Dr Anna Lavis MA, MSc, MRes, PhD

• PhD Medical Anthropology: Goldsmiths, University of London, 2011.
• MRes Medical Anthropology and Research Methods: Goldsmiths, University of London, 2006.
• MSc Social Anthropology: University College London, 2003.
• BA European and Middle Eastern Languages: University of Oxford, 2002 (MA, 2014).

Anna Lavis is an Associate Professor in Medical Anthropology in the Person-Centred Research Team in the Department of Applied Health Sciences.

Anna's research has conceptual emphases on materiality, specifically the material culture of mental health; concepts, ethics and practices of care; social media, ‘truth’ and the politics of evidence; affect, desire and intimacy. 

Anna teaches on various programmes, covering topics in qualitative methods and medical sociology/anthropology, as well as undertaking doctoral supervision both at Birmingham and externally. She regularly guest lectures at UCL and accepts invitations for teaching and examining in the UK and abroad. She is also an honorary Senior Lecturer in the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Australian National University. 

• MBChB
• Public Health MPH/PG Diploma/PG Certificate
• Master’s in Mental Health, Institute for Mental Health, UoB
• Doctoral Supervision

Anna is interested in supervising doctoral research in:

• Social media, health and society
• Lived experiences of mental ill-health and/or treatment interventions
• Ethnographic explorations of mental health
• Anorexia and/or other eating disorders, self-harm, suicidality, and psychosis 

Current and Recent Projects:

NIHR Global Health Research Centres: Research and Institutional Capacity Strengthening In NCDs Call, 2022-2027: NIHR Global Health Research Centre for Research & Capacity Building in Multiple  Long-term Conditions. Co-I. (PI: Kamlesh Khunti, Leicester).

UKRI Adolescence, Mental Health and Developing Mind Methodological Innovation call, 2022-2024: Co-Producing a Framework of Guiding Principles for Engaging Representative and Diverse Cohorts of Young People in Biological Research in Mental Health. Co-I. (PI: Paola Dazzan, KCL).

Philanthropic Donation, University of Birmingham and Internal UoB Funding, 2022-2023: Eating Disorders and Body Image Content: Understanding What makes Content Harmful and for Whom. PI.

Research England QR Enhancing Research and Knowledge Exchange Funding Programme, 2022: Rapid Research in partnership with Schools to Ensure that the UK Online safety Bill Reflects Children and Young People’s Experiences. PI.

National Institute for Health Research, Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) - NIHR201108, 2021-2023: Self-Harm in Eating Disorders: A Mixed-Methods Study (SHINE Study). PI.

UKRI/ESRC SMaRteN Student Mental Health Research Network, 2021-2022: Academic (Un)Belonging and the Neoliberal University: A Comparative Institutional Case Study of Postgraduate Researchers’ Experiences at two English Universities. Co-I. (PI: Lydia  Lewis, Wolverhampton).

Samaritans, 2021-2022: Self-Harm and Suicide, Content: Understanding What makes Content Harmful and for Whom. PI.

Samaritans, 2020: Self-Harm and Suicide Content on Social Media: A Rapid Assessment of the Impact of COVID-19. PI.

University of Birmingham, internal funding, 2020: A Real-Time Ethnographic Exploration of Coronavirus-Related Discussions on Social Media. PI.  

University of Birmingham Internal Funding, 2020-2022: Exploration of University Students’ Experience and Understandings of Covid-19 and Measures to Control its Spread. Co-I.

ESRC DTP Collaborative Studentship, 2020-2024, University of Birmingham: Deliberate self-harm in UK dance students: Prevalence, predictors, and prevention. Co-I. (PI: Jennifer Cummings, UoB).

Economic, Social, Cultural, & Environmental Impacts of Covid-19 - Urgent Response Fund, 2020: Health Impacts of Social and Environmental Restrictions from UK Lockdown: Identifying Changes in Household Eating and Activity Patterns During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Co-I. (PI: Stanley Ulijaszek, Oxford).

Wellcome Institutional Strategic Support Fund, Oxford University, 2019-2020:  Understanding Obesity and Eating Disorders through the Material Culture of Home Environments. Co-I. (PI: Stanley Ulijaszek, Oxford).

Wellcome Trust, 2018-2019: Virtual Scars: Exploring the Ethics of Care on Social Media through Interactions Around Self-Injury. PI.

• Director, Social Media and Health Research Network, Twitter: @SM_and_health.
• Wellbeing Strategist at Meta, advising on eating disorders and body image content (Consultancy).
• Member of the Editorial Board, Anthropology in Action. 
• Series Editor, International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis (ISPS) Book Series, Routledge. 
• Honorary Senior Lecturer, Australian National University, Canberra.
• Self-harm and Suicide Prevention Research Theme Co-Lead, Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham.
• Co-Chair, University of Birmingham STEM Research Ethics Committee; member of the UoB Research Governance, Ethics and Integrity Committee.