Maria Piacentini

Professor Maria Piacentini is the Associate Dean for Research at Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) and Director of the Centre for Health Futures. She holds a PhD in Social Science (Open University) and a BSc in Marketing (Strathclyde University). Her research focuses on vulnerable consumers navigating complex marketplaces, with a particular emphasis on plastic packaging sustainability, commercial determinants of health, and inequalities.

• Current roles: Associate Dean for Research (LUMS), Director of Centre for Health Futures
• Previous roles: Head of Marketing Department (2014-2017), Deputy Dean of Resources (2018-2020)

Her research has been funded by UKRI, ESRC, and the British Academy. Notable projects include UKRI/NERC-funded 'Plastic Packaging in People’s Lives' and studies on low-income adolescents’ high school prom rituals. She co-authored Consumer Behaviour (Oxford UP) and co-edited Consumer Vulnerability (Routledge).

• External roles: Co-chair of Academy of Marketing’s CRIS SIG, External Examiner at multiple universities

Research Interests:

• Consumer vulnerability in health markets
• Social implications of plastic packaging
• Commercial influences on health behaviors

Grants and Awards:

• £62K for specialty coffee perceptions (Matthew Algie & Co.)
• British Academy grant (£10K) for high school prom study

Advising: Supervised 12+ PhD students in consumption sociology and health equity. Active in interdisciplinary collaborations across marketing, public health, and policy.