Alison Pilnick (Faculty of Social Sciences)
I am Professor of Language, Medicine and Society in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham. My research interests lie primarily in the field of the sociology of health and illness, with a particular interest in interactions between health and social care professionals and their patients or clients. With funding from bodies including ESRC, NIHR, the British Academy and the Big Lottery Fund, I have worked with a wide range of health professionals in a wide range of care settings both in the UK and overseas, using audio and video recordings to examine interactions and to inform and develop communication skills training. This is linked to a broader interest in the use of qualitative methods in sociological research.
I am a past editor of the journal Sociology of Health and Illness, a current Advisory Editor for the journal Social Science and Medicine, and have served on British Sociological Association and American Sociological Association committees. In 2015 I was elected a Fellow of the UK Academy of Social Sciences in recognition of my research in healthcare, and in 2021 was appointed to the ESRC Strategic Advisory Network, the body that advises ESRC on strategies, schemes, investments and interventions.
I have extensive experience of PGR supervision and ECR mentoring, supported by a wide range of funding bodies. As RAFL I work closely with researchers in my Faculty, School Directors of PGR, and other RAFLs across the University, to support the training and Development of the Social Science researcher community.