Helen Lomax

Professor Helen Lomax (BSc (Hons), PhD) serves as Professor of Childhood and Children’s Participation at the Department of Education, Childhood and Inclusion within the College of Social Sciences and Arts at Sheffield Hallam University. She leads the Institute of Education’s research focus on children’s experiences of place, emphasizing home, school, and neighborhood environments.

• BSc (Hons) in relevant discipline
• PhD in Childhood Studies

Her research centers on participatory and creative methodologies, including participatory film, photography, mapping, and drawing, with a strong emphasis on research ethics. She develops methods to amplify children's voices in policymaking and addresses place-based inequalities in health, wellbeing, and opportunities for disadvantaged youth.

Recent publications highlight her expertise in arts-based methodologies, pandemic-era research adaptations, and digital participatory frameworks. Themes include ethical innovation, child-led knowledge exchange, and spatial analysis of childhood experiences.

Scientific Awards and Grants

• Transforming Lives Fellowship
• Nuffield Foundation-funded project on disadvantaged neighborhoods
• ESRC grant on multiple insecurities and wellbeing
• British Academy grant for pandemic research

She leads postgraduate supervision on topics like children’s digital identity and pedagogical documentation. Her work spans the Sheffield Institute of Education and Social and Economic Research Institute, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.