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Last updated 23rd March 2023

I was educated in the Department of Sociological Studies at the University of Sheffield where I graduated with a BA (Hons) in Sociology and an MA in Sociological Research Methods.  I completed my ESRC funded PhD in 2011 - an ethnographic study which explored everyday family life when a relative is living with a life-threatening illness.

After completing my PhD I worked in the public sector as an action researcher on a project about peer-mentoring in everyday ICT use and then completed an internship with the Horizon Digital Economy Research Institute at The University of Nottingham. This work examined the ethics of representation and communication in the context of an emerging digital economy using genocide experience as a case study. Following this I joined the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) at the University of Sheffield as a Graduate Teaching Associate where my roles included Course Tutor and Student Experience Officer. I then took up a position in Sociological Studies (at Sheffield) which primarily involved developing research funding applications.

In 2015 I joined the Information School at Sheffield working as a researcher on the ‘A Shared Space and a Space for Sharing’ ESRC funded project. The aim of this work was to explore how people in a range of extreme circumstances (e.g. experiencing addictive drug use or suicidal thoughts) share information, emotion and experiences online. I was involved in a work package which focused on individuals (and their relatives/ carers) living with life-threatening conditions.

More recently, and before joining the University of Huddersfield in September 2018, I worked as a researcher on the ‘End of' or 'Start of' Life?’ ESRC project. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of visual technology (such as MRI) on traditional foetal and neonatal autopsy practices. We conducted qualitative interviews with variety of professionals (including midwives, pathologists, chaplains and radiologists) to understand their work practices related to post-mortem and supporting families when a baby dies.  We also interviewed parents and relatives about their experiences of early-life loss and post-mortem.  As part of the project the research team worked with artists to curate a public exhibition called ‘Remembering Baby’ which explored some of the key themes in the research findings.

Alongside my teaching and research activities I am a Council member of Association for the Study of Death and Society (ASDS) and a member of the editorial board of Mortality. I also co-lead the University of Huddersfield's Palliative and EOLC special interest group.