Teemol Thomas

Teemol Thomas is an Associate Tutor and PhD researcher at the School of Social Work, University of East Anglia. Her academic and professional work centers on social justice, child and family welfare, and the socio-cultural dimensions of care and digital life in India.

Her research interests span care work among young carers in India, digital safety and well-being of children and youth, and gendered experiences of alcohol use disorder. She is also deeply engaged in critical reflections on belonging, marginalization, and resistance in higher education, particularly through collaborative projects with the Concrete Collective, a group of doctoral researchers of colour.

Her recent publications reflect a strong interdisciplinary focus, blending social work, critical geography, and creative methodologies such as zine-making. These works highlight systemic barriers in academia and advocate for inclusive, decolonial scholarly practices.

Scientific Contributions:

• Co-authored research on digital childhoods in India, informing policy and child protection frameworks.
• Published on gendered stigma in alcohol use, contributing to mental health discourse in South Asia.
• Explored emotional and structural challenges faced by marginalized doctoral researchers through narrative and creative scholarship.

Teemol has been supervised by Dr. Kate Blake-Holmes, Dr. Laura Biggart, and Prof. Beth Neil. She previously worked as a social worker with the RATI Foundation (formerly Prerana's Aarambh India Initiative), supporting survivors of sexual violence. She holds a BA (Hons) in History from Delhi University and an MA in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India.

She is actively involved in collaborative research networks focusing on equity, inclusion, and digital well-being. Her work bridges academic research and frontline social work practice, emphasizing participatory and community-centered approaches.