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Dr. Anna A. Berman serves as Associate Professor of Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature and Culture within the Slavonic Studies section of the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics at the University of Cambridge, where she is also a Fellow of Clare College. Previously, she held an Associate Professorship at McGill University's Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures in Montreal, Canada. Her academic credentials include: B.A. from Brown University M.Phil. from the University of Cambridge Ph.D. from Princeton University Dr. Berman's research centers on nineteenth-century Russian and English novels, with specialized focus on family structures, kinship dynamics, love, and marriage. She extensively examines the intersection of scientific thought (particularly Darwinism and Mechnikov's phagocyte theory) with literary production, alongside operatic adaptations of Russian classics. Her current scholarly mission prioritizes recovering the legacy of marginalized nineteenth-century Russian women novelists, especially Nadezhda Khvoshchinskaya and Evgenia Tur. Her publication trajectory reveals sustained investigation into familial relationships within nineteenth-century literature, with sibling dynamics constituting a dominant theme across both Russian and English novels. She has pioneered critical analysis of science-literature dialogues in Russian contexts while recently shifting toward feminist recovery projects that challenge canonical exclusions in Russian literary history. Dr. Berman actively supervises postgraduate research, welcoming MPhil and PhD candidates pursuing topics aligned with her expertise in nineteenth-century Russian literature, comparative family narratives, and science-literature intersections. Within Cambridge's academic ecosystem, she contributes to the Slavonic Studies research community and participates in the Cambridge Centre for Central and East European Studies (CamCCEEES), advancing collaborative scholarship on Eastern European cultural production.

• Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature
• Nineteenth-Century English Literature
• Family and Kinship in Literature
• +3 more

Dr. Hannah Crawforth is a Reader in Early Modern Literature at King's College London, based in the Department of English within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities. She has been affiliated with King's since 2009, following her PhD from Princeton University. Her research focuses on Early Modern English Literature, Poetics, Greek tragedy, and the works of John Milton, with a particular interest in transhistorical dialogues between early modern texts and contemporary African-American poetry. Her current projects include exploring the political dimensions of Greek tragedy in revolutionary contexts and analyzing African-American poets' engagements with early modern works. She has co-authored influential publications such as Shakespeare's London and edited volumes like The Sonnets: The State of Play . Crawforth actively collaborates with institutions like Shakespeare's Globe and contributes to public engagement through radio appearances and festival committees. Her teaching spans Early Modern poetry, classical reception, and race/gender studies, including supervising MA and PhD students. She co-convenes an MA in Early Modern Literature with the British Library. Research grants include the Leverhulme-funded project A European English: Milton and the 'questione della lingua' . Education: PhD in English Literature from Princeton University (2009) Key Collaborations: With Elizabeth Scott-Baumann on Shakespearean poetry projects and the Globe's Shakespeare and Race festival. Her work bridges historical and modern literary analysis, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to Early Modern texts and their contemporary resonances. Recent publications include articles on Spenser and DuBois, C.H. Sisson's anachronistic poetics, and Shakespearean sonnet criticism.

• Early Modern Literature
• Poetics
• Greek Tragedy
• +5 more

Dr. Siobhan Magee is a Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh's School of Social and Political Science. She holds a PhD from Edinburgh and has held postdoctoral positions at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities and the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. Her research focuses on kinship, marriage, gender, and material culture, with fieldwork conducted in Poland, the UK, and the US. She is currently completing a book on marriage in the US and exploring topics like children's biographies, philanthropy in higher education, and sun protection in Scotland. Teaching responsibilities include courses on the Anthropology of Sex and Reproduction, Kinship, and Ethnographies of the US. She coordinates the Kinship Hub and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations on themes like transnational relationships and inclusive education. Dr. Magee is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has published extensively on topics ranging from Polish fur trade dynamics to graphic memoirs and legal marriage frameworks. Education: PhD, MSc, and BA in Social Anthropology from the University of Edinburgh. Research Themes: Kinship and relatedness, gender/sexuality, material culture, US political anthropology, and children's narratives. Current Projects: Philanthropy in universities, sun protection policies, and children's biographical literature. Her work bridges intimate relationships and broader socio-political contexts, emphasizing ethical and historical dimensions. She has contributed to academic journals like Cultural Anthropology and Current Anthropology , and her research has been featured in media including BBC Radio 4.

• Kinship Studies
• Marriage and Family Dynamics
• Gender and Sexuality
• +8 more

Fiona McCall is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Portsmouth , affiliated with the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences and the School of Area Studies, Sociology, History, Politics and Literature . She is associated with the Centre of Excellence for Heritage Innovation and the Centre for European & International Studies Research , working from Park Building, Portsmouth. Her research spans the English Civil War and Interregnum period, focusing on clergy communities, religious practices, loyalist experiences, and societal conflicts. Key themes include the impact of war on family structures, local religious tolerance/intolerance, and secular legal responses to religious offenses. Recent publications analyze baptismal divisions, clergy resilience, and post-war reconstruction. She has authored articles in journals like Studies in Church History and The Seventeenth Century , and edited works such as Church and People in Interregnum Britain . Her book Baal's Priests examines loyalist clergy during the English Revolution. McCall engages in peer-reviewed contributions, book reviews, and scholarly editions, often exploring historical documentation and memory. She actively accepts PhD students, though specific advisees are not listed in the provided materials.

• English Civil War
• Interregnum Britain
• Religious Practice
• +3 more

Dr. Marie-Claire Barnet is a Researcher at the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Durham University. Her work focuses on 20th-21st Century French Literature, Visual Art, Gender Studies, and Critical Theory, with a particular emphasis on the intersections of autobiography, self-portraiture, and word-image interactions. Research Themes: Contemporary French literature, feminist reinterpretation of art, interdisciplinary approaches to visual culture, and theoretical engagements with space/gender. Key Collaborations: Co-editor of special issues on women’s spatial conceptualizations, contributor to studies on Agnès Varda and Marie NDiaye. Her recent publications (2020) analyze plural readings in film, gender critiques in museum contexts, and collaborative narrative frameworks. Earlier works explore surrealism’s legacy, suburban geographies in French cinema, and the fantastic in women’s writing.

• 20th-21st Century French Literature
• Visual Art
• Gender Studies
• +4 more

Professor Dimitris Papanikolaou is a leading scholar of Modern Greek literature, queer theory, and cultural studies at the University of Oxford's Faculty of Medieval & Modern Languages. He is also a Fellow of St. Cross College. His work explores intersections between literature, cinema, and popular culture, with a focus on queer theory, biopolitical realism, and the socio-political dimensions of Greek identity. Papanikolaou’s research includes monographs on Cavafy’s queer poetics, Greek cinema’s 'Weird Wave', and the representation of family in crisis-era culture. He has led major projects like the HIV/AIDS Political Archive (TORCH-funded) and co-founded Greek Studies Now, a interdisciplinary platform. His teaching spans Modern Greek literature, queer theory, and film studies, with supervisory roles over fourteen completed doctoral theses. Key interests include queer politics, crisis-era cultural analysis, and the role of archives in memory-making. He frequently engages in public debates on Greek identity, LGBTQ+ rights, and cultural heritage through lectures, curated film programs, and media collaborations. Recent initiatives include co-editing volumes on Greek cinema and the Global South, while his upcoming projects address homophobia, racism, and citizenship in Greece. Papanikolaou’s work bridges academic rigor with public engagement, influencing both scholarly discourse and social activism.

• Modern Greek Literature
• Cultural Studies
• Queer Theory
• +7 more

Dr Jonathan Spangler is a Senior Lecturer in History at Manchester Metropolitan University, specializing in early modern European history with a focus on aristocratic culture, royal courts, and frontier identities. He holds degrees from the College of William & Mary, Oxford University (MSt), and a DPhil from Oxford, focusing on the Lorraine-Guise family’s role at Louis XIV’s court. His research explores elite identities in border regions like Lorraine, royal court dynamics, and the roles of secondary royal family members (e.g., second sons, widows). His teaching emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to European history, integrating art, literature, and film. He has held visiting roles at the University of Lorraine, University of Lisbon, and the Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften. He serves on editorial boards for journals like The Court Historian and contributes to organizations such as the Society for Court Studies and the Centre de Recherche du Château de Versailles. Key research interests include the Duchy of Lorraine’s history, the political roles of French kings’ brothers (Monsieur), and women’s agency in early modern nobility. His work bridges cultural, political, and social history, with publications analyzing court rituals, dynastic strategies, and trans-regional aristocratic networks. Education: Bachelor’s: College of William & Mary MSt: Oxford University DPhil: Oxford University (Dissertation: Lorraine-Guise family at Louis XIV’s court) Recent Research Projects: Completion of a history of Lorraine’s court nobility Study of French kings’ brothers’ political roles Analysis of noblewomen’s patronage and power His articles often address themes like absolutism, court symbolism, and cross-border elite strategies. He has been awarded fellowships by the Royal Historical Society and the Higher Education Academy. Media engagements include BBC, Swedish Dagbladet, and Korean radio, discussing modern monarchy and historical parallels. He supervises postgraduate research on topics like Lorraine’s Grand Tour, Elizabethan court culture, and noble identity in Edwardian Britain. His work frequently highlights marginalized figures (e.g., widows, second sons) and their contributions to early modern power structures.

• Early Modern European History
• French Monarchy
• Aristocratic Culture
• +7 more

Guy Jacobs is a Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, Department of Archaeology, specializing in evolutionary genetics and microbiome ecology. His work combines large-scale genomic datasets with computational modeling to investigate human evolutionary history, archaic hominin interactions, and microbiome dynamics during subsistence transitions in traditionally hunter-gatherer communities across India and Indonesia. Primary focus on population genetics, human adaptation, and social network impacts Expertise in computational modeling of evolutionary processes Collaborations with C-CLEAR DTP and CREATES partnerships Research spans ancient DNA analysis, archaic introgression patterns, and the interplay between genetic ancestry, environment, and health outcomes. Key projects include studies of Denisovan ancestry in Island Southeast Asia, microbiome differentiation in lifestyle transitions, and sociocultural influences on genetic diversity. Recent publications highlight trends in human adaptation to malaria and high-altitude environments, microbiome evolution during urbanization, and computational methods for detecting selective sweeps. His work integrates genomic data with social and environmental variables to address questions in biological diversity and human phenotypic variation. As part of the Cambridge NERC Doctoral Landscape Awards, he supervises students on topics ranging from archaic introgression analysis to genetic disease mapping. He utilizes datasets from Indonesia, India, and the Indonesian archipelago, combining genetic, transcriptomic, and mobility data in his research.

• Evolutionary genetics
• Population genetics
• Human evolutionary biology
• +12 more

Philip Heslop is a Lecturer in the Department of Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing within the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Northumbria University. His academic work centers on social work practice with specific focus areas including autism, foster care, kinship care, and engagement with male carers and fathers. Dr. Heslop's research interests span multiple critical areas within social work practice, with particular emphasis on social work with autistic people , foster care systems , kinship care arrangements , and engagement with fathers and male carers . His work demonstrates a commitment to improving social work practice through evidence-based approaches and community involvement. His recent publications (2022-2025) show a strong focus on autism-related social work, with multiple studies examining safety planning for autistic adults, social workers' perceptions of autism training, and the development of practice guides. The research trends indicate a growing emphasis on adapting mainstream social work practices to better serve autistic populations, particularly in mental health contexts. Dr. Heslop serves as Principal Investigator for the research project "Supporting autistic people as they age: equipping social workers to work with autistic people" (funded by Instituto Nacional de Investigaço em Saúde, Angola, 2023-2025, £14,919.00). His professional activities include significant involvement with the British Association of Social Work (BASW), where he chairs the Special Interest Group on social work with autistic people and people with learning disabilities, contributes to CPD pathway development, and participates in the Homes not Hospitals initiative. His academic background includes a PhD in Childcare (2015), an MA in Education (2007), and a BA (Hons) in Sociology and Social Policy (1985). He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2015) and a registered Social Worker with the Health & Care Professional Council (2014).

• Social Work
• Autism
• Foster Care
• +3 more

Professor Rosemary Auchmuty is a leading academic at the University of Reading's School of Law, serving as REF Co-Lead. Her career spans feminist legal theory, property law, and legal history. Prior to law, she authored works on women's history and children's literature, including Australia's Daughters and A World of Girls . She co-edited the Encyclopaedia of School Stories and contributed to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature . Her research focuses on feminist legal education and property law, with notable works like Great Debates in Gender and Law (2018) and Gender and Careers in the Legal Academy (2021). She has held leadership roles in the Society of Legal Scholars and the Socio-Legal Studies Association. A play based on her legal history work, The Disappearance of Miss Bebb , highlighted her scholarship on women in law. Internationally, she chaired the ISA Research Committee's Working Group on Legal Professions, organizing conferences in Andorra, Portugal, Brazil, and Canada. Her 2023 Festschrift, Rethinking Feminist Legal Theory , reflects her academic impact. Awards include RSA and HEA fellowships. Her legacy includes the Women's Legal Landmarks project (2018), a 300,000-word collection commemorating women's legal milestones. Current work emphasizes feminist critiques of marriage, property rights, and legal education reforms.

• Feminist Legal Theory
• Property Law
• Legal History
• +3 more

Dr. Julie Walsh is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Sheffield's School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations, where she has been employed since 2016 (promoted to Lecturer in 2018). Her work bridges academic research and community practice through critical examinations of family dynamics within migration and welfare contexts. Her educational background includes: BA (Hons) International English from University of Hull MSc Applied Social Research from University of Hull PhD in Sociology, Anthropology & Gender Studies from University of Hull Walsh's research investigates how immigration policy intersects with social care practice through the lens of 'everyday bordering,' examining impacts on migrant families and practitioners. Her work explores cross-cultural constructions of family, state-family relationships, and community connectivity using innovative qualitative methodologies. She emphasizes collaborative community engagement and challenges dominant narratives about family structures in diverse societies. Analysis of her publication trends (2013-2025) reveals consistent focus on transnational family practices, social work decision-making in migration contexts, and theoretical development around 'family display.' Her recent work (2021-2025) increasingly examines policy-practice gaps in welfare systems across European contexts, while maintaining methodological innovation in ethnographic approaches. Walsh actively supervises undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students while leading an ESRC New Investigator grant project on 'Everyday Bordering in the UK.' She previously contributed to the NORFACE-funded Family Complexity and Social Work Project as a Postdoctoral Researcher. Additionally, she serves as Co-convenor of the British Sociological Association Families and Relationships Study Group, facilitating national scholarly exchange. Her collaborative work spans international teams including researchers from England, Sweden, Bulgaria, Ireland, and Norway, reflecting her commitment to comparative welfare state analysis. Current projects focus on migrant family experiences under restrictive immigration policies and methodological adaptations for online ethnographic research.

• Family and Relationships
• Migration and Families
• Social Policy and Social Work
• +4 more

Eve Makis is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Humanities within the School of Social Sciences at Nottingham Trent University. She leads the fiction module on the MA in Creative Writing program, providing comprehensive instruction through fortnightly sessions that include writing exercises, personalized feedback, dissertation mentoring, and assignment evaluation. Makis began her career as a journalist after graduating from Leicester University, working for Middlesex County Press before moving to Cyprus in 1994. There she worked as a freelance writer, radio presenter, and reporter for the London Evening Standard. She later returned to England and established herself as both a novelist and academic. Her primary research focuses on life writing and memoir techniques, with numerous specialist articles published in The Big Issue and Writing IE. Makis has secured Arts Council Funding to develop a life-writing guide and conduct workshops across diverse community settings including probation centers, prisons, elderly care homes, and for refugee populations. She has also conducted masterclasses for the How To Academy, Football in the Community, and several book festivals. Makis maintains significant collaborations with Nottingham City of Literature, Football in the Community, Writing East Midlands, and Inspire Nottingham. Her scholarly contributions include the 2023 journal article 'Surnames in adoption: (re)creating identities of belonging' in Genealogy journal. As a published author, she has written four novels spanning from 1998 to 2015, with her most notable works including 'Land of the Golden Apple' and 'The Spice Box Letters.' Her 2018 non-fiction work 'The Accidental Memoir,' co-authored with Anthony Cropper, serves as both a practical guide and inspirational resource for life storytelling. Makis actively engages with media through appearances on BBC World Service, The Daily Mail, BBC Radio Nottingham, Talk Radio, Age UK radio, and Writer's Routine, demonstrating her commitment to sharing writing expertise with broader audiences.

• Life writing
• Memoir writing
• Creative writing
• +3 more

Professor Hugh Dunkerley holds the position of Professor of Literature and Environment at the University of Chichester, where he leads the MA in Creative Writing and teaches undergraduate modules. His research focuses on ecocriticism, contemporary poetry, and the integration of environmental themes into creative writing pedagogy. He has published extensively across poetry collections like Kin (2019) and Hare (2010), as well as critical works analyzing figures such as Ted Hughes and Don McKay. His work bridges literary analysis with environmental advocacy, emphasizing the role of poetry in addressing ecological crises. Education: Holds a Doctoral thesis titled Poetry as via negativa: a creative enquiry from the University of Southampton and University of Chichester (2008). His creative writing background includes residencies and fellowships, including the Leighton Fellowship at Banff Centre for the Arts (Canada). Key achievements include winning the 2016 INSPIRE/ASLE UKI Literature and Sustainability Public Lecture Competition and multiple Arts Council Awards. He is a frequent speaker at literary festivals such as the Hay International Festival and Bradford Literature Festival. His teaching philosophy integrates sustainability principles into curricula, encouraging students to explore environmental, social, and economic dimensions through creative practice. Grants and recognitions include £6300 from the Arts Council (2015), £4000 (2009), and £3000 (2002). His creative work appears in journals like The London Magazine and Irish Pages , alongside reviews for Envoi and The Clearing . He collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on projects linking literature with environmental science.

• Ecocriticism
• Contemporary Poetry
• Creative Writing Education
• +3 more

Pamela Kea is a Professor of Social Anthropology at the School of Global Studies, University of Sussex. She holds a BA in French literature from Smith College, an M.Sc. in Social Anthropology from UCL, and a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London (2001). Her academic career includes roles as a research officer at The Gender Institute (LSE), associate tutor at The Open University, and ESRC postdoctoral research fellow (2004–2005). Education: BA, French Literature, Smith College M.Sc., Social Anthropology, UCL Ph.D., Social Anthropology, SOAS, London Research Interests: Kea’s work spans four key areas: (1) Gendered agrarian relations in West Africa, focusing on Senegambian female migration and land-labor exchange; (2) Asylum and displacement , examining EU policies and Gambian female asylum seekers; (3) Return migration and visual culture , analyzing transnational care through photography and ICT; and (4) Biographies and reparative histories , exploring West African diasporas’ return, digital colonialism, and archival recovery. Scientific Awards: ESRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2004–2005) Teaching & Supervision: Kea teaches modules on Gender Across Cultures, Race and Identity, International Development, and Childhood/Youth studies. Her current DPhil students include Vitor Lopez (asylum and sexual orientation), Xinran Zhou (Confucianism and Chinese feminism), Cassie Biggs (male teachers in Malawi), and Alexis Stills (Ghanaian diaspora mental health). Recent graduates include Harriet Hughes (fashion in Africa) and Katrin Maier (Nigerian Pentecostalism).

• West African regional and international migration
• gender and the household
• feminist theory
• +10 more

Tom MacFaul is a Lecturer in the Faculty of English Language & Literature at the University of Oxford and a member of St Edmund Hall College. His research focuses on early modern literature with particular emphasis on Shakespeare, gender dynamics, literary paternity, and environmental humanities. He has authored multiple books including Male Friendship in Shakespeare and his Contemporaries (2007), Shakespeare and the Natural World (2015), and edited Tottel's Miscellany for Penguin Books (2011). His current projects explore representations of good women in Renaissance and 18th-century drama, care/decorum concepts in Renaissance literature, and literature surrounding the Glorious Revolution. He has published widely on Sidney, Spenser, Donne, and Romantic-era writers like Wordsworth and Keats. MacFaul's work bridges Renaissance and Romantic studies through analyses of space, nature, and interpersonal relationships. His recent projects on recognition in Shakespeare and spatial representations in Romantic writing demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches to literary analysis.

• Renaissance Literature
• Romantic Literature
• Shakespeare Studies
• +5 more