Kandida Purnell

Kandida Purnell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences & Humanities at Richmond American University London, specializing in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of global politics, feminist theory, and decolonial approaches. Her work examines the politics of bodies in transnational contexts, with particular focus on pandemic commemoration, militarization, and post-9/11 security discourses.

Education includes a PhD in International Relations (University of Aberdeen, 2017), MA in International Relations (King's College London, 2009), and BA in Politics with International Studies (University of Surrey, 2005). She holds awards as a Fellow (2022) and Associate Fellow (2014) of the UK Higher Education Academy.

Research interests span pandemic politics, body politics, and critical military studies. Notable works include Rethinking the Body in Global Politics (2021) and co-edited volumes on pandemic inequality (2023). Her current research explores embodied trauma, disaster recovery, and the cultural politics of militarization through transnational frameworks.

Teaching responsibilities include courses on research methods, conflict studies, terrorism, and gendered security. She actively engages in public scholarship through workshops at the House of Lords, invited lectures, and contributions to platforms like Duck of Minerva blog.

Her research affiliations include the International Visual Arts and Cultures (IVAC) and The State, Power and Globalisation (SPG) research centers. Ongoing projects involve studies on atmospheric walls in pandemic governance, post-disaster memory practices, and embodied pedagogical methods.