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Professor Tamsin Bradley is a leading academic in International Development Studies at the University of Portsmouth, affiliated with the School of Area Studies, Sociology, History, Politics and Literature. Her research focuses on ending violence against women and girls, social inclusion, and harmful cultural practices. She holds a PhD from SOAS, University of London, and has held roles at institutions like the University of East Anglia and London Metropolitan University before joining Portsmouth in 2011. She was promoted to Professor in 2017. Her work is supported by grants from the British Academy, ESRC, and AHRC. Bradley is also a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute. She currently supervises two PhD students on ESRC-funded projects and collaborates with organizations like Plan International and Stop Domestic Abuse. Her research integrates applied social anthropology with policy-relevant outcomes, addressing issues such as FGM, breast ironing, and gender-based violence in South Asia and Africa. Education: Bachelor's in Politics and Study of Religion (SOAS, 1996) MA in Social Anthropology of Development (SOAS, 1997) PGCE (University of Cambridge) PhD (SOAS, 2006) Research Focus: Ending violence against women and girls, harmful cultural practices, gender and social inclusion in South Asia/Africa, humanitarianism in conflict zones. Key Grants: £300k from British Academy (2018) for the 'Art Heritage, Resilience and Humanitarianism in South Sudan' project. External Roles: Council member of British Association of South Asian Studies (2014–2016), Editorial Board member of African Identities . Media Availability: Actively engages with media on gender-based violence and development topics. Bradley’s work bridges academic research and practical solutions, emphasizing community-led approaches. Her recent publications highlight intersections between culture, conflict, and gendered violence, with a focus on marginalized communities in South Sudan, Sudan, and South Asia.

• Ending violence against women and girls
• Social inclusion (gender, disability, mental health)
• Harmful cultural practices (FGM, forced marriage, breast ironing)
• +3 more

Dr David Grumett is a Senior Lecturer in Theology and Ethics at the University of Edinburgh's School of Divinity. He holds a BA(Hons), MPhil, and PhD, and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). His research focuses on theology, ethics, and philosophy, with particular attention to themes like sacramental theology, animal welfare, and historical theologians such as Henri de Lubac and Teilhard de Chardin. **Education**: BA(Hons) MPhil PhD SFHEA **Responsibilities**: Convener, Divinity Research Ethics Committee Academic cohort lead for Philosophy and Theology External roles include Assessor at the Office for Students and membership in the AHRC Peer Review College His work bridges theological theory with practical ethics, including animal ethics and liturgical studies. He has published extensively on sacramental theology, biblical interpretation, and contemporary ethical issues in Christianity.

• Theology
• Ethics
• Philosophy
• +3 more

Laura Vaughan is Professor of Urban Form and Society and Director of the Space Syntax Lab at The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. Her research examines the relationship between urban form and society using space syntax methodologies, addressing critical urban challenges including spatial inequalities, health disparities, poverty, housing, and socioeconomic vitality. She maintains active policy engagement through memberships in the West Yorkshire Scientific Advisory Group and as Chair of the International Space Syntax Executive Committee. Education includes: Doctor of Philosophy, University of London (1995-1999) Master of Science, University of London (1992-1994) Bachelor of Design, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design (1985-1989) Her research integrates space syntax methodology with urban geography and architecture to analyze how spatial configurations influence social patterns. Key interests include the historical evolution of urban segregation mechanisms, morphological predictors of community vitality, and geospatial determinants of public health outcomes. She maintains cross-disciplinary collaborations spanning public health, history, anthropology, and urban planning. Publication trends show consistent focus on urban morphology's societal impacts, with recent work emphasizing longitudinal health studies, historical cartography, and high street resilience. Methodological innovations include developing individual-level environmental exposure metrics and integrating geospatial analysis with cohort studies. Research consistently demonstrates how spatial configurations mediate social processes across temporal scales. Scientific recognition includes: Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (elected 2005) Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (elected 2015) As Director of the Space Syntax Lab, she leads research on socio-spatial systems and advises PhD students. She teaches the 'Urban Form and Society' module in the MSc/MRes Space Syntax program, exploring urban design's relationship with crime, health, and inequality. Her pedagogical approach emphasizes integrating research with design practice and historical analysis.

• Urban Form
• Space Syntax
• Urban Geography
• +5 more

Fabian Broeker is an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE. His research focuses on technology's role in everyday life, particularly examining social media, dating apps, and their intersections with intimacy, identity, and urban environments. He holds a PhD from King’s College London (2021) and an MSc in Digital Anthropology from UCL. Broeker’s monograph, Love and Technology (Routledge, 2023), details his Berlin-based ethnography of dating app users. Broeker is an Associate Member of the Digital Anthropology Lab at the University of Tübingen. His work merges academic research with filmmaking, having collaborated with institutions like the BFI and British Independent Film Awards. He also consults for tech firms like Google on digital media topics. His research interests include digital ethnography, platform studies, and the spatial dynamics of dating apps. Recent publications analyze dating app rituals, location-porting in tourism, and the evolving digital dynamics of intimacy. Broeker’s work often bridges anthropology, sociology, and urban studies to explore how digital technologies shape contemporary social practices.

• Digital Ethnography
• Social Media
• Platforms
• +4 more

Professor Johannes Zachhuber holds a professorship in Historical and Systematic Theology at the University of Oxford's Faculty of Theology and Religion. His research focuses on modern and postmodern theology, the Continental tradition of philosophy of religion (Kant, Schleiermacher, Hegel), theology of late antiquity, 19th-century theology, religion and politics, and theories of secularization. He examines theological institutions' role in shaping modern discourse while addressing contemporary debates on secularity. His scholarly work bridges historical theology with systematic inquiry, analyzing figures like Schleiermacher, Gregory of Nyssa, and Baur. Recent publications include studies on early Christian cosmology, Schleiermacher’s theology, and Baur’s historicist approach. He critiques secularization narratives and explores patristic thought’s philosophical dimensions. Publications span monographs, edited volumes, and reviews, reflecting his interdisciplinary engagement with theology’s historical and philosophical foundations. He contributes to debates on theology’s role in modern academia and society, emphasizing the interplay between historical context and theological reflection.

• Theology
• Philosophy of Religion
• Late Antiquity Theology
• +4 more

Lucia Dolce serves as the Numata Professor of Japanese Buddhism within the Department of Religions and Philosophies at SOAS University of London, part of the School of History, Religions and Philosophies. Her academic base is room 342 in the Russell Square: College Buildings campus. Her educational background includes: Laurea MA (University of Venice) PhD (Leiden University) Professor Dolce's research centers on two interconnected projects: first, the discourse on the body in medieval Japanese Buddhist rituals and its connections to continental Tantric practices, emphasizing ritual fluidity and performative theory applications; second, contemporary Buddhism-Shinto syncretism with focus on revival of premodern practices in Kyoto shrines. She also examines Tokyo's urban pilgrimage routes like the Seven Gods of Fortune, analyzing institutional negotiations and religious marketing dynamics. Her journal articles (1992-2023) consistently explore ritual knowledge transfer in Japanese Buddhism, with recent works on scriptural repurposing and tantric exegesis highlighting material culture and practice-centered approaches. Earlier publications establish foundational studies on Nichiren Buddhism's esoteric dimensions, astrological cults, and celestial body worship, revealing enduring thematic threads across three decades of scholarship. Scientific awards: No awards listed in provided text Advising and grants: She currently supervises four PhD candidates: Rachel Williams (Japanese Secularity), Haruka Saito (Repentance Rituals), Sooyeun Yang (Korean Astrological Buddhism), and Yeonju Lee (Korean Nationalism). Previous supervisees include twelve PhD graduates such as Emanuela Sala (2022, Sannō Shintō), Ronit Wang (2022, Thai Hell Parks), and multiple 2011 completions. Dolce led the Newton Fellowship-associated project 'The Lucky Gods of Tokyo' (2014-2016), investigating spatial politics in Buddhist-Shinto pilgrimage networks.

• Japanese Buddhism
• Medieval Japanese Religious Culture
• Ritual Studies
• +7 more

Professor Owen Davies is a faculty member at the University of Hertfordshire , affiliated with the History Department at the School of Creative Arts . His research spans witchcraft , magic , supernatural beliefs , and folklore , with a focus on interdisciplinary approaches integrating archaeology, anthropology, and biomedical studies. Key research areas : Witchcraft, Domestic Magic, Medical History, Electrification, Public History. Recent projects : AHRC-funded 'StoryMachine', Leverhulme 'Inner Lives', Wellcome Trust 'Harnessing the Power of the Criminal Corpse', and a new AHRC 3-year study on witch bottles. Selected publications : America Bewitched (2013), The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic (2017), Troubled by Faith (2023). Awards : Funded by AHRC, Wellcome Trust, and Leverhulme Trust. Collaborates with institutions like Museum of London Archaeology and University of Essex. Leads community engagement via the Heritage Hub and 'Electric Generations' exhibition.

• Witchcraft
• Magic
• Supernatural Beliefs
• +5 more

Professor Mary Augusta Brazelton is a Professor at the University of Cambridge's Department of History and Philosophy of Science and a Fellow of Jesus College. She serves as Director of Studies in Natural Sciences (History and Philosophy of Science) at Jesus College (on leave 2024-2025). Her academic work focuses on the history of science and medicine in modern China, with particular attention to global health, transportation technologies, and the intersection of science and state power. Education: BA (Harvard), MPhil and PhD (Yale). Awards include the 2020 Student-led Teaching Award and the 2019 Zhu Kezhen Senior Award. She is also a Trustee and Research Fellow of the Needham Research Institute and a Council member of the American Association for the History of Medicine. Her research explores topics such as mass vaccination policies in 20th-century China, Sino-French scientific collaborations, and the history of penicillin development. Current projects include studies on the Sino-French Institute in Lyon and transnational histories of civil aviation. Publications include Mass Vaccination: Citizens' Bodies and State Power in Modern China (2019) and China in Global Health: Past and Present (2023). She actively contributes to academic discussions through media engagements and international conferences.

• History of public/global health
• Global studies of science, technology, and medicine
• Modern Chinese history
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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

Claire Pippa Saling Burridge is a Researcher in the Department of History at the University of Oslo, focusing on early medieval health and medicine. Her work integrates textual analysis, archaeology, and codicology to study medical knowledge transmission. She is affiliated with the MINiTEXTS project examining marginal medical texts in manuscripts. Previously, she held a Leverhulme Trust Fellowship at the University of Sheffield and postdoctoral roles at the British School at Rome. Her research explores Carolingian medical practices, interdisciplinary methods, and the interplay between medical theory and practice in pre-1000 Europe. Education B.A. (Honors) in History & Medieval Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill MPhil and PhD in History, University of Cambridge Research Focus Burridge investigates medical minitexts in manuscripts, osteological evidence for dietary practices, and challenges stereotypes about early medieval surgical practices. She examines how medical knowledge was recorded in marginal notes and how religious elements influenced healing practices. Her work bridges textual analysis with material culture studies. Grants & Projects Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship: 'Crossroads: The Evolution of Early Medieval Medicine' MINiTEXTS project: 'Marginalized Voices in Early Medieval Latin Culture' Labs/Teams Active contributor to the International Summer School and the MINiTEXTS research group focusing on medieval manuscript culture.

• Early Medieval Medicine
• Medical History
• Manuscript Studies
• +3 more

Dr Elizabeth Hallam is an Associate Professor in Visual, Material, and Museum Anthropology at the University of Oxford's School of Anthropology & Museum Ethnography. She holds additional roles as a Research Affiliate at the Pitt Rivers Museum, Fellow of St Peter's College, and Director of the Interdisciplinary Studies in Cultural Anthropology (ISCA). Her research focuses on the anthropology of the body, death, material and visual cultures, human anatomy, and three-dimensional models in medical education. She is also the Editor of the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute and has curated exhibitions such as 'Designing Bodies: Models of Human Anatomy from 1945 to Now'. Her academic journey includes a BA and PhD from the University of Kent, followed by positions at the University of Sussex and Aberdeen University. She has authored/co-authored influential works like Anatomy Museum: Death and the Body Displayed (2016), which won the Wellcome Medal. Her current projects explore museums of anatomy, 3D modeling in anthropology, and collaborative art practices. Key research themes include death and memorializing processes, the role of material culture in knowledge production, and interdisciplinary studies on creativity and improvisation. She advises four DPhil students and has been involved in ARC-funded projects on cemetery futures and postmortem practices. Awards: Wellcome Medal for Anthropology as Applied to Medical Problems (2016) Grants: Projects funded by the Australian Research Council, Henry Moore Foundation, and Royal College of Surgeons Labs/Teams: Collaborations with University of Melbourne and curatorial networks in Europe/USA

• Anthropology of the Body
• Death and Dying
• Material and Visual Cultures
• +6 more

Professor Maria H.A. Jaschok is a Senior Research Associate at the Contemporary China Studies Programme in the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA), University of Oxford. Formerly Director of the International Gender Studies Centre at Lady Margaret Hall (2000–2018), she also held a Visiting Professorship at King’s College London (2019–2021). A Life Fellow of the Global China Academy, her work focuses on Chinese Muslim women’s mosques, gendered religious practices, and feminist ethnography. Education: PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. Extensive fieldwork in China, including prolonged residence in Shunde County, Guangdong, and collaborations with scholars like Shui Jingjun. Research Interests: Anthropology of religion (Islam), feminist methodologies, oral history, gendered identity, and the sociology of the body. Her studies explore marginalized voices in Chinese Muslim communities, particularly women’s agency through religious institutions and oral traditions. Recent Work: Co-editing a volume on Islam in China and ethnography, and leading research on sensory anthropology of women’s mosques. Current projects include a monograph on feminist debates around voice and silence in Chinese Muslim traditions, and a study of the Beijing World Women’s Congress (1995). Awards: Life Fellowship at the Global China Academy, London. Supervision: Advising four students on topics like queer identity in Chinese cyberspace, generational marital conflicts, and homonationalism in the Middle East (2023–2025). Labs/Teams: Collaborates with ethnomusicologists and Islamic studies researchers on projects funded by the Leverhulme Trust and King’s College London, focusing on cross-cultural feminist research and soundscapes in religious spaces.

• Anthropology
• Gender Studies
• Gender & Development
• +9 more

Dr. Julieta Chaparro-Buitrago is a Wellcome Trust Early Career Fellow in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge, specializing in decolonial approaches to reproductive justice across Latin America. Her work bridges anthropology, gender studies, and environmental sociology through critical examinations of colonial power structures. Her educational foundation includes a PhD from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she received the Oriol Pi-Sunyer Dissertation Prize and multiple research awards recognizing her groundbreaking work on forced sterilization in Peru. Chaparro-Buitrago's research centers on how colonial legacies and extractive industries shape reproductive experiences of indigenous and peasant women. She develops innovative frameworks like Reproductive Extractivism to analyze connections between land exploitation, environmental contamination, and bodily sovereignty, challenging Western-centric reproductive rights paradigms through decolonial feminist methodologies. Her publication trajectory reveals expanding scope from Peru-focused ethnography to transnational comparisons (US, China) and environmental dimensions, consistently centering peasant epistemologies while critiquing state violence and repro-normative hierarchies. Her scientific recognition includes: Wellcome Trust Early Career Award (2022) Oriol Pi-Sunyer Dissertation Prize (2021) Armelagos-Swedlund Graduate Research Award (2018) Richard B. Woodbury Award (2015) Pre-Dissertation Research Award (2013) Her Wellcome-funded project on reproduction in Peru's extractive zones drives interdisciplinary collaboration with Cambridge Reproduction and the Cambridge Lactation Network, generating policy interventions for environmental reproductive justice amid climate crisis. She actively shapes discourse through the Cambridge Reproduction Forum and Reading Group, fostering cross-departmental dialogue on decolonizing reproduction research while mentoring emerging scholars in critical feminist methodologies.

• Reproductive Justice
• Decolonial Feminisms
• Reproductive Violence
• +6 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 Yannis Galanakis is an Associate Professor in Classics (Classical Art & Archaeology) at the University of Cambridge, affiliated with the Department of Archaeology and the Faculty of Classics . He serves as Director of Archives and is a Fellow and Director of Studies at Sidney Sussex College . His research spans Aegean art and archaeology, with a focus on mortuary practices, social complexity, and the socio-political dimensions of the past. Academic Appointments : Associate Professor (Classical Art & Archaeology), Director of Archives (Faculty of Classics) Research Clusters : Aegean archaeology, museum studies, material culture, cultural heritage Key contributions include studies on Mycenaean frescoes, Late Bronze Age Attica, and the ethical challenges in antiquities trade. His work bridges Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches. Recent publications address funerary architecture and the domestication of death in the Aegean Bronze Age. Notable affiliations include: Leverhululme Early Career Fellowship (hosting institution) Cambridge Heritage Research Centre McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research Dr Galanakis supervises PhD students and contributes to teaching, archival management, and academic governance.

• Aegean Art and Archaeology
• Mortuary Archaeology
• Social Complexity
• +7 more