Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Nottingham Trent University Dr Michael Rees is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Course Leader for the MA Sociology. Michael studied for his undergraduate degree in Sociology at the University of the West of England before pursuing a Masters degree in Methods of Social Research and a PhD in Sociology at the University of Kent. He has taught as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Kent and the University of South Wales before becoming a Lecturer then Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Wolverhampton. He joined Nottingham Trent University in 2022 as a Senior Lecturer in Sociology and course leader for the MA Sociology
enseignant-chercheur, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar .Maitre de conférences en ethnolinguistique-sociolinguistique à l'Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar. Il a publié plusieurs articles de recherche sur le hip hop sénégalais.
Postdoctoral Researcher in Gut Microbiome Research, University of Tübingen My academic work delves into the fascinating world of microbes, those tiny chemists that, despite their invisibility, have a profound impact on life on Earth. During my PhD, I concentrated on harnessing individual or groups of microbes to transform toxic waste gases into valuable products. I approach this by metaphorically stepping into the microbes' shoes, aiming to understand their motivations and applying this knowledge to optimize industrial biotechnological processes. Since December 2023, I’ve shifted my focus to the human gut microbiome, exploring the complex interplay between these microbes and human health. With more microbial cells in our bodies than human cells, understanding their specific roles in maintaining health or contributing to disease is crucial. My current research is dedicated to unraveling fundamental questions in this field by taking the microbial perspective.
Senior Lecturer, School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University Dr Marcella Polain was born in Singapore and migrated to Australia aged two, with her Irish father and Armenian mother. She has a background in theatre and film, and has published six books (four poetry collections; two novels), lyric essays, and other essays on writing. Her work has won or been short-listed for a number of prizes, including the Anne Elder Award and a Commonwealth Writers' Prize, and has been published internationally and in translation. In 2015, she was awarded a Gold Medal by the Writers' Association of Armenia. Marcella is currently Senior Lecturer in Creative and Professional Writing at Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia. There, with visual artist Paul Uhlmann, she co-founded 'fold editions', dedicated to the production of hand-made books. Marcella has been poetry editor for Blue Dog, Westerly and, most recently, co-editor for Australian Poetry 11. She has also edited numerous manuscripts and mentored emerging writers, many to publication - work she particularly enjoys. Marcella has a special interest in challenging boundaries of form, and in cultural displacement, hybridity and in-betweenness. At present, she is developing a braided illness memoir exploring ongoing effects of genocide and the impact of the 2023 ethnic cleansing of Indigenous Armenians from Artsakh (Nagarno-Karabkh).
Professor of Medical Microbiology, Kingston University Prof Fielder was awarded a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from Kings College London in 1995 winning the Tadion-Rideal Prize for outstanding postgraduate work. He then undertook postdoctoral position at St Georges Hospital London on mucosal vaccination against Vibrio cholerae. Fielder joined Kingston University as a lecturer (1998) in medical Microbiology and awarded a chair in Medical Microbiology in 2011. Fielder is a former advisor for the Clinical Laboratory Sciences Institute (Veterinary antimicrobial susceptibility testing) a member of the Standards in Microbiology for England steering committee. Fielder’s research team are multidisciplinary working on rapid detection systems for infectious disease diagnosis and to overcome antimicrobial resistance in clinical and veterinary settings as well as working with collaborators in the USA on aspects of emerging infectuious disease.
Associate Professor of Social Work, Utah Valley University Melissa Hirschi, PhD, LCSW, is an Associate Professor and the BSW Director. She joins UVU from the University of Memphis. In addition to teaching social work students, she has worked for DCFS, with Community Health workers and individuals living with HIV, working with police and Fire/EMS to meet the needs of community members, providing field supervision for social work students, working with free healthcare clinics, and working with students and individuals form the community to expand their training to better serve individuals and families impacted by opioids and other substance use disorders.
