I have a mix of research interests include infant feeding, parenting, employability, student parents and baby banks. I am also interested in family history, genealogy and local (North East) history.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing. I teach on the BA(Hons) Childhood and Early Years Studies programme in Newcastle upon Tyne. I lead the following modules:

• PP0423 Approaches to Learning
• PP0566 Promoting Children and Young People’s Health
• PP0542 Professional Practice and Career Development

I also supervise undergraduate dissertations and teach on the following modules:

• PP0421 Children, Families and Schooling
• PP0622 Perspectives of Children’s Literature

I have a keen interest in experiential learning and employability and support students with fieldwork and placement opportunities as part of their studies. I collaborate with a wide network of external partners to make this an important part of the student’s learning.

My role as an Academic Lead for the BA(Hons) Childhood and Early Years Studies affords me the opportunity to support students on the programme. I have a particular interested in the experiences of student parents and the extra demands placed upon them.

I am also a Departmental Transnational Education Coordinator for both the BA(Hons) Childhood and Early Years Studies and BA(Hons) Guidance and Counselling programmes, and support the delivery of these programmes by our partner organisation, Kaplan, in Singapore.

My doctoral research explored women’s stories of infant feeding in an area of the North East of England with low rates of breastfeeding.