Sunil Rodger

s.d.rodger@newcastle.ac.uk

My PhD research focuses on the experiences of disabled people in the built environment. It looks at how power wheelchair users and people with muscle-wasting conditions experience towns, cities, and public transport, and the ways in which technologies might be used by these communities to bring about more accessible public spaces. I am supervised by Professor Janice McLaughlin and Dr John Vines.

My research interests and academic background encompass humanities, social sciences and technology. I have an undergraduate degree in Modern History and International Relations, and master’s degrees in Modern History, Politics, and Digital Civics. These focused respectively on the effect of the “Vietnam Syndrome” on US foreign policy under Ronald Reagan, the political activities of the Zimbabwean diaspora in the UK, and the role of technology in the evidencing practices of a rare disease patient organisation. I am particularly interested in the role played by technologies in geographically dispersed communities, such as diasporas and those living with rare diseases, and how they may be used to enhance civic participation and influence policymaking.

Prior to my PhD, I worked in translational neuromuscular research for the TREAT-NMD Alliance, focusing on liaison and engagement between clinicians, researchers, patients and families.