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Professor Ruth Holliday holds the position of Professor of Gender and Culture at the University of Leeds since 2006, where she has also served as Director of Studies for the Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies, Director of Research and Innovation, and Director of Recruitment and Admissions for the School of Sociology and Social Policy. Previously, she worked at Staffordshire University and Birmingham City University, and served as a Visiting Professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Her research expertise spans cultural sociology, body studies, material culture, medical tourism, and gender relations, with a focus on low fertility and East Asian cultural contexts. Her academic qualifications include a PhD in Sociology and a BA in Electronics and Management Science. She has contributed to over 50 articles and 7 books, including the award-winning Beautyscapes (2019), which explored global cosmetic surgery tourism and won the Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness Book Prize in 2020. Her work on kitsch aesthetics and visual methodologies has also been influential, particularly in understanding class, gender, and race through taste politics. Ruth’s current research projects include studying low fertility cultures’ impacts on gender identities and a project on the cultural meaning of the penis in gender construction. She teaches modules such as Theorizing Gender and Contested Bodies at the MA level, emphasizing critical approaches to gender and embodiment. Key Projects: ESRC-funded 'Building Capacity in Visual Research' and collaborative work on medical tourism in East Asia and Europe. Awards: 2020 Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness Book Prize. Supervision: Active in mentoring PhD students researching the body, intimacy, and low fertility in China and Korea. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges sociology, cultural studies, and visual methodologies, with a commitment to ethnographic fieldwork and global comparative analysis.

• Cultural Sociology
• Body Studies
• Cosmetic Surgery
• +6 more

Professor David Bell is a Professor of Cultural Geography at the University of Leeds , affiliated with the School of Geography under the Faculty of Environment. His work bridges critical human geography and cultural studies , emphasizing interdisciplinary connections. PhD, University of Birmingham MPhil, CNAA, Staffordshire University BSc, Geography and Geology, Keele University His research spans cultural policy , urban and rural cultures , consumption and lifestyle , science and technology , and sexuality , with a focus on integrating these areas. Current projects include hospitality and the city , cosmetic surgery tourism , and cultural policy . David Bell is a member of the Centre for Cultural Policy and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies at the University of Leeds. He supervises PhD students in areas such as Geographies of sexualities , Food & drink , Hospitality & space , and Art & geography . He contributes to the BA (Hons) Geography programme and is part of the Social Justice, Cities, Citizenship and Sustainable Cities research groups.

• cultural policy
• urban and rural cultures
• consumption (especially food and drink)
• +9 more

Tim Weyrich is Professor of Visual Computing (part-time) at University College London and Professor of Digital Reality at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg. He leads the Digital Reality Lab and has affiliations with the Virtual Environments and Computer Graphics group at UCL, Eurographics, and the EPSRC Doctoral Training Centre (SEAHA). Previously, he held a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship at Princeton University. Research Interests: Content creation and computational photography Appearance modeling and fabrication Point-based graphics and cultural heritage analysis Digital humanities and 3D printing Article Trends: Recent work focuses on neural radiance fields (FruitNeRF++), 3D Gaussian splatting, mmWave radar inverse rendering, and texture anomaly detection. Applications span autonomous systems, cultural heritage, and medical imaging. Scientific Awards: Best Paper Honourable Mention (BMVC 2022) Best Student Paper Award (EG Workshop on GCH 2014) Honorable Mention (Eurographics 2011) Best Student Paper Honourable Mention (BMVC 2018) ACM SIGCHI Best Paper Honourable Mention (CHI 2013)

• Visual Computing
• Computer Graphics
• Cultural Heritage Analysis
• +5 more

Melissa Atkinson is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, affiliated with the Bath Centre for Mindfulness and Compassion. Her research focuses on eating disorders, body image, and prevention strategies, with a particular emphasis on mindfulness and cognitive dissonance approaches across schools, universities, and online platforms. She directs the MSc in Applied Clinical Psychology program and accepts PhD students researching eating disorders or body image. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to good health and well-being. She has led a funded project on counter-stereotypes and feminist identification in body image research (2018). Recent publications (2024–2025) address digital interventions for disordered eating, online CBT for perfectionism in students, and teacher-led prevention programs in schools. Notable datasets include studies on university student mental health priorities and decentering techniques for body dissatisfaction. Her interventions emphasize theoretical rigor and real-world impact, often leveraging technology for scalable solutions.

• Eating Disorders
• Body Image
• Prevention Strategies
• +4 more

Kirsty Garbett is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Appearance Research, University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). She specializes in applied body image research, focusing on developing and validating interventions to improve body confidence across diverse populations. Her work spans cross-cultural adaptations of body image programs in India, Indonesia, and Brazil, emphasizing scalability and digital delivery. Key areas: Body image interventions, social media impact, cosmetic procedures, psychosocial measurement tools Collaborations: Dove Self-Esteem Project, international academics, media experts Methods: RCTs, cross-cultural validation, systematic reviews Kirsty's recent research includes systematic reviews of cosmetic surgery outcomes, social media-based interventions for Indonesian women, and school programs for adolescents. She also investigates the validation of psychological tools like the Body Esteem Scale and ChEDE-Q across languages and cultures. Her publications highlight trends in digital interventions , cross-cultural adaptation , and psychosocial measurement , with a focus on low- and middle-income settings. While no scientific awards are listed, her work demonstrates rigorous methodological innovation in scaling evidence-based programs. Qualifications: DPhil in Health Psychology (UWE Bristol, 2022), MSc in Health Psychology (Nottingham, 2013), BSc in Psychology (Strathclyde, 2011).

• Body Image
• Eating Disorder Prevention
• Measures Validation
• +6 more

Cinzia Greco is a Research Fellow at the University of Manchester's Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine (CHSTM). She holds a PhD in Health, Population and Social Policies from the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS). Her work bridges medical anthropology, gender studies, and the history of medicine, with a focus on cancer, medical uncertainty, and neurodiversity. Currently, she leads a Wellcome Trust-funded project on medical uncertainty in conditions like fibromyalgia and Long Covid. She has held prestigious fellowships, including the Newton International Fellowship and Wellcome Trust Research Fellowship. Greco also co-edits the journal Anthropologie&Santé and coordinates the Research Skill Module, Science and Society. Education: PhD in Health, Population and Social Policies (EHESS, 2016) Master of Arts in Gender, Politics and Sexuality (EHESS) Master of Arts in Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology (University of Bologna) Italian Literature (University of Lecce-Salento) Research Interests: Medical uncertainty and patient-clinician dynamics Social and cultural dimensions of cancer (breast/lung) Neurodiversity, autism, and gender Healthcare policy and medical innovation Her recent work explores how medical systems shape experiences of uncertainty, with projects like Assemblages of Cancer and a forthcoming monograph on autism and feminism. Awards: Wellcome Trust Research Fellowship (2018–2021) Newton International Fellowship (2016–2018) Barbara Rosenblum Dissertation Scholarship (2016) Greco advises on clinical academic pathways and contributes to ethics committees. She leads the Autism@Manchester project and engages in public-facing initiatives like art exhibitions on disability.

• Medical Anthropology
• Gender Studies
• Cancer Research
• +4 more

Jacqueline Sanchez Taylor is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the Department of Law and Criminology, Royal Holloway, University of London. Her research focuses on intersections of gender, race, and sexuality in contexts like sexual exploitation, cosmetic surgery tourism, and anti-trafficking policies. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Leicester (2001). Key research areas include: Commercial sexual exchanges and sex tourism Cosmetic surgery tourism marketing discourses Racial disparities in maternal care systems Policy responses to child sex tourism Recent projects include a British Academy-funded study on business responses to child sex tourism and a European Research Council project on cosmetic surgery tourism between the UK and Australia. She currently co-leads research on ethnic disparities in maternal healthcare across Finland, Spain, UK, and Germany. Professional Contributions: Advisor to EU trafficking initiatives and The Breast Implant Registry Member of Nuffield Council of Ethics Speaker at Commonwealth governmental conferences Media commentator on beauty standards, sex work, and race Teaching: Leads undergraduate modules on Sociology and Race/Ethnicity studies, and supervises PhD students in gender/race/sexuality research.

• Sociology of Gender
• Race and Ethnicity
• Sexuality Studies
• +5 more

Alanna Skuse is an Associate Professor in the Department of English Literature at the University of Reading, part of the School of Humanities. Her research examines medicine, identity, and embodiment in early modern England, with a focus on surgical practices, self-wounding, and the intersections of literature and medical history. She holds a Wellcome Trust Award for her project on self-inflicted wounds in early modern texts and actively engages in public humanities initiatives through writing and radio appearances. Skuse's work bridges literary studies and medical humanities, exploring how bodily alterations (e.g., amputations, mastectomies) influenced cultural identity debates. Her books include Surgery and Selfhood in Early Modern England (Cambridge, 2021) and Constructions of Cancer in Early Modern England (Palgrave, 2015). She co-directs the interdisciplinary Centre for Health Humanities and leads research groups on identities and diversity/inclusion within her department. Her publications analyze topics like castration narratives, prosthetic limbs in theater, and early modern medical ethics. Skuse advocates for open-access research and collaborates with artist-practitioners to foster public engagement. She supervises postgraduate students in early modern studies and health humanities.

• Medical Humanities
• Early Modern Literature
• History of Medicine
• +3 more

Haipeng Liu is an Assistant Professor in the Centre for Intelligent Healthcare at Coventry University. His research focuses on cardiovascular system modeling, biosignal processing, wearable nanosensors, and AI-driven diagnostics. He has supervised over 100 research outputs and holds editorial roles in journals like Frontiers in Physiology and Electronics . His work bridges clinical needs with technological innovation, particularly in healthcare technology and cardiovascular diagnostics. Research Interests: Computational modeling of cardiovascular systems, AI-enhanced diagnostics, wearable sensors, and medical imaging. Key Awards: British Heart Foundation Travel Award (2019), First Prize in National Mathematics Competition (2011). Collaborations: Active in global research networks, including the World Stroke Organization. His recent work emphasizes machine learning applications in cardiology and stroke diagnostics, with publications in Physics of Fluids , European Journal of Radiology , and Frontiers in Genetics . He is a sought-after advisor for PhD students exploring healthcare technology.

• Cardiovascular System Modelling
• Biosignal Processing
• Wearable Nanosensors
• +5 more

Dr. Nicole Paraskeva is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR) within the Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences at the University of the West of England. She holds a Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology from UWE (2016) and an MSc in Health Psychology from the University of Bath (2011). Her research specializes in body image dynamics across clinical and community settings, with a focus on vulnerable populations including adolescents, cancer survivors, and individuals considering cosmetic procedures. She leads a multinational project evaluating body acceptance interventions in partnership with the World Association for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and Unilever's Dove Self-Esteem Project. Methodologically, she employs: Randomized controlled trials Systematic reviews Qualitative analysis of patient experiences Shared decision-making tool development Her work integrates partnerships with NHS England, Breast Cancer Now, British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, and Department of Health. She frequently presents on body image, psychosocial oncology, and cosmetic surgery ethics.

• Body Image
• Health Psychology
• Psychosocial Aspects of Cancer
• +4 more

Professor Lynda Wyld is a leading academic and clinician in surgical oncology at the University of Sheffield, affiliated with the School of Medicine and Population Health. She serves as Professor of Surgical Oncology and is an Honorary Consultant Breast Surgeon at the Jasmine Breast Centre, Doncaster. Her extensive clinical and research work focuses on improving outcomes for older women with breast cancer. Lynda Wyld earned her medical degree (MBChB) and PhD from the University of Sheffield in 1990. She completed basic surgical training in Leeds and higher surgical training across Sheffield, Nottingham, and Manchester. She was appointed Consultant and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield in 2002. Her research interests center on surgical oncology, particularly breast cancer in older women, treatment decision-making, quality of life, and de-escalation of therapy. She leads the multicentre 'Age Gap' trial, which investigates optimal care pathways and decision support tools for older women with breast cancer. Her work also spans psychosocial outcomes in familial breast cancer, epigenetic modifiers of BRCA, and axillary surgery trends. Her recent publications (2023–2025) reflect a strong focus on geriatric oncology, patient-reported outcomes, and surgical decision-making. Key themes include frailty assessment, long-term outcomes of breast reconstruction, patient satisfaction with mastectomy without reconstruction, and global trends in axillary surgery de-escalation. Her research combines clinical trials, cohort studies, and qualitative methods. Chief Investigator, Age Gap Trial Collaborator with University of Cardiff, SCHARR, and Sheffield Hallam University Active contributor to European guidelines in breast cancer surgery Professor Wyld has supervised and collaborated with numerous researchers and clinicians, including J. Morgan, M. Reed, K. Collins, and others. She has no listed scientific awards in the provided text. She leads a multidisciplinary research group focused on improving cancer care for older and vulnerable populations.

• Surgical Oncology
• Breast Cancer
• Geriatric Oncology
• +12 more

Clare Chambers is a Professor of Political Philosophy and a Fellow at Jesus College, University of Cambridge. Her work bridges feminism , liberalism , and bioethics , focusing on social justice and bodily integrity. Her research spans key areas such as: Gender equality and beauty norms Liberal theories of autonomy Political implications of unmodified bodies Intersectionality in feminist thought Legal and ethical aspects of body modification Recent publications like Intact (2022) and Freedom & Equality (2024) emphasize how bodily autonomy intersects with social justice, critiquing practices from cosmetic surgery to gender recognition frameworks. Academic articles employ analytical and continental philosophy traditions to examine autonomy, equality, and state neutrality. Notable awards include: 2018 David Easton Award She contributes to public discourse through media appearances and serves on editorial boards while holding leadership roles at Jesus College and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

• Political Philosophy
• Feminist Theory
• Liberalism
• +3 more

Dr. Anthony McGarry is a Senior Teaching Fellow in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde's Faculty of Engineering. With over 50 research outputs spanning two decades, his work focuses on prosthetics, orthotics, biomechanics, and rehabilitation engineering. His research has significantly contributed to understanding prosthetic socket design, gait analysis, measurement reliability, and physical activity in amputees. His research interests encompass a wide range of topics including prosthetics and orthotics, biomechanics, gait analysis, CAD/CAM systems, measurement reliability, physical activity in amputees, rehabilitation engineering, lower limb amputation, microprocessor prosthetics, and 3D printing applications. His work often bridges clinical practice with engineering solutions, focusing on improving patient outcomes through technological innovation. Dr. McGarry's recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate continued innovation in the field, with work on 3D-printed cranial helmets, vision-based motion capture for gait analysis, and service quality assessment in prosthetics and orthotics. His research shows a consistent trend toward improving measurement techniques, enhancing prosthetic design, and understanding patient experiences. His scientific achievements include: Converge Challenge Competition runner up (2024) PCAD Prosthetic CAD shape capture in a weight bearing environment award (2022) FIA Foundation Research Award Dr. McGarry has been actively involved in research projects including the PCAD project (2023-2025) focusing on prosthetic CAD shape capture in weight-bearing environments, and has supervised three research students. His work on the reliability of measurement systems, particularly goniometers and activity monitors, has been widely cited and has influenced clinical practice. His research group at Strathclyde focuses on developing innovative solutions for prosthetic and orthotic challenges, with particular emphasis on measurement systems, CAD/CAM applications, and patient-centered outcomes. Current projects are exploring how weight-bearing environments affect prosthetic socket design and how emerging technologies can improve clinical outcomes.

• Prosthetics and Orthotics
• Biomechanics
• Gait Analysis
• +7 more

Carol Lane is a Visiting Professor at the University of Surrey, affiliated with the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences and the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. She holds a PhD in Clinical Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia and additional qualifications in medicine and management from institutions like McGill University and the Institute of Directors. Education: PhD Clinical Neuroscience, University of British Columbia MSc Psychiatry, McGill University Chartered Director (ICD.D), Institute of Directors Her research focuses on translational medical research, integrating engineering and physical sciences with medical applications. Key areas include PET/MRI imaging, medical device development, and pharmaceutical R&D. She also leads initiatives like the Mapping of Health and Medical Research Assets at Surrey and co-supervises PhD research in Quantum Biology and Artificial Retinas. Carol has been recognized with the Tony Jeans Inspirational Teaching Prize and is an Honouree of Women In™ Science . Her work bridges academia and industry, with collaborations involving the NHS, NIHR, and multinational entities like King Abdulla Economic City (Saudi Arabia). Her teaching spans engineering leadership, research methods, and neuroimaging, while her grants include Leverhulme-funded projects and AI-driven traffic control studies. She also serves as a non-executive director in healthcare and R&D sectors.

• Medical Imaging (PET/MRI)
• Research Management
• Medical Device R&D
• +5 more

Shehzad Naroo is a Professor of Optometry at Aston University's College of Health and Life Sciences, leading the Optometry & Vision Science Research Group. He holds editorial roles (Editor-in-Chief of Contact Lens and Anterior Eye ) and global leadership positions, including former Global President of IACLE (2011-2021). His research focuses on contact lenses, dry eye, corneal biomechanics, refractive surgery, and presbyopia management. With over £3M in research funding (including EU Horizon 2020), he has supervised 22 higher degrees (14 PhDs) and currently mentors 10 students. Awards include the 2015 World Council of Optometry International Optometrist of the Year and 2023 Allama Iqbal Award for Academia. Education: BSc (Hons) in Ophthalmic Optics (Aston, 1992), MSc (Manchester, 1996), PhD (Optical Problems in Laser Surgery, Manchester, 2003). Fellowships include FAAO, FCOptom, FIACLE, and SFHEA via research excellence. His work spans 50+ countries, with collaborations in vision science, optics, and healthcare economics. Recent research emphasizes contact lens innovations, pandemic-era practice adaptations, and global optometry education. He advocates for sustainable eye care practices and has pioneered solutions for underserved regions through non-profit partnerships.

• Contact Lenses
• Dry Eye
• Corneal Biomechanics
• +8 more