Marian Peacock

Marian Peacock is a Research Fellow at the Usher Institute within the University of Edinburgh's College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, and an active member of the Edinburgh Qualitative Health Research Group (EQual). Her work bridges sociology, public health, and clinical practice through innovative qualitative methodologies.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Public Health from the University of Sheffield
• MA by Research from Manchester Metropolitan University

Peacock specializes in the sociology of public health with particular expertise in how structural inequalities manifest physiologically. Her research employs narrative approaches to explore sensitive health topics including end-of-life care for marginalized populations (prisoners, substance users), functional seizures, trauma narratives, and food practices. She investigates how medicalization processes affect legitimacy-seeking in conditions like Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent focus on qualitative exploration of health disparities through narrative methodologies. Her work spans neurological conditions, carceral health, perinatal substance use, and palliative care for stigmatized populations, demonstrating interdisciplinary integration of sociology, neurology, and public health frameworks.

Her research is conducted through the Edinburgh Qualitative Health Research Group (EQual), where she applies narrative interviewing techniques to generate psychosocial insights into contested health conditions. Current projects examine trauma narratives in functional neurological disorders and health equity in end-of-life contexts.