Profile
I am interested in the history of film and its relationship to scientific and artistic change in the twentieth and twenty-first century. My work has explored the history of psychology and the way that psychological norms are established, and my current work focuses on the role of film in this process.
My 2017 book The Metamorphosis of Autism: A History of Child Development in Britain (Manchester University Press) explored how autism came to achieve such significance within the psychological sciences over the course of the twentieth century. It considered how political changes drove new approaches to child development and why this led to a ‘metamorphosis’ in the meaning of autism in the 1960s and 1970s. My expertise in this area has led me to take on the role of Senior Researcher in the collaborative Wellcome Trust project ‘Autism through Cinema’.
I have a BA from Sussex University in the History of Art, an MSc in Economic and Social History from Oxford University, and a PhD from the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Cambridge University. I co-founded the interdisciplinary Health and Welfare Research Group at CRASSH, Cambridge. My work has always explored interdisciplinary themes, particularly exploring how different media can be employed in historical research.
I have lectured in the history of child sciences and eugenics, and have explored the role of documentary film within this. In addition to my academic work, I have also worked as a policy and media advisor. I have spoken at the UK Department for Education and have advised at the Institute for Public Policy Research. I have consulted for the BBC and other media outlets and have appeared on BBC television.