Rachel V Harrison

Professor Rachel V Harrison is a leading academic in Thai Cultural Studies at SOAS University of London. Her work bridges cinema, modern literature, postcolonial theory, and gender studies, with a focus on Thailand and mainland Southeast Asia. She also contributes to medical humanities and public engagement, particularly in Northeast Thailand (Isan) and Laos.

• Education: BA and PhD from the University of London.
• Roles: Professor of Thai Cultural Studies, Steering Committee Member of MA Cultural Studies.

Research Interests: Cultural studies, cinema, and gender analysis intersect with themes of Orientalism, cultural difference, and literary criticism. Her work explores medical humanities and the comparative study of Southeast Asian literatures. She emphasizes the interplay between traditional and modern elements in Thai cultural production.

Recent Publications: Harrison’s scholarship spans Thai cinema, postcolonial identity, and healthcare access for sex workers. Her 2025 article Entangled Worlds, Situated Knowledge highlights cultural context in global-local dynamics. Earlier works examine folk legends, masculinities, and eroticism in Thai literature.

PhD Supervision: She has guided students on topics like Thai literature, diasporic identities, Burmese women’s writings, and Thai cinema’s gender representations.

Collaborations: Frequent collaborations with scholars in medical humanities and Southeast Asian studies, including co-authoring on bullying in medicine and cultural engagement.