Emily Heavey

Emily Heavey is a Senior Lecturer in Health & Community Development at the University of Huddersfield (Department of Social and Psychological Sciences, School of Human and Health Sciences). She holds dual affiliations with the Centre for Applied Research in Health and the Centre for Citizenship, Conflict, Identity and Diversity. Her work focuses on qualitative methodologies applied to health and social care contexts, with particular expertise in narratives of disability, aging, and patient experiences.

Education:

• BA(Hons) English Literature (University of Cambridge, 2006)
• MA English Language and Literature: Interdisciplinary Studies (University of Sheffield)
• PhD (King's College London, 2013) – Narrated experiences of amputation and mastectomy

Research Interests: Qualitative health research, narrative methods, disability studies, social care of older adults, sociology of health/illness, embodiment, and patient/service user experiences. Her work contributes to UN SDGs related to good health and well-being (SDG3), reduced inequalities (SDG10), and decent work (SDG8).

Recent Projects:

• National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)-funded study on self-funded social care experiences (2021)
• Early Days Project evaluating children's hospice support for bereaved parents (2020)
• SHAPE study assessing autism care provision for adults without learning disabilities (2019)

Grants & Collaboration: Active in multidisciplinary research teams, with collaborations at Newcastle University, University of York, and Martin House Research Centre. Current focus areas include pandemic impacts on healthcare workers and aging populations' social care challenges.

Teams/Labs: Member of University of Huddersfield's health-focused research groups, contributing to policy-informing studies and qualitative methodological innovation.