of the British Sociological Assocations Med Soc group with membership of interest groups in ageing and wellbeing and gender.