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Durham University

Research & business

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Dr Kimberly Jamie

ORCID profile
Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology

Contact Dr Kimberly Jamie (email at kimberly.jamie@durham.ac.uk)

Biography

I came to Durham in 2014 as an Assistant Professor of Sociology. Prior to this, I read BA Sociology at the University of Warwick (2005-2008, first class) and then spent several years at the University of York, first reading MA Social Research Methods (2008-2009, Distinction), then doing my PhD on the development of pharmacogenetic technologies (2009-2012), and finally working as a Research Fellow (2012-2014). In 2013 I held an EU Co-operation for Science and Technology Fellowship at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan where I researched genomics in cancer research and practice. 

I am a medical sociologist and have particular interests in the work of healthcare practitioners and scientists, health and medicine in everyday life, the body (particularly women’s bodies), and the politics of reproduction. These interests come together in my on-going research on teenage mothers’ health beliefs and behaviours where I take a critical approach to understanding how moral imperatives around health (e.g. a ‘good’ diet) are negotiated in complex everyday lives.

I am also interested in materiality and exploring ‘stuff’ in medicine and science. I have on-going interests in the use of medicinal ‘stuff’ (biomedicines and complementary/alternative medicines) by chronically ill patients. More recently I have explored scientific ‘stuff’ through an Institute of Advanced Studies grant looking at the use of clay minerals in antimicrobial therapeutics (see: https://www.dur.ac.uk/ias/1920projects/sharples/).

My research is highly interdisciplinary and I collaborate closely with biologists, chemists, economists, pharmacists and psychologists. For me, collaborations which stretch across traditional disciplinary divides are the most interesting, exciting and offer the greatest scope for new ideas so I am always happy to start conversations about potential future collaborations.

Given this interdisciplinary approach, I am also keen to share my research widely and with the public. I was on the expert steering panel for the Wellcome Trust’s Theatre of Debate project and more recently my research with teenage mothers has been featured across the BBC (Look North, BBC News website, Radio 5 Live and on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour which was always a career aspiration).

Finally, I am passionate about mentoring early career researchers. In addition to my PhD supervision, I have supervised undergraduate Laidlaw scholars since 2017 on projects ranging from single fatherhood to ‘fat’ women’s experiences of negotiating everyday spaces. I am always looking to do interesting research with interesting people so I warmly welcome enquiries from potential PhD students, research fellows or collaborators.

　

Research Groups

Department of Sociology

Research Projects

Department of Sociology

Research Interests

  • Health
  • Family health
  • Medicines use
  • Health technologies
  • Lay health understandings/behaviours
  • Healthcare work and professional practice

Indicators of Esteem

  • Celebrating Success in Teaching and Learning Award:
  • Discretionary Award for Outstanding Contribution to Research :

Publications

Authored book

Chapter in book

Journal Article

Supervises

Teaching Areas

  • Critical Scholarship in Social Sciences
  • Sociology of Health and Medicine
  • Sociology of Work and Professions