Dr Maria Tomlinson

I research the impact of health communication on social inequalities such as those linked to gender and/or disability. My work explores how organisations, advocates, and influencers use social media and engage with journalists to raise awareness of health issues, tackle related stigma, as well as improve health and wellbeing. I also examine the impact of this advocacy work on their audiences. I use the findings of my research for social good, including improving inclusion, health, wellbeing, knowledge and relationships. I have worked closely with minority communities, schools, NGOs, charities, public services, businesses, the BSI, and the Department for Education.

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My latest project (funded by the Leverhulme Trust) explored the impact of the menstrual movement, social media, and journalism on young people's knowledge and perceptions of menstruation as well as related health and social issues (including period poverty, endometriosis, reusable products, and transgender people who menstruate). I conducted interviews with 32 activists in the UK, focus groups with 77 teenagers, and examined discourses on social media. I'm soon to publish these findings as a book: The Menstrual Movement in the Media: Reducing Stigma and Tackling Social Inequalities (Palgrave Macmillan).

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