Alan Petersen

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Alan Petersen

Professor

 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2755-0227

Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

sociology of health and medicine; science and technology studies; gender studies, sociology of emotions

1983 …2025

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Research interests

Sociology of health and illness, including sociology of public health and health promotion

Sociology of new and emerging technologies, particularly biomedical technologies and digital health technologies

Sociology of risk

Sociology of the body

Constructions of sex/gender

Sociology of emotions, including constructions of gender differences of emotionality

Sociology of food

Contemporary social theory

Sustainable Societies

Supervision interests

I am interested in supervising students in all of the above areas. Over the years, I have supervised a wide ranage of projects, including on gynaecological governance and endometriosis, the construction of dyslexia, the discourse of weight control, smoking culture in Indonesia, the history of palliative care, podiatric surgery and medical dominance, and discourses of sustainability.

Monash teaching commitment

ATS2717/3717 Sociology of Health and Medicine

ATS2730/3730 Sustainable Societies

APGS468 Qualitative Research Strategies

Community service

Member, National Council, National Tertiary Education Committee (2016-2018)

Member, Strategic and Scientific Advisory Committee, Centre for Research in Health, Sex and Society (2014-)

Member, National Enabling Technologies Strategy Stakeholders Advisory Council (DIISRHE) (2011-2012)

Member, Gene Technology Regulator Ethics and Community Consultative Committee (Dept Health and Aging) (2011-2014)

Member, Executive, The Australian Sociological Association (2008-2012)

 

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality
  • SDG 13 - Climate Action
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

External positions

Member, Strategic and Scientific Advisory Committee, Australian Research Centre for Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University

2014 → …

Research area keywords

  • Construction of Sex/Gender
  • Ethical Issues - Scientific Research
  • Sociology of Science
  • Research Training, Practice
  • Biomedicine
  • Men and Aging
  • Social Inequalities
  • Inequalities in Health
  • Socio-cultural perspectives
  • Sociology of Disability and Rehabilitation
  • Sociology of Emotion
  • Sociology of Risk
  • Sociology of the Body
  • Stem Cell Technologies
  • Stem Cell Tourism
  • Digital technologies
  • anti-ageing treatments
  • diagnosis
  • screening

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
Explore network further

  • Safeguarding posthumous digital data: understanding Australians’ views

    Petersen, A. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Tanner, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Bowman, D. M. (Partner Investigator (PI)) & Wilkinson, C. E. (Partner Investigator (PI))

    1/04/25 → 31/03/28

    Project: Research

  • GDCP: Genomic Data Custodianship Practices in Australian Clinical, Research and Public Health Settings

    Cannizzo, F. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Petersen, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Newett, L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), McCarthy, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Luo, Y. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Croy, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Richards, C. (Chief Investigator (CI))

    6/01/25 → 19/12/25

    Project: Research

  • Understanding the role of digital technologies in addressing loneliness

    Petersen, A. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)) & Barbosa Neves, B. (Chief Investigator (CI))

    Australian Research Council (ARC)

    8/05/23 → 7/05/26

    Project: Research

  • The right to rehabilitation for people with dementia: tackling stigma and implementing evidence-based interventions

    Callisaya, M. L. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Callisaya, M. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Hill, K. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Swaffer, K. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Russell, G. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Mc O'Connor, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Layton, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Petersen, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), de Graaff, B. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Collyer, T. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Haines, T. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Srikanth, V. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Laver, K. E. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Low, L.-F. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Skouteris, H. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Cations, M. (Associate Investigator (AI)) & Barbosa Neves, B. (Associate Investigator (AI))

    Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)

    1/06/22 → 31/07/25

    Project: Research

  • Addressing emerging ethical, legal and social issues in governance of clinical and genomic datasets to improve human health

    Newson, A. J. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Ankeny, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Dive, L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Kerridge, I. H. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Stewart, C. L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Brown, A. D. H. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Hermes, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Irving, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Miller, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Smith, M. J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Hansen, D. E. (Chief Investigator (CI)), McWhirter, R. E. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Mumford, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Ferrie, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Lipworth, W. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Petersen, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Christodoulou, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Delatycki, M. B. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Gyngell, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Stark, Z. L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Vears, D. F. (Chief Investigator (CI)), MacArthur, D. G. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Gaff, C. L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Savulescu, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Brion, M.-J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Vidgen, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Hofmann, O. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Keogh, L. A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Paterson, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Prictor, M. J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Griffiths, K. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Jorm, L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Leach Scully, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Richards, B. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Eckstein, L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Nicol, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Nielsen, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Otlowski, M. F. A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Baynam, G. S. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Rizzi, M. (Chief Investigator (CI))

    1/06/22 → 31/05/27

    Project: Research

View all 21 projects
View all 145 research outputs
  • 5 Contribution to conference
  • 3 Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
  • 1 Editorial responsibility
  • 1 Peer review responsibility
View all 10 activities