Newcastle University

Introduction

Following doctoral studies and a period working in Newcastle Medical School (Research Associate; Public Health tutor), I joined the Sociology subject area as Lecturer in Sociology in 2005. My research interests are informed by an approach that draws on sociology, social policy and law, as applied to health, illness and disability. I have a particular interest in understanding both lay and professional experiences of health care provided in the context of reproductive loss.

Roles and Responsibilities

Current roles:
Chair, School of Geography, Politics and Sociology Teaching and Learning Committee (2012 - )

Previous roles:
Degree Programme Director, BA Politics and Sociology (2005 - 2009)
Combined Studies Liaison (2005 - 2008)
Member of Programme approval panel (2009 - 2010)
Subject area Careers liaison (2009 - 2011)
Member of school ethics panel (2008 - 2010)
Lead Convenor, Health and Life Sciences Research Cluster (2010 - 2012)
Senior Tutor (2010 - 2012)

Qualifications

PG Dip Medical Law, 2011.
Northumbria University 

Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, 2005.
Newcastle University

Ph.D in Social Policy, Sociology and Law, 2002.
Newcastle University (ESRC Scholarship)

BA (Hons) in Social Policy, 1996.
Newcastle University

Memberships

Social and Legal Studies Association

Research Interests

My research activities include work in socio-legal studies, medical sociology and qualitative research, and involve the study of topics such as reproductive loss and disordered eating. A key strand that runs through my research is a focus on aiming to understand how distressing life events are conceptualised, experienced and responded to.

Researching these topics can involve using multiple methods, but my portfolio of work to date contains a strong focus on qualitative research methods that cuts across my non-fieldwork based and fieldwork based projects, such as:

- Generative Thematic analysis
- Discourse analysis
- Conceptualisations of sensitive phenomena

Current Work

The central strand of my current research programme centres around reproductive health and reproductive loss. This programme involves research across several areas of reproductive loss, such as:

- termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly/feticide,
- neonatal care
- miscarriage
- viability thresholds and the fetus

Postgraduate Supervision 

 Recent supervisions

Danna-Mechelle Lewis 'The risk factor - an exploratory study into the assessment of risk within criminal justice practice' (supervised with Dr Elaine Campbell) 

Liz Turner 'Reimagining criminology's public role: an inquiry into the relationship bewteen criminological expertise and the democratic public sphere' (supervised with Dr Elaine Campbell) 

Doctoral level supervision:
- Medical Sociology (Benet Reid, Lisa Crowe, Allison Farnworth)
- Suffering/Harm (Polli Allen)

Esteem Indicators

Co-editor of the journal Social Theory and Health

Peer reviewer for:
Social Science and Medicine
Qualitative Health Research
Journal of Social Policy
Human Fertility
ESRC
Open University Press
Palgrave Press

The paper 'Male rape and the careful construction of the male victim' [Social and Legal Studies, 15 (2): 187-208] was the most accessed article for the journal SLS in the year May 2006-April 2007, with 1,675 total accesses.

Funding

2011 NIHR EME Programme, £1.5 million
(co-applicant, PI S Robson, Newcastle University) 

2010 Department of Health, £35k
(PI, with S Robson, J Rankin and N Embleton)

2010 Tiny Lives (UK charity), £110k
(co-applicant, PI J Rankin, Newcastle University)

2010 NIHR HTA Programme, £1.4 million
(co-applicant; PI P Griffiths, Sheffield University)

2010 Knowledge Transfer Partnership, £164k
(academic lead; co-investigator S Robson, Newcastle University)

2006 Knowledge Transfer Partnership, £120k,
(academic support; PI E Campbell, Newcastle University)

2005 Tiny Lives (UK charity), £52,949 + £10,000 (in 2008)
(co-applicant, PI S Robson, Newcastle University)

2002 Wellcome Trust, £80K
(named collaborator, PI C May)

1997 ESRC Doctoral Scholarship

Projects

• Parent and Health Professional Experiences of Treatment Withdrawal for Sick Neonates
  Project Leader(s): Dr Ruth Graham
• Public Confidence in Criminal Justice in the North East of England
  Project Leader(s): Dr Elaine Campbell

Undergraduate Teaching

SOC2056 - Sociology of Health and Illness

Postgraduate Teaching

SOC8036 - Sociological Thought and Explanation (alternate years)

• Graham RH, Mason K, Rankin J, Robson SC. The role of feticide in the context of late termination of pregnancy: a qualitative study of health professionals' and parents' views. Prenatal Diagnosis 2009, 29(9), 875-881.
• Graham R. Experiences of Reproductive Loss: the importance of professional discretion in caring for a patient group with diverse views. In: Earle, S; Komaromy, C; Layne, L, ed. Understanding Reproductive Loss: Perspectives on Life, Death and Fertility. Surrey: Ashgate, 2012, pp.205-220.
• Graham RH, Robson SC, Rankin JM. Understanding feticide: An analytic review. Social Science and Medicine 2008, 66(2), 289-300.
• Graham RH. Lacking compassion – sociological analyses of the medical profession. Social Theory & Health 2006, 4(1), 43-63.
• Graham RH. Male rape and the careful construction of the male victim. Social and Legal Studies 2006, 15(2), 187-208.
• McParlin C, Graham RH, Robson SC. Caring for women with nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: new approaches. British Journal of Midwifery 2008, 16, 280-285.
• Graham RH. Cognitive citizenship: access to hip surgery for people with dementia. Health: an interdisciplinary journal for the social study of health, illness and medicine 2004, 8(3), 295-310.
• Murtagh MJ, Thomson RG, May CR, Rapley TJ, Heaven BRJ, Graham RH, Kaner EFS, Stobbart L, Eccles PJ. Qualitative methods in a randomised controlled trial: the role of an integrated qualitative process evaluation in providin evidence to discontinue the intervention in one arm of a triapof a decision support tool. Quality and Safety in Health Care 2007, 16(3), 224-229.
• Graham RH, Mihaylov SI, Jepson NJA, Allen PF, Bond S. Determining 'need' for a Removable Partial Denture: a qualitative study of factors that influence dentist provision and patient use. British Dental Journal 2006, 200(3), 155-158.
• Rapley TJ, May CR, Heaven BRJ, Murtagh MJ, Graham RH, Kaner EFS, Thomson RG. Doctor-patient interaction in a randomised controlled trial of decision-support tools. Social Science & Medicine 2006, 62(9), 2267-2278.
• Heaven BRJ, Murtagh MJ, Rapley TJ, May CR, Graham RH, Kaner EFS, Thomson RG. Patients or research subjects? A qualitative study of participation in a randomised controlled trial of a complex intervention. Patient Education and Counseling 2006, 62(2), 260-270.
• Graham RH. Cognitive citizenship: access to hip surgery for people with dementia. Health: an interdisciplinary journal for the social study of health, illness and medicine 2004, 8(3), 295-310.
• Graham RH. Deconstructing reform: Exploring oppositional approaches to research in sexual assault. Social & Legal Studies 2001, 10(2), 257-271.
• May CR, Allison G, Chapple A, Chew-Graham C, Dixon C, Gask L, Graham RH, Rogers A, Roland M. Framing the doctor-patient relationship in chronic illness: A comparative study of general practitioners' accounts. Sociology of Health and Illness 2004, 26(2), 135-158.
• Graham R, Payne J, Payne G, Bond M. Health. In: Payne, G, ed. Social Divisions. Basingstoke: Palgrave macmillan, 2013. In Press.