Contact
Biography
I am an interdisciplinary health geographer using qualitative, arts-based, and participatory methods to identify and intervene in health disparities.
A core strand of my research investigates gendered inequities in physical activity and sport using creative qualitative approaches to bridge research and practice. I am Co-Lead (with Dr Joanne Parsons) of the Environments Designed for Gender Equity in Sport & Physical Activity Lab (EDGE Lab), where our mission is to reimagine equitable and inclusive sport and physical activity through a gendered environmental approach. Within this, I recently completed a British Academy Innovation Fellowship (2023-2024) with the UK Sports Institute entitled "Levelling the playing field: social innovations for addressing gendered inequities in sports injury." The project translated research insights into an arts-based intervention to support sport system stakeholders in gaining a deeper understanding of women athletes' experiences and identifying gendered environmental challenges that can be addressed ➡️ MoreThanMedals.co.uk
My other strand of research uses youth-driven participatory methodologies that are nimble and responsive to the health priorities young people identify as mattering to them. I am presently co-leading our 4-year CIHR-funded E-Prevention And Vaping (EPAV) Project to co-produce scalable vaping prevention messages with youth. This builds on our by-youth-for-youth Teens Talk Vaping project, where we developed a capacity-building programme to equip our youth collaborators with research skills to contribute as 'co-researchers' across all phases of the project, from data collection, to analysis, to knowledge translation. Check out this cinematic representation of our Teens Talk Vaping research findings created by our co-researchers.
My scholarship is underpinned by my commitments to equity, inclusion, diversity, justice, participatory practices, and mental health advocacy, within and beyond the academy. I previously served as Chair of the EDI Committee in the School of Geography at the University of Nottingham and Co-Chair of the Disability Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers.
Click here for my ORCID and here for my Google Scholar.
I serve on the editorial boards of Health & Place, Geography Compass, and Canadian Geographies.
My pronouns are she/her/hers.
Teaching Summary
I contribute to the following undergraduate modules:
- GEOG1008 Exploring Human Geography
- GEOG1005 Tutorial
- GEOG1015 Careers Skills in Human Geography
- GEOG2030 Research Tutorial
- GEOG2031 Dissertation Preparation
- GEOG3004 Dissertation
- GEOG3059 Health Geographies
Postgraduate supervision:
I'm open to supervising master's and PhD students across a range of critical health geographies topics using qualitative methodologies (especially participatory approaches and creative/arts-based methods). If you are interested in discussing potential supervision with me, please feel welcome to contact me via email.
Current postgraduate students:
- Rebecca Jackson, PhD candidate (Geography, University of Nottingham). "Changing the Game: A Youth-driven Co-design Approach to Exploring Gendered Environments in Girls' Football." Midlands Graduate School ESRC DTP Collaborative PhD Studentship in partnership with The Football Association. (Lead Supervisor)
- Paula Rescia Lario, PhD candidate (Universidad de Alcalá, Spain). "Impact of gender inequalities on access to physical activity resources in urban environments: A mixed methods intersectional study." (Co-supervisor with Luis Cereijo)
- Gráinne Fay, PhD candidate (Geography, University of Nottingham). "A matter of life and breath: A biosocial geography of Cambodian women garment workers experiences of respiratory ill-health." (Co-Supervisor with Sabina Lawreniuk)
- Gabrielle Guy, PhD candidate (Geography, University of Nottingham). "'Dry leaf don't rot same time it falls': Exploring wellbeing in everyday geographies of family food practices in Tobago." (Lead Supervisor)
- Shawna Lewkowitz, PhD candidate (Geography, Western University, Canada). "A Place to Pee: Examining Gendered Experiences of Public Spaces through the Lens of Public Toilets." (Co-Supervisor with Jason Gilliland)
Completed postgraduate students:
- Harriet Cameron, PhD (Computer Science, 2023), Thesis title: Outdata-ed Museums: Creating Ethical and Transparent Data Collection Processes in Museums. Part of the Horizon CDT and supported by the EPSRC [grant number EP/L015463/1] and the Nottingham Contemporary. (Co-Supervisor)
Research Summary
Principal Investigator. (2025). Beyond biology: Charting the impact of a gendered environmental approach on popular narratives about sports injury. University of Nottingham Faculty of Social… read more
Recent Publications
COEN, S. E., NELSON FERGUSON, K., TOBIN, D., BURKE, S., DELA CRUZ, T-J. E., GIRUM, L., GUISANDES BUENO, G. I., HAINES-SAAH, R., IWAS, T., KANDLAKUTI, B., MANJI, A., MEGARAJAH, P., SOTO CANALES, R., SPENCER, T., & GILLILAND, J. A., 2023. Teens talk vaping: A co-produced participatory study exploring teens’ reflections on vaping experiences and exposures in their everyday environments SSM - Qualitative Research in Health. PARSONS, J. L., COEN SE and BEKKER, S., 2021. Anterior cruciate ligament injury: towards a gendered environmental approach British Journal of Sports Medicine. (In Press.)
MEDEIROS, A, BUTTAZZONI, A, COEN SE, CLARK, AF, WILSON, K and GILLILAND, J, 2021. Review of gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnic background considerations reported in active school travel intervention studies Journal of Transport & Health.