Katherine Byrne

Katherine Byrne is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Arts & Humanities, Ulster University. Her research focuses on television period dramas, medical history in media, and representations of sexual violence and fantasy. She has published extensively on Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, and Outlander, exploring historical authenticity and contemporary social issues through fictional narratives.

• Key Research Areas:
  • Medical practices in historical television
  • Consent and trauma in period dramas
  • Fantasy elements in historical storytelling
  • Gender and class representation

Selected Publications: Byrne co-edited Diagnosing History: Medicine in Television Period Drama (2022), analyzed rape narratives in fantasy dramas (2022), and contributed to debates on Virginia Woolf and European literature. Her work connects television studies with medical humanities and feminist theory.

Academic Engagement: Byrne has participated in international conferences and organized events like 'Bram Stoker's Dracula Movie Night' and the 'Books Beyond Boundaries' series, though no formal awards are listed. She mentors PhD researchers in the School of Arts & Humanities and contributes to Ulster's PURE research portal.