I am a late onset early career academic and my main interest is the impact of  male childlessness across the lifescape. 

I was born in the 1960’s in Old Trafford, Manchester (UK). I come from a large working-class family and I left school with few qualifications. My careers include associate lecturer, researcher, consultant, counsellor, deputy technical manager, scientific photographer, and kitchen assistant.

In my 40s I ‘switched’ careers and trained as a counsellor. MY counsellor training and my own experience of desperately wanting to be a dad, led me to research the desire for fatherhood for my self-funded MA (2008) and MSc (2009) at the University of Manchester. I then pursued and achieved my PhD (2015) at Keele University. My thesis explored the lived experience of older involuntarily childless older men. 

My work has been widely published in international and national media and my book ‘How is a man supposed to be a man? Male childlessness a Life Course Disrupted’ has received critical acclaimed. My academic publications and presentations can be found at Manchester Metropolitan University E-space.

I am a versatile and creative mature researcher with multi-disciplinary experience in sociology, ageing, counselling, psychology, sexual and men’s health, and fertility; with experience of multi-methods data collection, analysis, writing for publication, local and national media experience/impact (guest editor, BBC Radio 5 Live), public speaking, a multi-tasker, a trained listener, a leader, manager, mentor, teacher, team player/collaborator. Associate Lecturer on the MSc Clinical Science Course (Reproductive Science), Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.