Prof. Dr. Beate Binder is a Professor of European Ethnology and Gender Studies at the Humboldt University of Berlin , with a joint appointment at the Center for Transdisciplinary Gender Studies (ztg). Her research and teaching focus on gender production intersecting with social categorizations, using gender theory and (queer) ethnography methods. Current research: Legal anthropology and political anthropology Historical contributions: Feminist cultural anthropology history Special interests: Urban space-sexuality connections, memory politics, homemaking practices She holds leadership roles including: Co-speaker of the Center for Transdisciplinary Gender Studies Chair of the Examination Committee at Institute for European Ethnology Former spokesperson for DFG research groups "Law – Gender – Collectivity" and "Cultures of Madness" Editorial board member of Berliner Blätter , Ethnologia Europaea , and Journal of Cultural Studies Scientific Awards : Award for good teaching (Faculty of Philosophy III, 2011) Research Collaborations : Principal investigator for EU-funded HERA project "EUROPACH" Co-leader of NORFACE project "Crimscapes"
Tomiko Yoneda is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Davis. Her research focuses on understanding how personality traits, social relationships, and lifestyle factors influence health and cognitive outcomes in older adults. She employs interdisciplinary methods, including longitudinal studies and coordinated data analyses, to explore topics like personality-cognition links, social determinants of health, and aging disparities. Dr. Yoneda is also committed to fostering inclusive academic environments and mentoring students from diverse backgrounds. Her work spans multiple domains: (1) Personality dynamics in aging, examining traits like neuroticism and conscientiousness as predictors of health and longevity; (2) Social relationships' impact on physiological health (e.g., cortisol regulation in couples); and (3) Cross-cultural studies of aging in Japan and North America. Notable contributions include systematic reviews on personality-allostatic load relationships and meta-analyses linking personality to mortality risks. Received EDITOR'S CHOICE recognition in Psychoneuroendocrinology (2024) and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2022) Principal investigator of the Yoneda Lab at UC Davis Dr. Yoneda emphasizes translational research that bridges psychological and biomedical perspectives. She collaborates internationally on projects analyzing cognitive healthspan, dementia risk factors, and interventions to promote healthy aging. Her teaching focuses on lifespan development and research methodologies.
Dr. Peter Edwards is an Adjunct Professor at RMIT University's School of Property, Construction and Project Management (PCPM). He retired in 2006 but continues to engage in research supervision and academic activities. His expertise spans project risk management, value management, public-private partnerships (PPP), sustainable development, and corporate social responsibility. Research Contributions: Focuses on construction industry challenges, including HIV/AIDS intervention management, workplace stress, and PPP procurement. Co-founded the Co-operative Network for Building Researchers (CNBR) in 1991, now a global network with 2,800+ members. Awards: UK Leverhulme Trust Visiting Fellowship (2003), ARC Small Grant (1998). Education: Extensive academic background in quantity surveying and construction economics, including roles as Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor at RMIT (1987–2006). His research bridges construction management, public health, and organizational behavior. Notable work includes studies on South African construction workers' mental health and the operational phase of PPP projects.
Dr. Galina Miazhevich is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Journalism, Media and Culture (JOMEC) at Cardiff University, UK. Previously, she served as a lecturer at the University of Leicester's School of Media, Communication and Sociology (2013-2017) and as the Gorbachev Media Research Fellow at the University of Oxford (2008-2012). Her academic career focuses on media representations in post-communist contexts, with particular expertise in Russian and Eastern European media landscapes. Dr. Miazhevich earned her PhD from the University of Manchester, where she subsequently worked for two years as a Research Associate on an AHRC-funded project examining representations of Islam as a security threat. Her educational background has informed her research trajectory, which bridges media studies, political communication, and cultural analysis of post-Soviet societies. Dr. Miazhevich's research spans several interconnected domains: media representations of Islam and multiculturalism in Europe; media and democracy in post-communist Europe; gender, media, and emergent forms of post-Soviet identity; feminism; Eurovision and popular culture; and diaspora, transnationalism, and media. Her work consistently examines how media shapes and is shaped by political transitions, identity formation, and social movements in post-Soviet contexts, with particular attention to marginalized voices and resistance practices. Analysis of Dr. Miazhevich's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on resistance, identity, and power dynamics in post-Soviet media environments. Her work increasingly examines gender and sexuality as political categories, particularly through the lens of feminist and LGBTQ+ resistance to authoritarian regimes. The Eurovision Song Contest serves as a recurring analytical framework for understanding cultural diplomacy and nation-branding strategies. More recently, her research has pivoted toward documenting anti-war resistance following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, examining how celebrities and media figures navigate political dissent under authoritarian conditions. Dr. Miazhevich has received several notable recognitions for her scholarly contributions: AHRC Leadership grant 'A Quiet Revolution: Discursive Representations of Non-heteronormative Sexuality in Russia' (2018-2020, £250,960) Visiting Fellowship at the Davis Centre for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University (Fall 2023) Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) Associate Editor for the Oxford Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Communication (2024) Dr. Miazhevich actively mentors the next generation of scholars, currently co-supervising PhD students Diyana Dobreva (with Professor Martin Innes) and John Tasker (with Professor Paul Bowman). She welcomes PhD proposals in areas including digital culture and resistance, media management and misinformation, media and democracy, representation of minority groups, post-communist identity politics, gender and feminism, Eurovision and popular culture, and geopolitics and nation-branding. Her grant portfolio demonstrates sustained success in securing competitive research funding, including leadership of an AHRC grant and participation in the Academy of Finland project FEMCORUS (2021-2025). Dr. Miazhevich is deeply engaged with academic communities, serving as co-convenor of the (Digital) Media and Culture group at the British Association for Slavic and East European Studies (BASEES) since 2016 and as a member of the Advisory Board of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) since 2021. Her work extends beyond academia through public engagement, including invited talks at prestigious institutions like Harvard University and participation in policy-relevant events at Chatham House addressing LGBTQ+ politics in Russia.
Seagh Kehoe is a Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Westminster's School of Humanities, joining in 2019. Previously, he taught at the University of Leicester, University of Nottingham, and University College Dublin. His research focuses on cultural dimensions of social and political transformation in modern China, particularly Chinese media representations of ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality, nationalism, and military. He holds a BA from University College Cork, an MA from Leiden University, and a PhD from the University of Nottingham, with additional studies in Mandarin and Tibetan. His academic work spans journal articles in China Quarterly , positions , and Media, Culture & Society , as well as edited volumes like Cultural China . His research interests include Tibet-China relations, critical university studies, and abolition theory. He supervises undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations on diverse socio-political topics. Kehoe has presented at conferences such as the British Association of China Studies and contributed to workshops on decolonizing Chinese studies. His recent work examines temporal politics in post-2008 Tibet and queer cinema in China. Education: BA Chinese Studies & Sociology (University College Cork) MA East Asian Politics (Leiden University) PhD (University of Nottingham) Mandarin Studies (Sichuan University) Tibetan Studies (Rangjung Yeshe Institute) Grants & Labs: Active in the Contemporary China Centre, contributing to interdisciplinary research on modern China.
Professor Kecia Ali is a scholar of Religion and Islamic Studies at Boston University, with a PhD from Duke University. Her research focuses on Islamic law, gender studies, ethics, and biography, emphasizing feminist critiques of religious texts and institutions. She has authored influential books like Sexual Ethics and Islam and The Lives of Muhammad , exploring intersections of gender, law, and culture in Islamic traditions. Ali has held fellowships at Brandeis University and Harvard Divinity School before joining BU in 2006. She actively contributes to organizations like the American Academy of Religion and served as President of the Society for the Study of Muslim Ethics (2014–2016). Her work bridges religious studies with popular culture, analyzing themes in J.D. Robb's fiction and critiquing academic sexism. Courses taught include Islamic law, Quranic studies, and representations of Muhammad.
Morgan Wait is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow Level I in the School of History at University College Dublin. She is currently working on the ERC-funded DIASPORA project, focusing on the history of drug use in late 20th-century Ireland. Her research centers on social history, with a strong emphasis on media, gender, and sexuality in modern Ireland. Education: PhD in History, Trinity College Dublin (2022) M.Phil in Modern Irish History, Trinity College Dublin BA in History, English, and Political Science, Salisbury University Her research interests lie at the intersection of media history and gender studies, particularly in the context of Irish public broadcasting. She has published extensively on women’s programming at Teilifís Éireann and institutional practices such as the marriage bar. Her work reconstructs marginalized media narratives using archival and press sources. Morgan’s recent publications show a consistent focus on Irish television history, gender representation, and cultural policy. Her articles analyze programming content, institutional discrimination, and public discourse, reflecting a deep engagement with both academic and public history. Scientific Awards: No awards listed in the provided text. Morgan has contributed to significant research projects and is currently working on a forthcoming monograph, Rediscovering Women in Early Irish Television , under contract with Liverpool University Press. While no formal advisees are listed, her collaborative publications indicate active participation in scholarly networks. She is affiliated with the DIASPORA research team at UCD and contributes to public scholarship through RTÉ Brainstorm and online academic blogs.
Jonathan Santo is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), where he serves as Director of the Graduate Developmental Psychology Program and as a faculty member in the Office of Latino/Latin-American Studies. His research explores peer relations, cultural differences in self-esteem, and classroom-level influences on child and adolescent development, with a focus on improving school environments and fostering positive social interactions. ORCA Faculty Fellow His research spans broad areas including Developmental Psychology , Social Support Systems , and Cross-Cultural Peer Dynamics , with specific attention to peer victimization , self-continuity , school climate , and developmental trajectories in Brazilian and Colombian youth . Recent publications analyze topics like hikikomori experiences , friendship security , and HPA axis dysregulation in adolescents. Scientific awards include the ORCA Faculty Fellow recognition. His work often involves longitudinal assessments of peer relationships cross-cultural comparisons (Brazil, Colombia, China, Nigeria, Singapore, U.S.) policy-focused blog posts on family separations and school interventions
Carolina Matos is a Professor at City, University of London's School of Communication & Creativity, specializing in media studies, gender politics, and communications research with a particular focus on Brazil and Latin America. Her scholarly work bridges academic inquiry with practical advocacy, especially in the areas of sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), feminist media studies, and democratic processes in the Global South. Dr. Matos's research interests span several interconnected domains: Gender politics and feminist media studies, with particular attention to Brazilian and Latin American contexts Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) communications and advocacy across global contexts Media democratization and public service broadcasting in Brazil and Latin America Digital activism and online networks for social change and gender equality Health communication in the age of misinformation, particularly regarding women's health in politically polarized environments Journalism's role in democratic processes and political transitions Her recent publications (2021-2025) demonstrate a clear trajectory toward examining how marginalized communities, particularly women in the Global South, navigate complex media landscapes around reproductive health. Her methodology frequently employs focus group research designed to empower participants while gathering insights on media consumption and interpretation. She has conducted significant research in partnership with NGOs like Reprolatina in Brazil and Open Arms in Florida, examining how disadvantaged communities process health communications in contexts of political polarization and misinformation. Dr. Matos has made substantial theoretical contributions through both foundational and recent works: Her book "Globalization, gender politics and the media" (2016) examines changing media representations in relation to feminist movements globally Her seminal work "Journalism and Political Democracy in Brazil" (2009) analyzes media's critical role in Brazil's democratization process following the military dictatorship She has conducted extensive comparative research on how NGOs communicate about SRHR across the Global North and South Her research on "New Brazilian feminism and online networks" (2017) documents the emergence of digital feminist activism in Brazil Her methodological approach consistently combines rigorous academic frameworks with practical applications, often utilizing mixed methods including content analysis, discourse analysis, and participatory research techniques designed to center marginalized voices while advancing scholarly understanding of media, gender, and power dynamics.
Sapha Barkati, MD, MSc is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University , and an Investigator at the RI-MUHC Glen site . Her work bridges clinical practice and research in tropical medicine, focusing on parasitic diseases affecting vulnerable populations. Affiliations: Assistant Professor, McGill University Investigator, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) McGill International Tuberculosis Centre Research Focus: Specializes in neglected tropical diseases like strongyloidiasis and tegumentary leishmaniasis, particularly among migrants and immunocompromised individuals. Studies include: Physician awareness of Strongyloides screening Prevalence patterns in non-endemic countries HTLV-1 co-infection treatment response Cost-effective screening strategies Scientific Contributions: Key publications address tropical disease management in non-endemic settings, mpox outbreak dynamics, and SARS-CoV-2 immunity patterns. Her work emphasizes evidence-based guidelines for: Parasite screening in transplant recipients Leishmaniasis treatment protocols Traveler disease prevention Collaborative Networks: Partners with institutions like Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia and participates in GeoSentinel surveillance. Leads studies on: Covid-19 health disparities Vaccine effectiveness against variants Remote patient monitoring systems
Ju Hui Judy Han is an Associate Professor in Gender Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, with additional affiliations at the Center for Korean Studies, Center for the Study of Women, and Asia Pacific Center. Her office is located in 1117 Rolfe Hall at UCLA. As a cultural geographer, Professor Han is committed to building critical and transnational conversations concerning gender, sexuality, and activism, regularly contributing to community-based projects and public events both on campus and beyond. Professor Han received her Ph.D. in Geography from UC Berkeley and her B.A. in English and Women's Studies from UC Berkeley. Her educational background bridges humanities and social sciences, providing a strong foundation for her interdisciplinary research. Her research interests span (Im)mobilities, Religion and difference, conservatism, LGBTQ/queer politics and activism, Comics and graphic novels, Korean studies, and Cultural geography. Professor Han approaches these topics through a critical lens that emphasizes transnational perspectives, particularly focusing on South Korea and the Korean diaspora. Her work often examines how power operates through spatial arrangements and how marginalized communities navigate and resist dominant structures. She has developed innovative approaches to studying activism through comics and graphic nonfiction, creating accessible yet theoretically rich analyses of complex social phenomena. Professor Han's publications reveal consistent engagement with queer politics in South Korea, religious movements, and transnational activism. Her work shows a progression from analyzing specific case studies to developing broader theoretical frameworks about resistance, solidarity, and spatial politics. The recurring themes across her publications include the intersection of religion and queer politics, the spatial dimensions of activism, and the transnational connections between social movements. UCLA Center for the Study of Women/Barbra Streisand Center, inaugural Barbra Streisand Fellowship on Truth in the Public Sphere Podcast Support Grant, University of California Humanities Research Institute (UCHRI), 2021-22 Society of Hellman Fellows Award, UCLA, 2021-22 UCLA Faculty Career Development Award, 2018-2019 Co-Applicant, 'Protesting Publics in South Korea,' SSHRC Insight Grant (PI: Jennifer Jihye Chun), 2015-2020 Co-Investigator, 'Urban Aspirations in Seoul: Religion and Megacities in Comparative Studies,' Max Planck Institute, 2011-2017 Professor Han actively contributes to public discourse through media appearances and community engagement. She has received significant research funding supporting her work on South Korean protest movements and urban religious dynamics. Her teaching portfolio is diverse, including the Gender Studies undergraduate core class on power (102), senior capstone seminars (187), elective courses on transnational feminist politics (131) and comics and graphic nonfiction (185), as well as graduate seminars on feminist geographies, queer temporalities, and research design.
Olivia Khoo is Professor of Film and Screen Studies and Head of Film, Screen and Culture in the Faculty of Arts at Monash University. She is a leading scholar in Asian Australian and Asian cinema studies, with extensive contributions to media diversity, gender and sexuality in media, and streaming technologies. She is actively involved in national research leadership, including roles in the Australian Research Council College of Experts and the Screen Diversity and Inclusion Network. PhD in Cultural Studies – University of Melbourne LL.B. (Hons) – University of New South Wales B.A. (Hons) in English Literature – University of Western Australia Graduate Certificate in Higher Education – Monash University Her research centers on screen media diversity, streaming platforms, and transnational Asian and Asian Australian cinema. She explores how gender, sexuality, and race intersect in media representation, with a strong focus on diasporic identities and cultural citizenship. Her work bridges cultural studies, legal frameworks, and media industry practices to advocate for inclusive screen ecosystems. The recent publications reflect a sustained engagement with streaming technologies, racial representation, leadership in Asian Australian communities, and policy development for media diversity. Her work spans academic monographs, journal articles, and influential policy reports, demonstrating both theoretical depth and real-world impact in shaping equitable media landscapes. Special Commendation for the Dean’s Award for Postgraduate Research Supervision (2022) Three-time nominee, Monash Graduate Association Supervisor of the Year Award Founding Series Editor, Gender, Sexualities and Cultures in Asia (Springer) Founding Associate Editor, Studies in World Cinema: A Critical Journal (Brill) Olivia has supervised 18 PhD and MA students to completion and has led major research projects, including two ARC Discovery Projects. She is currently leading interdisciplinary collaborations across Law, Business, and Arts at Monash, particularly on the Incentivising Australian Screen Diversity report. She also co-founded the Asian Australian Studies Research Network and has held fellowships at the Asia Research Institute (NUS) and the University of California Humanities Research Institute. She leads the Film, Screen and Culture program at Monash and is central to initiatives like the Streaming Industries & Genres Network. Her collaborative projects involve national and international institutions, focusing on media flows between Australia and East Asia, and the transformation of cultural identity through digital platforms.
Prof. Dr. Nadine Hartmann serves as Visiting Professor for Future Philosophy and Scenarios in the Field of Art and Media Philosophy at the Karlsruhe Academy of Art and Design (Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe), a reform university founded in 1992 in collaboration with the ZKM | Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe. Her position aligns with the institution's mission of connecting traditional arts with media technology and electronic production processes. Hartmann holds a doctorate in cultural studies with her thesis titled 'Thinking Like a Girl: Figuration, Fil(l)iation, and Sexual Difference' (forthcoming with Turia & Kant). Her academic journey includes significant appointments across German institutions, demonstrating her expertise in philosophical and theoretical approaches to art and media. Hartmann's research focuses on the intersection of psychoanalysis, aesthetics, and feminist philosophy of difference. Her work examines how gender, identity, and philosophical frameworks shape artistic production and media theory. She approaches philosophical questions through the lens of contemporary art practices, exploring how theoretical concepts manifest in creative processes and media technologies. Her research contributes to ongoing dialogues about sexual difference, figuration, and filiation within contemporary philosophical discourse. Throughout her career, Hartmann has maintained strong connections with Berlin's academic institutions, particularly the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK Berlin), while also contributing to philosophical discourse at other major German universities. Her teaching spans multiple disciplines within the arts and humanities, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary media philosophy. Hartmann has been actively involved in research networks, including the DFG network 'Dispositiv der Menge' and the DFG network 'Other Knowledge' in artistic research and aesthetic theory, demonstrating her commitment to collaborative scholarly work at the intersection of art and philosophy. Her academic trajectory shows consistent engagement with theoretical frameworks that bridge artistic practice and philosophical inquiry, particularly through the lens of feminist thought and psychoanalytic theory. Hartmann's work contributes to expanding philosophical discourse within art education and practice-based research contexts.
Don Kulick is a Professor and Research Director at the Department of Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology, Uppsala University, Sweden. His academic career spans decades of anthropological fieldwork in Papua New Guinea, Brazil, and Scandinavia, with a focus on linguistic anthropology, sexuality studies, and disability studies. Dr. Kulick's research interests encompass linguistic anthropology, sexuality studies, disability studies, language death, vulnerability studies, and human-animal communication. His work challenges conventional views on vulnerability, arguing that it can be a resource rather than a lack. His fieldwork with adults with significant disabilities in Denmark and Sweden informed his influential book "Loneliness and its Opposite: sex, disability, and the ethics of engagement". Kulick has also made significant contributions to the understanding of transgender communities, particularly through his early ethnographic work with Brazilian travesti prostitutes documented in "Travesti: Sex, Gender and Culture among Brazilian Transgendered Prostitutes". His recent scholarly output demonstrates a trajectory from linguistic anthropology and sexuality studies toward broader questions of vulnerability, ethics, and human-animal relations. Kulick's work consistently engages with marginalized communities and challenges disciplinary boundaries, connecting linguistic anthropology with disability studies, queer theory, and ethical frameworks for engagement with vulnerable others. ERC Advanced Grant for a 5-year research project on people who are treated as though they aren't really there Dr. Kulick has received significant research funding, most notably an ERC Advanced Grant for a 5-year project examining people who are treated as though they aren't really there, including courtroom interpreters and peer reviewers. His mentorship extends through his extensive publications and edited volumes that have shaped multiple generations of anthropological scholarship, particularly in the areas of linguistic anthropology and sexuality studies. While specific lab structures aren't mentioned in the provided text, Kulick's research program on vulnerability appears to be an organized research initiative (referred to as the "EV program" in the text), suggesting a research team or collaborative network focused on vulnerability as a productive resource.
Geraldine Heng is the Mildred Hajek Vacek and John Roman Vacek Chair in English at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is cross-appointed to Middle Eastern Studies, Women's Studies, Jewish Studies, and the Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Social Justice. Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2023 and a Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America, she founded and directs the Global Middle Ages Project (G-MAP), a major interdisciplinary initiative promoting global perspectives on premodernity. With a Ph.D. from Cornell University, Heng has pioneered the field of premodern critical race studies, fundamentally challenging the assumption that race is a modern construct. Her research focuses on literary, cultural, and social encounters between worlds, particularly through the lenses of race, gender, sexuality, class, and religion, with special attention to medieval Europe's interactions with Asia and Africa. Heng's scholarly work reveals how medieval global connections shaped cultural production and identity formation long before the so-called 'Age of Exploration.' Her approach synthesizes literary analysis, historical research, and critical theory to uncover the deep roots of globalization and its implications for understanding contemporary identity politics and cultural exchange. Her publications demonstrate a consistent trajectory toward increasingly global frameworks, moving from studies of medieval romance to comprehensive examinations of early global interconnectedness. This evolution reflects her commitment to dismantling Eurocentric narratives of the medieval world and revealing the complex networks of exchange that characterized premodern societies across Afro-Eurasia. 2019 PROSE prize in Global History 2019 Academy of American Literature prize in Historical Studies 2019 Robert W. Hamilton Grand Prize 2020 Otto Gründler prize Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2023) Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America Heng has secured approximately $750,000 in grants for digital projects and held eight major fellowships at research centers. She co-edits the Cambridge University Press Elements series in the Global Middle Ages and the University of Pennsylvania Press series RaceB4Race: Critical Studies of the Premodern. Her teaching encompasses courses on early global literatures, premodern race, Crusades literature, Arthurian traditions, and feminist theory. As founder and director of the Global Middle Ages Project (G-MAP), Heng has built an international scholarly network that challenges traditional disciplinary boundaries and promotes collaborative approaches to studying premodern global connections. The project has fostered numerous digital initiatives, publications, and conferences that have significantly reshaped how scholars understand medieval intercultural exchange.
