Prior to my current DPhil position, I achieved a BSc Anthropology from University College London, with a year abroad at the University of California, Berkeley. I then completed an MPhil Medical Anthropology at the University of Oxford.

My DPhil research works collaboratively between the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, and the Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health. My supervisors are Dr Thomas Cousins and Prof. Katy Vincent.

My research explores hormonal contraceptive use in the contemporary UK healthcare landscape. Hormonal contraceptives are one of the most widely used drugs in history, with an estimated 100 million people worldwide currently using them. Side effects continue to be one of the main reasons why hormonal contraception is discontinued. However, few studies concentrate on what these side effects are and how they impact everyday life. A brief analysis of the current research gap concerning hormonal contraceptive side effects is available here; featuring a recent essay and artwork I completed.

The purpose of my research is to investigate what constitutes a ‘side effect’ from multiple actors across the UK healthcare landscape, from those who use hormonal contraception, those who prescribe them, their measurement in clinical trials, and their reference in health initiatives and policy. My research aims to provide user-generated data, collected using qualitative research methods, to impact current contraceptive research and innovation.