Research
Research in the Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies at Leeds has an excellent international reputation.
The interdisciplinarity of our research means that our work draws from, and is influenced by, a range of disciplines: such as sociology, cultural studies, youth studies, geography, social policy, law, international studies, health care, modern languages, media studies, music, philosophy and science and technology studies.
All staff in the Centre are research active and have good rates of attracting research funding.
Our Research Themes
Our Centre’s research is organised around six dynamic themes that reflect our interdisciplinary strengths and commitments. These themes guide our research, supervision, and teaching. We actively welcome postgraduate researchers, visiting fellows, and collaborators whose work aligns with or expands these themes
Gender, Health and Embodiment
This theme explores how bodies are shaped, regulated, and experienced across diverse social, cultural, and technological contexts. Research within the Centre examines topics such as cosmetic surgery, obesity, disability, neurodiversity, and embodied performance. Scholars investigate how health and embodiment intersect with gender, class, race, and transnational mobility, offering critical insights into medical tourism, body politics, and the lived realities of marginalised communities.
Gender, (Digital) Media and Culture
This theme explores the ways gender and sexuality are represented, negotiated, and contested in digital and cultural spaces. Research in this area includes feminist and queer analyses of celebrity culture, digital fandom, dance sport, and online activism. The Centre also explores how digital technologies—from AI to social media—shape identity, visibility, and governance, particularly in relation to marginalised groups.
Sexuality, Queer and Trans Studies
This theme brings together interdisciplinary research on queer and trans lives, histories, and politics. It includes work on embodiment, activism, religious identity, and cultural expression across global contexts highlighting knowledge from the global South. The Centre critically engages with anti-gender movements, trans rights, and intersectional queer solidarities, contributing to both academic debates and public discourse.
Gender, Development and Working Lives (Urban and Rural)
This theme examines how gender shapes experiences of labour, development, and socio-economic change in both urban and rural settings. This includes studies of youth employment, precarious work, agricultural labour, food systems, and transnational migration. The theme highlights how gendered inequalities manifest in everyday working lives and how they intersect with class, race, and geography.
Gender, Inequalities and Violence
This theme addresses the structural and interpersonal dimensions of gendered violence and inequality. Research includes domestic and gender-based violence, child poverty, and the impacts of colonialism and socio-economic exclusion. The Centre also engages with policy and civic organisations to inform responses to violence and support vulnerable communities, including disabled and neurodiverse individuals.
Gender and Race
This theme foregrounds intersectional approaches to race, gender, and identity. Research in this theme explores racialised experiences in education, migration, religion, and institutional cultures. It contributes to decolonial feminist scholarship and examines how race and gender intersect to shape access, representation, and belonging in both local and global contexts.
We strongly believe in research-led teaching, and so leading researchers in the Centre lecture on their specialist subjects and their cutting edge expertise feeds into our learning and teaching materials. We hold regular research events including workshops, seminars and lectures for both staff and students.
Current research projects
Sugar Rush - The Social Life of Sugar in Contemporary Society
L-earning: rethinking young women's working lives
Previous research projects
Living Gender in Diverse Times - Young People’s Understandings and Practices of Gender in the Contemporary UK
Hard Knock Life: Negotiating Concussion and Dementia in Sport