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Professor Roel Sterckx is the Joseph Needham Professor of Chinese History, Science, and Civilization at the University of Cambridge, affiliated with Clare College. He specializes in pre-imperial and early imperial Chinese thought, classical Chinese language, and natural history. His research bridges anthropology and the history of science, focusing on topics like ritual, economic thought, and animal studies. He has authored influential books including Food, Sacrifice, and Sagehood in Early China and Animals through Chinese History . Sterckx is a Fellow of the British Academy (since 2013) and holds leadership roles at the Needham Research Institute. He supervises PhD students on subjects ranging from Warring States rhetoric to Han Dynasty apocrypha. Education: BA/PGCE in Sinology and History, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Masters in Classical Chinese and Philosophy, National Taiwan University PhD in Chinese History, University of Cambridge Research Interests: Early Chinese cultural ecology, ritual economy, and the interplay of moral and material values. His work analyzes texts like the Rites of Zhou , Mozi , and Huainanzi , emphasizing agricultural thought and animal symbolism. Awards: British Academy Fellowship (2013) Grants and Labs: Directs the Cambridge-based Needham Research Institute, focusing on East Asian science and technology history. Current projects include studies on Han perceptions of southern regions and the economics of ritual in early China.

• Chinese thought
• pre-imperial and early imperial cultural history
• natural history
• +7 more

Aaron Kappeler is a Lecturer in Anthropology of Development at the University of Edinburgh's School of Social and Political Science, Department of Social Anthropology. He teaches core courses in the MSc International Development program and MA Social Anthropology, including Anthropology and Environment and Social Development. Education: PhD, University of Toronto Graduate studies, University of Heidelberg and University of Leipzig Undergraduate, University of Arizona Research Focus: Kappeler specializes in Latin American political economy with emphasis on agricultural development , petro-populism , and rural livelihoods . His fifteen-year ethnographic fieldwork in Venezuela examines state enterprises, agrarian reform under Chávez, and the interplay of race, nature, and capital in socialist policy implementation. Current work analyzes oil rent redistribution mechanisms. Publication Trends: Recent scholarship (2021-2025) reveals consistent focus on Venezuelan political economy , bridging anthropology and political science . Key themes include petro-populism's impact on rural cooperatives (2024), racialized sovereignty production (2023), and neo-structural socialism in state enterprises (2025). His work critically engages with dependency theory while documenting grassroots responses to resource nationalism. Scientific Awards: None documented in source material. Academic Supervision: Kappeler annually supervises MSc dissertations in International Development and MA dissertations in Social Anthropology. He has served as Director of Admissions for graduate development programs and coordinates departmental open-day events.

• Development
• Political Economy
• Labor
• +10 more

Professor Adam Yuet Chau is a Fellow and Director of Studies at St John's College and holds the Professor of the Anthropology of China position at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge . His academic journey includes training at Stanford University (PhD in Anthropology, 2001) and teaching roles at Oxford and SOAS before joining Cambridge in 2008. Focus on Chinese religions and their social dimensions Specializes in ritual theory and cultural transformations Develops comparative frameworks for understanding religious practices His research spans religion under socialism , hosting in political/religious contexts , and ritual polytropy . Recent projects include editing Chinese Religious Culture in 100 Objects and analyzing 'spheres' (界) in Chinese society . Publications like Miraculous Response (2006) and Religion in Contemporary China (2011) establish him as a key figure in religious anthropology. Current and past PhD/MPhil students explore topics from temple festivals in Taiwan to religious subjectification . He actively reviews for leading presses (Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard) and journals ( Ethnos , Modern China ), and participates in international academic workshops.

• Chinese Religion and Ritual
• Ritual Theory
• State-Society Relations
• +7 more

Tanya Matthan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Her research focuses on political ecology, agrarian studies, and the socio-material dimensions of risk in central India. She holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), alongside an M.A. and MPhil in Sociology from the University of Delhi. Her expertise spans political ecology, water resource management, climate change, and South Asian socio-economic dynamics. Prior to LSE, she was a Ciriacy-Wantrup Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Berkeley. Recent work examines speculative practices in agricultural markets and climatic uncertainties affecting rural livelihoods. Her publications in Journal of Peasant Studies and Geoforum reflect this thematic focus. Though no awards are explicitly listed, her postdoctoral fellowship indicates recognition in her field. No advising or grant details are provided in the text. She is affiliated with LSE's Department of Geography and Environment, contributing to its interdisciplinary research on global environmental challenges.

• Political Ecology
• Agrarian Studies
• Climate Change
• +3 more

Sarah Harper is the Clore Professor of Gerontology at the University of Oxford and Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. She was appointed a CBE in 2018 for services to Demography and serves as Chair of HelpAge International. Professor Harper has held numerous influential positions including serving on the Prime Minister's Council for Science and Technology and as Director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Her educational background includes an MA from Cambridge and a DPhil from Oxford. Prior to her academic career, she trained with the BBC as a News and Current Affairs Reporter and Producer. She subsequently held academic positions at the University of London and the University of Chicago before returning to Oxford to found the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. Professor Harper's research focuses on demographic change, particularly the implications of falling fertility and increasing life expectancy. Her work examines life course factors in healthy ageing, social and economic drivers of health and well-being, with emphasis on life transitions. She has conducted significant research on eldercare in China, fertility patterns in sub-Saharan Africa (revealing that ideal family size remains high despite girls' education), and demographic changes in Vietnam and Myanmar affecting agricultural production and food security. Her publication record demonstrates consistent focus on global demographic trends, with recent work increasingly addressing the intersection of population change with environmental challenges. She has authored influential books including 'How Population Change Will Transform Our World' (Oxford University Press, 2016) and is working on a new book for Cambridge University Press on Population and Environmental Change. Scientific Awards and Honors CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2018 for services to Demography Royal Society for Public Health: Arts and Health Research Award (2011) Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences Fellow of the Royal Anthropology Institute Professor Harper has supervised numerous PhD students across diverse topics from biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia to intergenerational solidarity in Turkey. Her advisory work extends globally, having served on the Scientific Advisory Board of Natural England, the Royal Society's Working Group on Population and Environment, and as an advisor to governments including the UK, Malaysia, Singapore, and the European Commission. She has received research funding from organizations including the US National Institutes of Health, which supported the founding of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. As Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, Professor Harper leads a multidisciplinary team examining demographic trends and their societal implications. The Institute serves as a hub for international collaboration on ageing research, working with organizations including Population Europe and the International Association of Research Universities. She also serves as founding editor of the Journal of Population Ageing and editor of the Handbook of Ageing and Public Policy.

• Demography
• Gerontology
• Population Ageing
• +9 more

Jakob Klein is a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at SOAS University of London. His research focuses on the anthropology of food, with emphasis on Chinese and Asian culinary cultures, ethical consumption, heritage politics, and the interplay between state policies and market forces in shaping food systems. Klein's work explores themes such as: Culinary modernity and identity in China State-led food security initiatives (e.g., potato promotion) Heritage commodification of regional foods Buddhist vegetarianism and changing meat consumption Alternative food movements in postsocialist contexts His publications demonstrate consistent focus on: Cultural adaptation of global food trends Political economy of dietary change Ethnographic analysis of food practices across urban/rural divides He has supervised doctoral research on food tourism in Istria, gastronomic reinvention in Bulgaria, and cultural capital in Chinese leisure industries.

• Anthropology of Food
• Chinese Foodways
• Ethical Eating
• +3 more

Dr. Brigitte Steger is a Senior Lecturer in Modern Japanese Studies at the University of Cambridge, where she serves as a Fellow in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Downing College. She teaches modern Japanese society courses and directs graduate affairs while serving as Secretary of the Degree Committee. MA, MPhil, PhD in Japanese Studies (University of Vienna) Visiting researcher at multiple Japanese universities Co-founder of Cambridge Creative Circular Plastics Centre sub-project Her research focuses on cultural anthropology of Japanese daily life, particularly sleep practices (inemuri), gender dynamics in urban spaces, disaster response rituals, and cleanliness/waste practices. She conceptualizes sleep as socio-cultural performance and examines temporal practices in premodern Japan. Recent publications analyze Heian-era sleep patterns, 2011 tsunami shelter hygiene, and plastic consumption in consumer societies. She leads international research on historical timekeeping and contemporary waste practices. Her edited volumes explore Japanese gender diversity, including 'herbivore boys' and manga girl culture. Scientific awards: Bank Austria Prize (2002) Vorarlberg Science Award (2005) University of Cambridge weekly research contributor She supervises graduate research projects and serves on the European Association for Japanese Studies and Japan Anthropology Workshop councils. Her 2025-26 sabbatical focuses on completing Heian-period sleep research.

• Japanese society
• Cultural anthropology
• Gender studies
• +5 more

Dr. Jennifer Evans is a Senior Lecturer in History within the School of Creative Arts at the University of Hertfordshire. Her academic career spans over a decade since completing her PhD at the University of Exeter in 2011, followed by two years of teaching there before joining Hertfordshire. She serves as the founding editor of the Early Modern Medicine blog and co-directs the Perceptions of Pregnancy research network with colleagues Leanne Calvert, Sarah Fox, and Chelsea Phillips. Her research focuses on the history of the body, medicine, and gender during 1550-1750, with particular emphasis on reproductive health, infertility, and miscarriage. Her scholarly work demonstrates deep engagement with both male and female experiences of health and sexuality in early modern England. Current projects include 'Wounded Wombs and Empty Cradles: Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss in Early Modern England c.1600-1780' (Folger Shakespeare Library, 2025-2026) and 'Foraging for Early Modern Medicines 1600-1750' (AHRC-funded). Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent thematic concentration on bodily experiences, particularly reproductive health across genders. Her work bridges medical history with gender studies, examining how bodily functions and dysfunctions intersected with social structures. The scholarship shows increasing attention to male experiences of reproductive health alongside traditional focus on women's histories, reflecting broader historiographical shifts toward more inclusive medical history. Dr. Evans actively supervises postgraduate students including Kiran Seera (PhD: 'Domestic Disorder: Crime, Kinship, and Space in Bedfordshire, c. 1650-1790') and has completed supervision of three PhD and two MA students. Her research has received substantial external funding including AHRC Early Stage Impact Accelerator Award funding for her foraging project that explores historical medicinal plant knowledge. She directs the Perceptions of Pregnancy researchers' network which has published two major collections and hosted multiple conferences. The network brings together scholars examining all aspects of fertility, pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood from the seventeenth to twentieth century. Her public engagement includes numerous media appearances including BBC Radio 4's 'The Food Programme' (February 2024), BBC World Service's 'The Food Chain', and multiple television appearances.

• Early Modern History
• History of Medicine
• Gender History
• +4 more

Dr. Logan Williams is a Kirby Laing Research Fellow in New Testament at the University of Aberdeen. He holds a PhD from Durham University (2020), an MLitt from the University of St Andrews (2016), and a BA from Biola University (2014). His research focuses on New Testament studies, particularly the intersection of Christology and ethics in Paul’s letters, the Gospel of Mark, and early Christian-Jewish relations. He has held positions as a lecturer at the University of Exeter (2022–2023) and a postdoctoral fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2023–2024). His current project examines Pharisaic law and its portrayal in Mark’s Gospel, supported by the Kirby Laing Foundation until 2027. Williams teaches New Testament courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including 'Exploring the New Testament' and 'God and Salvation in the Letters of Paul.' He leads a Greek reading group and an emerging classical Ethiopic study cohort. His scholarship bridges biblical exegesis and historical context, addressing topics like Pauline ethics, Markan theology, and intertextuality with Dead Sea Scrolls and Enochic texts. Recent publications include Christology and Ethics in Galatians (2024) and articles on Mark’s anatomical arguments and messianic imagery in 11QMelchizedek.

• New Testament Studies
• Biblical Theology
• Early Christianity
• +3 more

Maria Reyes Baztán serves as College Assistant Professor in Spanish at the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics, where she is also Jean Sybil Dannatt Fellow in Modern and Medieval Languages and Director of Studies MML at Girton College. Her academic journey began with undergraduate studies at the Universitat de València, followed by postgraduate work at the University of Warwick where she completed both her MA and PhD. Dr. Reyes Baztán's research critically examines the intersection of nationalism and anticolonialism, with particular focus on the Basque Country and Cuba. Her groundbreaking work challenges Eurocentric approaches to nationalism by highlighting transnational ideas that emerged outside Europe. She is currently completing her first monograph under contract with Liverpool University Press, which explores anticolonial language and rhetoric within Basque nationalism from the 1890s to 1930s. Her additional research on food and nation-building has garnered media attention from major outlets including The Times. Her scholarly contributions span multiple publications including articles in the Journal of Contemporary History (2023) and Journal of Latin American and Iberian Studies (2021), with forthcoming work in the Routledge Companion to Language and Food. Her research on Cuban history has been informed by fieldwork in Eastern Cuba, reflecting her commitment to both theoretical and experiential understanding of the cultures she studies. As an educator, Dr. Reyes Baztán has taught Spanish and Latin American culture across several UK institutions including the University of Nottingham (2021-22) and University of Reading (2022-23), where her exceptional teaching was recognized through student nomination for a teaching award. Her teaching expertise covers multiple course papers including SP1, SP4, and SP5 within the Cambridge curriculum.

• Nationalism
• Anticolonialism
• Basque Studies
• +3 more

Barbara Penner is Professor of Architectural Humanities at University College London's Bartlett School of Architecture, where she serves as Co-Director of the MA Architectural History program and supervises PhD students. Her academic appointments include Senior Lecturer positions at UCL since 2000 and previous roles at University of East London, Middlesex University, and Chelsea College of Art. Her educational background comprises a PhD from Birkbeck College (2003), MSc from University College London (1996), and BA from McGill University (1994). Penner's research focuses on the social and cultural dimensions of everyday spaces, examining how domestic environments, urban infrastructure, and commercial architecture shape social identities. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates architectural history with anthropology, literary theory, and cultural studies, particularly exploring gender dynamics in spaces like bathrooms, kitchens, hotels, and housing. Her publications reveal consistent engagement with themes of gender, domesticity, and infrastructure across historical periods. Key works include Bathroom (2013), Newlyweds on Tour (2009), and co-edited volumes on public toilets and gender. Recent scholarship examines social scientific research in home design, urine diversion systems, and historical housing models. RIBA President’s Award for Outstanding University-Located Research (2014) Leverhulme Major Fellowship (2021-2023) Provost Teaching Award, UCL (2013) Council of Editors of Learned Journals Best New Journal Award (2009) Penner actively supervises doctoral research on topics including Billy Butlin’s holiday camps and Gulf female shoppers' impact on London retail. She has completed twelve PhD supervisions and examined nearly thirty theses internationally. Her professional activities include serving on the Architectural Association Publications Committee, as North American Editor for Architectural History, and as External Examiner at University College Dublin. She participates in the 'Insurgent Domesticities' research group at Columbia University and contributes to Places Journal as a contributing editor.

• Architectural Humanities
• Domestic Spaces and Technologies
• Urban Infrastructure
• +7 more

Ingrid Jeacle is a Professor of Accounting and Popular Culture at the University of Edinburgh Business School. With a PhD from the University of Limerick and a Master of Arts from Trinity College Dublin, she bridges interdisciplinary research with traditional accounting scholarship. A founding member of the Culture, Accounting & Society (CAS) Research Network, she explores how accounting practices permeate everyday life and popular culture. PhD, Accounting, University of Limerick (1999) MA, Economics and Business Studies, Trinity College Dublin (1989) Her research focuses on the intersection of accounting and popular culture, examining phenomena like calorie labeling, online reviews, and historical compensation systems. She employs methodologies such as netnography and actor-network theory to analyze how accountability systems shape societal norms. Recent publications include studies on cinematic portrayals of accountants (2024), calorie accounting in the UK food sector (2023), and historical valuations of human life in slavery abolition (2023). These works reflect her commitment to expanding accounting scholarship into cultural and social domains. AAAJ Hall of Fame Award (2019) Emerald Literati Highly Commended Awards (2015, 2017) Jeacle maintains leadership roles in editorial boards, including as Associate Editor for Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal and Financial Accountability & Management . She has served as Visiting Professor at South East Technological University (2022-2023) and guest-edited special issues across major journals.

• Accounting
• Popular Culture
• Interdisciplinary Accounting
• +5 more

Kaveri Medappa is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Human Geography at the University of Oxford's Department for Continuing Education and a Junior Research Fellow at Kellogg College. She contributes to a multi-institutional ESRC-funded project, 'Trucking Lives: Making Space for People in Truck Driving Work', focusing on UK HGV drivers' work-life conditions. Formerly associated with the University of Sussex, where she earned her PhD in International Development (2022), and St. Joseph’s College, Bengaluru. Doctoral research on app-based workers in Bengaluru under Prof Geert De Neve and Dr Rebecca Prentice Teaching experience in Anthropology and Social Work across UK and India Previous role as Research Associate in 'Speculative Urbanism' project Her expertise spans labour anthropology , critical mobility studies , and feminist political economy , examining intersections of digital technologies, financialisation, and social movements. Recent publications highlight gig economy dynamics, platform worker rights, and speculative finance impacts. Key trends in her research include: Digital labor platform governance (2020–2023) Comparative truck driving work (2024) Financialisation and social reproduction (2022–2025) Urban displacement and affective landscapes (2020) Scientific recognition includes: DSA 'Highly Commended' PhD Thesis Prize (2023) Adam Weiler Doctoral Research with Impact Award (2022) Chancellor’s International Research Scholarship (2018–2021) Her work connects academic research with public scholarship through policy briefs, media contributions, and podcast appearances.

• Labour Anthropology
• Critical Mobility Studies
• Feminist Political Economy
• +4 more

Dr. Daniel Allen is a Lecturer in Human Geography at Keele University's School of Life Sciences, specializing in human-animal relations. An IUCN/SSC otter specialist, his research on otter conservation and dog theft informs policy and advocacy. He led an Environment Agency project on otter predation perceptions and founded the 'Pet Theft Reform' campaign, influencing UK legislation (Pet Abduction Act 2024). His research examines human-animal bonds, including dog theft impacts and mental health benefits. Current projects include 'No pets! Young people’s transitions to campus living,' funded by the Society for Companion Animals Studies. Teaching includes modules on Nature Conservation, Space and Society, More-than-human Geographies, and Animals and Society. He supervises PhD student Emma Randall on eco-therapy. Awards include the Daily Mirror’s Peoples Pet Awards Special Recognition (2021) and the PM’s Points of Light Award (2022). Publications emphasize spatial justice, animal advocacy, and policy impacts, with recent work on pet theft trends and human-animal bonds in crises.

• Human-Animal Relations
• Otter Conservation
• Animal Companionship
• +3 more

Oreet Ashery is Professor of Contemporary Art at the Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford, where she serves as Director of the MFA programme and Director of Studies in Fine Art at Exeter College. A visual artist whose practice navigates both institutional and grassroots contexts, Ashery's work engages with bodies, worldbuilding, autoethnography, gender and technology through multiplatform projects spanning video, 2D image-making, performance and assemblage. Her research focuses on the intersection of digital culture and mortality, speculative fiction, and gender politics. Characterized by the use of speculative fiction and humor, her work often occupies utopian, discursive and incongruous spaces. She has developed significant projects exploring digital death, grief, and the politics of representation, particularly through her award-winning web-series Revisiting Genesis and her film Dying Under Your Eyes which documents her father's passing. Her practice bridges academic research and public engagement through projects like Death Cafés that bring conversations about mortality into community spaces. Ashery's artistic output shows a consistent trajectory from early performance works exploring identity and cultural politics to more recent projects examining digital legacy and mortality. Her work increasingly engages with medical humanities and the representation of illness, as evidenced by the Wellcome Collection-commissioned Misbehaving Bodies: Jo Spence & Oreet Ashery exhibition (2019-2020) which examined illness representation through collaborative work with the late photographer Jo Spence. Oxford- UdK Berlin Award (2022) Turner Prize Bursary (2020) 10th Jarman Film Award (2017) As a supervisor, Ashery guides doctoral students working at the intersections of performance, visual art, and critical theory. She has secured significant commissions from institutions including KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Wellcome Collection, and Stanley Picker Gallery. Her leadership of the MFA program at the Ruskin School of Art demonstrates her commitment to developing the next generation of artists while maintaining an active studio practice that informs her pedagogical approach.

• Contemporary Art
• Visual Art
• Performance Art
• +7 more