Dr Magdalena Mikulak
Research Fellow
My profile
Biography
I am a Research Fellow in the Learning Disabilities & Autism Research Group.
I research issues of social and health inequalities and social (in)justice. My work is collaborative and interdisciplinary, indebted to feminist methods and epistemology, and informed by critical disability studies. I am committed to participatory research practice and developing new, more democratic, and more equitable ways of producing knowledge with people whose lives and experiences are at the centre of my work.
Currently, I am involved in several NIHR funded research projects that focus on social determinants of health, co-production of research priorities, communication support, and mental health of people with learning disabilities. Until February 2023, I have worked on the Growing Older, Planning Ahead project, which aimed to improve the support for older people with learning disabilities, family and professional carers.
Previously (Feb 2019 - May 2021), I worked as a researcher with the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, my work there included work on trans health and parenting trans and gender diverse children.
I have a PhD in Gender Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE), for my doctoral project, I studied LGBTQ politics and movements. I have also worked on a range of smaller research projects and consultancies; including on a co-production project that developed training materials for people with learning disabilities and family carers to become co-researchers on ethnographic research projects.
I welcome collaboration and supervision opportunities that align with and meaningfully expand my research interests.
You can find and follow me on Twitter: @magmikulak
Other qualifications:
I hold a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education and I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Teaching
My teaching philosophy is based on principles of accessibility and partnership, where I see students as active agents in the learning process.
In the academic year 2023/2024, I am leading and teaching on the Perspectives on Learning Disability unit, which is part of the BA (Hons) in Integrated Health and Social Care.
Supervision
I am currently first supervisor for Lara Ferguson’s PhD project, “Navigating the transition to ‘independence’: the future expectations of young people leaving residential care” (Principal supervisor: Dr Zinnia Mitchell-Smith).
Research outputs
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Books (authored/edited/special issues)
Mikulak, M. (2022) Parenting Trans and Non-binary Children Exploring Practices of Love, Support, and Everyday Advocacy. Palgrave Macmillan.
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Chapters in books
Mikulak, M. (2022) '‘It sort of like gets squared': Health professionals' understanding of the intersection of autism and gender diversity in young people.' The Routledge International Handbook of Critical Autism Studies. Routledge, pp. 122-129.
Mikulak, M. (2022) '‘It sort of like gets squared'.' The Routledge International Handbook of Critical Autism Studies. Routledge, pp. 122-129.
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Journal articles
Ryan, S., Mikulak, M., Hatton, C. (2023) 'Whose uncertainty? Learning disability research in a time of COVID-19.' International Journal of Social Research Methodology,
Ryan, S., Wallace, L., Tilley, E., Martin, A., Bebbington, P., Morrissey, E., Tuffrey-Wijne, I., Mikulak, M. 'Improving the support for older people with learning disabilities and behaviours that challenge others, family and professional carers, and end of life care planning for carers.' Health and Social Care Delivery Research,
Ryan, S., Wallace, L., Tilley, E., Mikulak, M., Anderson, R., Vaid, A., Bebbington, P., Keagan Bull, R., Morrissey, E., Martin, A. 'Improving support and planning ahead for older people with learning disabilities and family carers: a mixed-methods study.' Health and Social Care Delivery Research,
Mikulak, M., Ryan, S., Tilley, E., Ledger, S., Davidson, L., Bebbigton, P., Wiltshire, D. (2024) 'Sticky categories and their negative consequences: people with learning disabilities and ‘behaviours that challenge others’.' Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 26(1) pp. 110-123.
Mikulak, M., Ryan, S., Russell, S., Caton, S., Keagan‐Bull, R., Spalding, R., Ribenfors, F., Hatton, C. (2022) '‘Internet is easy if you know how to use it’: doing online research with people with learning disabilities during the COVID‐19 pandemic.' British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 51(2) pp. 269-278.
Mikulak, M., Ryan, S., Bebbington, P., Bennett, S., Carter, J., Davidson, L., Liddell, K., Vaid, A., Albury, C. (2021) '‘'Ethno…graphy?!? I can't even say it”: Co‐designing training for ethnographic research for people with learning disabilities and carers.' British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 50(1) pp. 52-60.
Albury, C., Pope, C., Shaw, S., Greenhalgh, T., Ziebland, S., Martin, S., Rai, T., Chisholm, A., Barnes, R., White, A., Wanat, M., Santillo, M., Boylan, A.M., Tremblett, M., Tonkin-Crine, S., Borek, A., Sanders, R., Koutoukidis, D., Scragg, J., Lee, C., Russell, S., Mikulak, M., Logan, M., Spratt, T., Livingston-Banks, J., McNiven, A., Stepney, M., Talbot, A., Crocker, J., Powell, J., Paparini, S., Van Der Westhuizen, H.M., Walumbe, J., Newhouse, N., Ryan, S., Webb, H., Mellor, K., Potter, C., Butler, A., Pilbeam, C. (2021) 'Gender in the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) Checklist.' International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 33(4) pp. mzab123-mzab123.
Mikulak, M., Ryan, S., Ma, R., Martin, S., Stewart, J., Davidson, S., Stepney, M. (2021) 'Health professionals’ identified barriers to trans healthcare: a qualitative interview study.' British Journal of General Practice, 71(713) pp. e941-e947.
Mikulak, M. (2021) 'For whom is ignorance bliss? Ignorance, its functions and transformative potential in trans health.' Journal of Gender Studies, 30(7) pp. 819-829.
Mikulak, M. (2020) 'Telling a poor man he can become rich: Reparative therapy in contemporary Poland.' Sexualities, 23(1-2) pp. 44-63.
Mikulak, M. (2019) 'Between the market and the hard place: neoliberalization and the Polish LGBT movement.' Social Movement Studies, 18(5) pp. 550-565.
Mikulak, M. (2019) 'Godly Homonormativity: Christian LGBT Organizing in Contemporary Poland..' Journal of homosexuality, 66(4) pp. 487-509.
Career history
March 2023 - Present
Research Fellow
Department of Social Care and Social Work
Faculty of Health and Education
Manchester Metropolitan University
May 2021 - March 2023
Senior Research Associate
Department of Social Care and Social Work
Faculty of Health and Education
Manchester Metropolitan University
November 2020 - May 2021
Qualitative Researcher
Medical Sociology & Health Experiences Research Group
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford
February 2019 – October 2020
Postdoctoral Researcher
Medical Sociology & Health Experiences Research Group
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford
September 2017 – January 2019
Class Teacher
LSE100: The LSE Course
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
September 2013 – September 2017
PhD in Gender Studies
Department of Gender Studies
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)