معرفی
Dr Michael Thomas serves as a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Brunel University London within the Department of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences. Based in Mary Seacole Building Room 301, he actively contributes to research, teaching, and professional outreach in social work policy and practice, with particular emphasis on LGBTQ+ identities and aging populations.
His academic credentials include a PhD in Social Policy (ESRC-funded, Cardiff University, 2013), MSc in Social Science Research Methods (Cardiff, 2009), MA in Social Work (Brunel University London, 2007), and BA (Hons) Welsh Studies (University of Wales, 1990), complemented by a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education (University of Kent, 2016) and Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (2024).
Dr Thomas's research centers on sexualities, equalities, and the interplay between public services and personal life, with specific focus on subjective loneliness experiences among older adults and minority groups. His work investigates diversity in contemporary family life, the impact of aging on LGB identities, and narrative approaches to understanding identity formation and policy impacts.
His publication record (2014-2020) reveals consistent thematic development across loneliness in later life, LGBTQ+ equality, and qualitative methodology. Key trends include spiritual resilience in marginalized elders, professional education dynamics in social work, and temporal/seasonal variations in loneliness patterns, demonstrating methodological rigor through narrative analysis and mixed-methods approaches.
Professional recognition includes:
- Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (2024)
- Lecturer of the Year, Student-Led Teaching Awards (2018)
- Best Small Module Award, College of Health and Life Sciences (2019)
- Liberation Champion Award (2022)
- Brunel Union of Students' Officers Choice Award (2024)
He currently supervises doctoral research on Continuing Professional Development in Social Work, transitions into practice, and experiences of mothers with learning disabilities facing child removals. His grant portfolio features an ESRC-funded study on inclusive ageing (2022-2025), University of Kent Faculty Research Fund award (2015), and ESRC seminar series participation on loneliness (2014), building on his own ESRC 1+3 doctoral studentship.
Dr Thomas contributes to the Centre for Health and Wellbeing Across the Lifecourse and IEHS research group at Brunel, maintaining active collaborations with leading researchers including Prof Christina Victor in gerontology and social policy domains.
