John Kavanagh

John Kavanagh is a researcher at the School of Arts & Humanities, University of Wales, specializing in horror studies, film culture, and gender dynamics within the entertainment industry. His work intersects with the UN Sustainable Development Goals through critical analysis of media and cultural narratives.

His research focuses on the slasher subgenre, Halloween's cultural significance, and the intersection of horror with societal themes like gender politics and national identity. He contributes to academic discourse through publications and editorial collaborations, including a special issue of Refractory: Journal of Entertainment Media.

Kavanagh co-organized the 2023 Global Zombie Conference, engaging with international scholars on horror media. His recent doctoral thesis, Murdering Men: Recontextualizing and Redefining the Killers, Victims, and Survivors of the Slasher Subgenre, completed in 2023, further solidifies his expertise in horror genre analysis.