Sara Bamdad

Sara Bamdad is a Lecturer at the School of Allied Health Sciences under the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at De Montfort University (DMU), Leicester, UK. Her research focuses on the intersection of religion (Islam), sexual and reproductive health/justice, and the ethical implications of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) in the Middle East, utilizing mixed methods (qualitative/quantitative) for cross-cultural analysis.

• PhD in Sociology (University of Warwick, 2019)
• Post-doctoral research at University of Kent (GCRF-funded) and University of Liverpool (Wellcome Trust-funded)
• Current research includes a book proposal: Mixed blessings of IVF: Everyday practices of assisted conception in Iran (under review at Emerald Publishing)

Her work examines bioethical dilemmas in ARTs, gender politics, and reproductive justice, with a geographic focus on Iran and the Middle East. She contributes to debates on Islamic bioethics, cross-border research ethics, and the socio-cultural implications of fertility treatments.

Recent publications analyze ethical challenges in cross-border social science research (2022) and Iranian community attitudes toward ARTs (2017). These works span subfields such as social media recruitment, cross-cultural data collection, Islamic jurisprudence, and gendered motivations in reproductive healthcare.

Scientific Awards:

• Coventry City of Culture Funding (2019-2020)
• IAS Early Career Fellowship (2019-2020)
• Funds for Women Graduates (2017-18)
• Departmental Bursary, University of Warwick (2017)

She teaches courses including Research Methods (qualitative/quantitative) and Researching Global Health, and is affiliated with the Centre for Reproduction Research (DMU).