Brigstow Institute Steering Group

• Dr Victoria Bates, Associate Professor in Modern Medical History
  Victoria uses historical and participatory practices to create novel multidisciplinary methodologies for eliciting memories and sensations. Her research focuses on health, the senses, design, and more-than-human approaches to 'wellbeing'. Victoria sits on the advisory group for Brigstow’s “Co-Stitch” initiative.
• Prof Michele Barbour, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise & Innovation) & Prof of Biomaterials
  Professor Michele Barbour is Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor Enterprise and Innovation, a strategic leadership role with the remit to grow, enhance and promote the University’s enterprise and innovation activities across all disciplines, particularly in relation to research commercialisation and industry partnerships. She is also Professor of Biomaterials in the Faculty of Health Sciences.
• Prof Kirsten Cater, Associate Dean for School of Computer Science
  Kirsten specialises in Human Computer Interaction. Using mobile and sensor technologies she designs elegant solutions to enhance people's experiences and interactions with their environment and each other. Kirsten founded the Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship which helps to deliver innovative products, services and ways of living through interdisciplinarity research and enterprise.
• Dr Paul Clarke, Associate Professor in Performance and Creative Technology
  Paul is a practitioner-researcher who explores the use of digital technologies in participatory and place-based performance, along with creative responses to archives. He experiments with ways that immersive arts and speculative co-design can support communities to imagine preferable futures for their places.
• Ms Jo Elsworth, Associate Director (Culture and Collections), Library Services
  Jo leads on the strategic development and delivery of Library Collections including Special Collections, Theatre Collection, Public Art, and Collections & Metadata at the University of Bristol. Jo works to help others participate and engage with these collections and has a focus on civic engagement and social responsibility. Jo is interested in how collaboration and professional practice as research can help unlock the academic, creative and social potential of collections.
• Prof Maria Fannin, Professor of Human Geography
  Maria’s work focuses on feminist approaches to health and new medical technologies including socio-political dimensions of motherhood, pregnancy and childbirth. She is also interested in research surrounding the ‘tissue economies’ of health and medicine.
• Prof Helen Manchester, Professor of Participatory Sociodigital Futures
  Helen works on participatory and design-based research that foregrounds experiences of ageing, culture, connectivity and digital equity. With a focus on sociodigital futures and questions of social justice she collaboratively develops new research approaches for working with minoritised communities.
• Dr Camilla Morelli, Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology
  Camilla specialises in child centred participatory methodologies in Latin America and coastal communities in the UK. She examines how young people’s imaginations are powerful catalysts for social and economic change. With animators, Camilla has developed co-production of ethnographic animation to elicit and amplify youth voices. Camilla also serves as a critical friend on Brigstow’s “From the Personal to the Planetary” initiative.
• Prof Marcus Munafo, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Culture) & Prof of Biological Psychology
  Marcus investigates health behaviours and mental health, with a particular focus on tobacco and alcohol use. He is also interested how incentive structures in science shape research practice. Marcus’s role involves enhancing the research environment through infrastructure, support and training to create a positive research culture where researchers are supported and valued.
• Dr Saima Nasar, Senior Lecturer in the History of Africa and its Diasporas
  Saima is a social and cultural historian who works on histories of race, empire, and immigration. Using interdisciplinary research and archival research, Saima contributes to developing new research approaches around migration and imperialism.
• Prof Fabrizio Scarpa, Professor of Smart Materials & Structures
  Fabrizio’s research interests are in the field of mechanical metamaterials. He designs, models and manufactures materials that expand when stretched (auxetic), composites and cellular structures. The properties of these metamaterials can be used for structural integrity, vibration damping, shape morphing and vibroacoustics. Fabrizio also creates bio composites, creating new materials that include natural soft and structural compounds such as biopolymers, cactus and other natural fibres.
• Dr Elspeth Van Veeren, Associate Professor in Global Politics
  Elspeth’s research focuses on US security cultures and policies, particularly with relation to the US Global War on Terror. Her most recent project is a study of secrecy and knowledge un-making as productive within political discourses, including as economic activity and in relation to racial and gendered structures of power. She coordinates the Secrecy, Power and Ignorance research Network (SPIN, www.secrecyesearch.com).