Dr Rachel Hale

(she/her)

PhD (Nottingham), MSc, PGCE (PCET), BA (Hons)

Publication

• Date
• Type

Research

As Principal Investigator/Co-PI/Co-I

• GW4 BUILDING COMMUNITIES PROGRAMME Generator Fund, 'GW4 Air Network', £20,000, March 2025, Co-I 

• GW4 Development Award, 'Air pollution, temperature and nature exposure (indoor, outdoor and personal) in Southwest England and Wales – Science, citizen science and risk communication', £4,995, July 2024, Co-I
• Learned Society of Wales (LSW) Workshop Grant, Co-producing air quality citizen science in Caerphilly, £1,000, December 2023, PI
• UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) Whole Systems Networking Fund (WSNF), 'Facilitating participation in air quality citizen science (EXPO-ENGAGE)', £73,790, July 2022, Co-PI
• GW4 AMR Alliance Research funding, 'Engaging the public with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) using blended arts and science events', £7,500, October 2021, Co-I
• GW4 Crucible Seed Funding, 'Exposure and environmental engagement: A pilot integrating wearable sensors, air quality and citizen science (EXPO-ENGAGE)', £3,855, July 2021, Co-I
• ‘Scientific Conferences after COVID’ investigated the ways that scientists use conferences and meetings across the sciences, to identify those aspects of scientific work that are dependent on face-to-face meetings and those which could safely continue to be done remotely.  We also looked at the potential impacts on inequality.  The outcome is a unique contribution to the sociology of science and practical recommendations for the re-organisation of scientific meetings (Co-I).
• Cardiff University/HEFCW Strategic Insight Programme (SIP) funding, 'Divisional Ownership of Infection Prevention and Control', £2500, November 2014, PI
• Full ESRC/MRC PhD studentship, University of Nottingham, October 2010-September 2013.

As Research Associate/Fellow

• IUD-fit is using mixed methods to understand experiences of intra-uterine device (IUD) fitting to co-produce effective decision support tools about pain relief (HCRW funded).
• The ALCHIMIA project (EU Horizon 2020 funded) is exploring the insertion of a particular Artificial Intelligence technology incorporating ‘federated learning’ within the European steel industry for the more efficient operation of Electric Arc Furnace steel production.
• 'Living Well in Low Carbon Homes' (part of the Active Building Centre project) looked at resident and housing professionals' experiences of Active (low carbon) Homes (EPSRC funded)
• 'Inside the Black Box- An Ethnographic Examination of Nurses' Professional Judgement in Nursing Staffing Systems in England and Wales' (The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Foundation funded)
•  'Developing and Testing Participant Information Leaflets (PILs) that Inform and do not Cause Harm (PrinciPILs)' (Medical Research Council (MRC) funded)
•  ‘Professional decision making in next generation clinical genetics’ (Wellcome Trust funded)
• ‘Pre-conception genetic screening for autosomal recessive conditions of uncertain or highly variable prognosis: social and ethical implications’ (Wellcome Trust funded)
• ‘Social, economic and ethical issues around cultured red blood cells, stem cells and immortalised cell lines’ (NIHR funded)
• Cancer survivorship (Tenovus funded)
• Dentists' decision making around crown placement and replacement   

Teaching

My teaching practice is underpinned by a PGCE in post-compulsory education and training (PCET) and I am currently undertaking the Higher Education Academy Associate Fellowship (AFHEA) qualification.

• Previous teaching at Cardiff University:
  
  • Introduction to Sociology (Undergraduate core module)
  • Qualitative Research Methods (MSc Social Science Research Methods)
  • Research Methods 2 (BSc Intercalated Population Medicine)
• Current Supervision at Cardiff University
  • Co-supervising BSc Pharmacology dissertation
• Completed supervision at Cardiff University:
  • Undergraduate dissertation (BSc Criminology and Sociology)
  • Masters in Public Health (MPH) dissertation 'Health, Fitness and Social Media Influencers: A focus group study exploring the impact of Instagram on the health behaviours of young women'
• Previous teaching at other universities:
  • Warwick, Nottingham, West of England, South Wales/Glamorgan
  • Diverse range of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students (sociology, criminology, education, interdisciplinary, medical, other health professionals)
  • Substantive modules 
    • Social Identity and Social Inequality
    • Bodies, Technology and Society
    • Genomics: Science and Society
    • Sociology of the Body
    • Values, Law and Ethics
    • Ethics of health screening
    • Pandemic planning
    • Sociology of Pornography
    • Key Issues in Sex Education.
  • Research methods modules
    • Research Design, Practice and Ethics
    • Qualitative Research Methods in Health
    • Mixed Methods in Health Research
    • Mixed Methods Research Techniques
  • Supervision:
    • Undergraduate dissertation
    • Postgraduate dissertation
    • Postgraduate professional project 

Biography

EDUCATION

October 2010-May 2016: PhD in Sociology and Public Health, University of Nottingham

• Full doctoral studentship jointly funded by ESRC and MRC
• Thesis Title: An Actor Network Analysis of the Healthcare Worker Influenza Immunisation Programme in Wales – 2009-11
• Supervised by: Prof. Robert Dingwall and Prof. Jonathan Van Tam
• Examined by: Prof. Trisha Greenhalgh and Prof. Ian Shaw

• Masters in Public Health modules: Sociology of Health & Illness; Qualitative Research Methods; Epidemiology Research Methods & Basic Statistics

April 2010-September 2010: MSc Social Science Research, University of Glamorgan

• Dissertation Title: A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis of the Official and Media Discourses Around the Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine in the UK – 2008-10

November 2006-April 2010: PG Dip Social Science Research Methods, Open University

• Modules – Ethnography; Discourse Analysis; Rethinking Social Policy, Introduction to Research: Basic Skills and Survey Methods

September 2008-July 2010: PGCE (PCET), University of Glamorgan

September 1991-July 1994: BA (Hons) Humanities (Sociology), University of Glamorgan

Honours and awards

EXPERT ADVISORY ROLES

• Welsh Assembly Government Covid-19 Expert, 2020-present
• Invited member of the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab E-Team COVID-19: what social sciences need policymakers to know, 2020-present
• Invited member of the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab Public E-Team: ‘Inequalities in the time of COVID-19’, 2020-present
• UK Government KEU COVID-19 Outbreak Expert Database member, 2020-present
• Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Ethics Network (PHEPREN)
• Cardiff University Biobank Scientific Review Committee member, 2019-present
• UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab expert, 2019-present
• Independent Expert Advisory Group (IEAG) member for the World Health Organization Influenza Implementation Research Focal Point (Initiative for Vaccine Research), 2018- present
• External Consultant for Tailoring Influenza Immunization Programmes (TIP FLU) for the World Health Organization (WHO), 2014-present
• External Consultant for Public Health Wales healthcare worker measles immunisation research study, 2013
• External Consultant for Public Health Wales cervical screening uptake amongst hard-to-reach groups research study, 2010

FUNDING AWARDS

• GW4 Development Award, Air pollution, temperature and nature exposure (indoor, outdoor and personal) in Southwest England and Wales – Science, citizen science and risk communication, £4,995, July 2024, Co-I

  Learned Society of Wales (LSW) Workshop Grant, Co-producing air quality citizen science in Caerphilly County, £1,000, December 2023, PI

• UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) Whole Systems Networking Fund (WSNF), ‘Facilitating participation in air quality citizen science (EXPO-ENGAGE)’, £73,790, July 2022, co-PI

• GW4 AMR Alliance Research funding, ‘Engaging the public with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) using blended arts and science events’, £7,500, October 2021, co-I
• GW4 Crucible Seed Funding, ‘Exposure and environmental engagement: A pilot integrating wearable sensors, air quality and citizen science (EXPO-ENGAGE)’, £3,855, July 2021, co-I
• Goethe University funding to present at workshop ‘Hope and fear for the future of human genome editing, We, new utopians – Genome editing and echoes of future life’, Frankfurt, September 2019
• British Council Research Links funding for Qualitative Research in Infection Control workshop (Sao Paulo, Brazil), February 2015
• Cardiff University/HEFCW Strategic Insight Programme (SIP) funding, 'Divisional Ownership of Infection Prevention and Control in Secondary Healthcare', £2500, November 2014, PI
• British Sociological Association (BSA) Early Career Researcher conference funding to present at the BSA Medical Sociology Conference, York, September 2013
• King’s College London bursary to attend summer school course ‘Doing social science research in healthcare settings’, London, July 2013
• University of Nottingham Science Technology and Society (STS) Priority Group travel bursary, June 2013
• Full ESRC/MRC PhD studentship October 2010-September 2013

Academic positions

• 02/2019-present: Research Associate, Cardiff University
• 02/2017-01/2019: Research Fellow, University of Warwick
• 10/2015-03/2017: Research Associate, University of the West of England
• 05/2013-02/2017: Research Associate, Cardiff University
• 09/2008-09/2010: Sociology Lecturer, University of Glamorgan

Speaking engagements

Oral Presentations

Hale, R. and Garret, J. [Invited oral presentation] EXPO-ENGAGE - Facilitating participation in air quality citizen science, Environment Platform Wales (EPW) Insights Wales / Cipolwg Cymru, Weekly webinar, discussion & research showcase, Wales (Online), April 2025.

Hale, R. [Oral presentation] Co-creating research with user communities and interdisciplinary colleagues, Researcher Community Showcase, Cardiff University, Wales, October 2024.

Hale, R., [Oral presentation] EXPO-ENGAGE - Facilitating participation in air quality citizen science, Co-production at and with Cardiff University, Cardiff University, Wales, July 2024.

Hale, R., Stroud, D., Weinel, M., and Di Iorio, V. [Oral presentation] Connecting Wales to Europe through the ALCHIMIA Horizon Europe project, Learned Society of Wales ECR Colloquium 2024: A Connected Wales, Bangor University, Wales, June 2024.

Hale, R., Stroud, D., Weinel, M., and Di Iorio, V. [Oral presentation] The role of social scientists in developing an artificial intelligence platform for steelmaking work, Artificial Intelligence and Transformations of Work conference, Grenoble, November 2023.

Hale, R., Stroud, D., Weinel, M. [Oral presentation] Understanding the digitalization of work in the steel industry using the sociology of work, industrial sociology and STS, STS CONFERENCE GRAZ, Online, May 2023.

Hale, R. and Henwood, K. [Oral presentation] Interpretative flexibility and the (re)shaping of everyday home energy morality and norms by housing professionals and residents in UK Active Home energy transitions, EASA2022: Transformation, Hope and the Commons, Belfast, July 2022.

Hale, R. and Henwood, K. [Oral presentation] The reconfiguration of housing professionals and the mobilization of normative and moral discourses in the service of Active Home living, Politics of Technoscientific Futures, EASST 2022 Conference, Madrid, July 2022.

Hale, R. [Invited online oral presentation] Extending the gift relationship?: Donor, patient, stakeholder, and publics' views on culturing red blood cells, Donation Research Network Symposium Series 2022 - Ethics and Donation, University of Queensland, Brisbane, July 2022.

Hale, R. [Oral presentation] Extending the gift relationship?: Donor, patient, stakeholder, and publics' views on culturing red blood cells, Hematopolitics Symposium: The Politics of Blood, Body and Health, University of Leeds, May 2022.

Hale, R. [Oral presentation] Active Homes: a socially just route to decarbonisation?, Towards a better future: Addressing critical challenges, Cardiff University Researcher Showcase Conference (online), December 2021.

Hale, R., O’Sullivan, K., Shirani, F., Henwood, K. and Pidgeon, N. [Oral presentation] Active Homes as Social Innovation? Expert Visions of Energy and Sustainable Housing, Social innovation: next steps in the energy transition, TU Delft University (online), November 2021.

Hale, R. and Hedgecoe, A. [Oral presentation] Hope and fear for the future of human genome editing, We, new utopians – Genome editing and echoes of future life workshop, Goethe University, Frankfurt, September 2019.

Hale, R. and Hedgecoe, A. [Oral presentation] Communicating Uncertainty in Next Generation Clinical Genetics, Conference of the UK Association for Studies of Innovation, Science and Technology, University of Manchester, Manchester, September 2019.

Hale, R. and Kent, J. [Oral presentation] Designing futures for the emerging technology of cultured red blood cells, Critical engagement vs. technophobia: The risks of emerging technologies European Sociological Association Workshop, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, October 2018.

Hale, R. and Boardman, F. [Oral presentation] An analysis of the social and ethical implications of a shift in reproductive decision-making around genetic screening from families affected by genetic conditions to the general population, British Sociological Association Medical Sociology Annual Conference, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, September 2018.

Hale, R. and Boardman, F. [Oral presentation] Moving Beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Data: A Study of Attitudes Towards Genetic Screening in the UK, Mixed Methods International Research Association Conference, University of Vienna, Vienna, August 2018.

Hale, R. and Boardman, F. [Oral presentation and poster] Social and Ethical Implications of Fragile X Screening: The Families’ Views, Fragile X Syndrome Research Workshop 2018, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, May 2018.

Hale, R. and Boardman, F. [Oral presentation] An analysis of the social and ethical implications of a shift in reproductive decision-making around genetic screening from families affected by genetic conditions to the general population, British Sociological Association Annual Conference, Northumbria University, Newcastle, April 2018.

Hale, R. and Kent, J. [Oral presentation] The future of donation: Implications of cultured red blood cells, Deconstructing Donation Conference, University of Bristol, Bristol, December 2017.

Hale, R., Kent, J. and Meacham, D. [Oral presentation] Designing futures: targeting red blood cell products, British Sociological Association conference, University of Manchester, Manchester, April 2017.

Hale, R. and Kent, J. [Oral presentation] Extending the gift? Donor perspectives on laboratory grown red blood cells, Deconstructing Donation Symposium, Lancaster University, June 2016, and Red Cell Special Interest Group Scientific Meeting, BBTS conference, Harrogate, September 2016.

Hale, R. [Invited oral presentation] An actor-network analysis of the healthcare worker influenza immunisation programme, HProImmnune Info day, Athens, July 2014.

Hale, R. [Invited oral presentation] An actor-network analysis of the healthcare worker influenza immunisation programme, Wales Immunisation Conference, Wrexham, May 2014.

Hale, R. [Oral presentation] Actor-network theory, sociology and bioethics in the UK healthcare worker influenza immunisation programme, Working together? STS, collaboration and (multi)disciplinarity conference, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, December 2013.

Hale, R. Dingwall R and Nguyen-Van-Tam J.S.  [Oral presentation] The bioethics of healthcare worker influenza immunisation, BSA Medical Sociology Conference, University of York, September 2013.

Hale, R. [Oral presentation] Actor-Networks and Health Professionals’ Vaccination against H1N1 Pandemic Influenza, BSA Medical Sociology Conference, University of Leicester, Leicester, September 2012.

Hale, R. [Oral presentation] Health care workers and the H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine, East Midlands Universities Association Postgraduate Conference, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, July 2012.

Roundtable Discussions

Hale, R. [Roundtable discussion] Inserting influenza vaccines into healthcare workers in two Welsh Local Health Boards, BSA Conference, Leeds University, Leeds, April 2014.

Hale, R. Dingwall R and Nguyen-Van-Tam J.S. [Full conference paper and roundtable discussion] Linking micro and macro in the UK National Health Service healthcare worker influenza immunisation programme, American Sociological Association, New York, August 2013.  http://orca.cf.ac.uk/120968/1/asa13_proceeding_649360%20%281%29.pdf

Stakeholder Presentations

Hale, R.  & Kent, J. [Invited presentation] An Investigation of What Diverse Patient, Donor and Public Groups Think About The Use of Innovative Blood Cell Therapies: A Small Scale Qualitative Study for the Bristol Blood & Transplant Research Unit. Presentation to Bristol Blood & Transplant Research Unit, NHSBT, Bristol, January 2017.

Hale, R.  & Kent, J. [Invited presentation] Donor, Patient and Public Perspectives on Laboratory Grown, Red Blood Cells, Presentation to NHSBT Public Advisory Group, Bristol, December 2016.

Hale, R. (2013) An actor-network analysis of the healthcare worker influenza immunisation programme in Wales.  Presentation to representatives from the Welsh Assembly Government, Public Health Wales and Local Health Boards, Cardiff, June 2013.

CONTRIBUTION TO ARTISTIC/MEDIA OUTPUTS

GW4 AMR Alliance funded research, ‘Engaging the public with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) using blended arts and science events’, October 2021 - February 2022

Touring immersive art installation and soundscape about genetic screening, University of Warwick, 2019 https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/research/hscience/sssh/research/imagining_futures/i_dna/

Ethnodrama video about cancer survivorship, Cardiff University, 2016

Committees and reviewing

• Association for Studies in Innovation, Science and Technology (AsSIST-UK):

·       Member of the Executive Committee, 2019-2025

·       Andrew Webster PhD Prize Award Committee, 2023-2025

·       Newsletter Joint Editor, 2023-2025

• Journal Associate Editor for Cogent Social Sciences, August 2016-
• Funding application reviewer for: ESPRC; NIHR
• Book Peer Reviewer: Research Handbook on the Sociology of Science and Technology
• Journal Reviewer: PLOS ONE; Science as Culture; Sociology of Health and Illness; SSM - Qualitative Research in Health; Energy Research and Social Science; Journal of Hospital Infection; American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC); Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses.

OTHER CITIZENSHIP

• 2025 - Doctoral Academy Images of Research competition judge
• Deputy lead for the Genitourinary Tract Infections subgroup, of the Infection, Immunity and Inflammation (I3) Group, at the Centre for Trials Research, Cardiff University, August 2020-April 2021

• Covid-19 Student Check-in Service Volunteer, March-April 2020
• Co-ordinator for the Social Divisions/ Social Identities stream at the British Sociological Association (BSA) conference, November 2013-April 2019
• STEM Ambassador, April 2019-present
• Public Health Wales (PHW) Screening Engagement Volunteer, April 2012-April 2013

Supervisions

I am interested in supervising postgraduate students in the areas of:

• Environmental Social Science
• Sociology of Heatlh and Illness
• Digital Sociology
• Science and Technology Studies (STS)
• Ethical, Legal and Societal Implications (ELSI) Research
• Health Services Research
• Public Health

I am currently co-supervising a BSc Pharmacology dissertation.

Past projects

• Masters in Public Health (MPH) dissertation 'Health, Fitness and Social Media Influencers: A focus group study exploring the impact of Instagram on the health behaviours of young women'.

Engagement

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

ArtLab exhibition and film screening, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, February 2022.

Morgan, D., O’Sullivan, K., Nikolaidou, E., Hale, R., and Maddock, C. [Public online roundtable discussion] Will technologies designed to decarbonise homes exacerbate or reduce social inequalities?, The Climate Emergency and Social Injustice: Responses from Researchers in Wales Early Career Research Conference, Learned Society for Wales (online), November 2021.

As part of the Understanding Risk Group (Cardiff University), Festival of Social Science Exhibition of Living Well in Low Carbon Homes project, Grangetown Community Centre, Cardiff, November 2021.

Boardman, F. and Hale, R. (2019) ‘Genetic screening, Disability and the Future of Society?’, Café Scientifique, Leamington Spa, January 2019.

Hale, R. and Boardman, F. [Invited presentation] ‘A Study of Attitudes Towards Genetic Screening in the UK’, The Haemophilia Society Conference, Birmingham, November 2018.

Hale, R. and Boardman, F. [Invited presentation] ‘Pre-conception genetic screening for autosomal recessive conditions of uncertain or highly variable prognosis: social and ethical implications’, Fragile X Society Family Weekend, Oxfordshire, September 2017.

Hale, R. and Kent, J. [Invited presentation] ‘Lab grown blood becomes a reality’ Science Café, British Science Association (Bristol and Bath Branch), SouthBank Club, Bristol, February 2016.