Group Members

Dr. Sam Fairlamb, Senior Lecturer (Teaching Focused) in Psychology

My research area is in existential psychology, which examines how humans psychologically manage the awareness of some basic facts about existence (death, isolation, meaning, freedom and identity). My primary expertise falls under the umbrella of Terror Management Theory, which concerns how humans consciously and unconsciously manage the awareness of the inevitability of death via systems of meaning and self-worth. My research considers how the awareness of death can impact on social issues (e.g., prejudice, human-animal relations) as well as on health and well-being.


Dr. Melissa Henderson, Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology

I lecture in criminology and sociology across a range of areas. My research interests in relation to death studies are focused on deaths in prison and death education. I currently teach the 3rd year option module Sociology of Death, looking at how death and dying are related to all areas of life.


Dr. Natalie Pitimson, Lecturer in Social Science:

I am a lecturer in social science, specialising in the sociology of death and dying, an area I have taught for over a decade. I am particularly interested in social interactions with mortality, online technologies and grief, and pedagogical approaches within death education.


Dr. Izzat Morshidi, Teaching Fellow in Psychology

In my research, I focus on the intersection of Health Psychology and Clinical Psychology, with a focus on youth suicide risk and prevention. I examine the psychological well-being of students in higher education, delving into topics such as academic burnout, the burden of expectations, and cultural differences in higher education. Additionally, I explore youth mental health, particularly looking at psychological distress, loneliness, social withdrawal, and suicide.