Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

HIV, Sexual Health, Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship, Pandemics, Influenza, Coronavirus

1987 …2025

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Research interests

New publications

Davis, M. (in press) 'Long COVID and the biopolitics of pandemic timings and endings', in Lupton D., Ed. Long COVID and Society: International Perpsectives, Palgrave Macmillan.

Camporesi, S., Mulubale, S. and Davis, M. eds (2025) Crisis, Inequity and Legacy: Narrative Analyses of the COVID-19 Pandemic, NYC: Oxford University Press.

 

University Service

Medical sociology lead for the Monash Centre to Impact AMR

External Advisory Board member for the Transdisciplinary Antimicrobial Resistance Genomics Network (TARGetAMR)

Biography

Zimbabwe born and educated in Australia and England, Dr Mark Davis (PhD, London) is a medical sociologist. He is principal chief investigator for The sociology of health data for sexuality and gender diverse people (DP230100245), which uses qualitative and participatory methods to examine the increasing prominence of data medicine and its epistemic justice and data safety implications for LGBTQ+ people.

Mark is Chief Investigator for an ARC Discovery Project (DP250100827) led by Professor Deborah Lupton with Dr Kerryn Drysdale, at UNSW. The project, Public Understandings of Immunity Systems and Human-Microbial Relations, examines the social organisation of immune systems in light of new and remerging pandemics and infectious diseases. Mark will lead an analysis of public health communications for more inclusive and effective advice and support for general publics.

He is also associate investigator on COMet Constructing One Health Metrics for evaluating antimicrobial stewardship (MRFF), led by colleagues at the University of Melbourne. This project is designed to support ECRs to build track records and deepen their research skills. Mark provides expert advice for the project team on the social science of antimicrobial resistance.

Recently, Mark was principal chief investigator on ARC Discovery Projects investigating the social and economic dimensions of antimicrobial resistance prevention (DP200100002) and general public engagements with the prevention of antimicrobial resistance (DP170100937). These projects have produced extensive outputs, policy advice and media to advance knowledge and understanding of the social, cultural, media and economic factors that shape capacity to respond effectively to the growing antimicrobial resistance challenge.

With colleagues at the University of Sydney, Mark was also chief investigator on an ARC Linkage Project concerning hospital governance and antimicrobials (LP170100300). He was previously principal chief investigator for an ARC Discovery Project (DP110101081) on psychosocial and cultural responses to the 2009 influenza pandemic in Australia and the United Kingdom and was chief investigator on two HIV treatment and prevention research projects, funded by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council. Mark also conducted research on digital sexual cultures and HIV prevention and the impact of HIV treatment technologies in the sexual lives of gay men with HIV, funded by the UK’s Medical Research Council. His research has also been supported by the UK’s National Health Service and the Terrence Higgins Trust.

Mark is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (elected 1989), the Public Health Association of Australia, the British Sociological Association, the International Sociological Association, and associate member of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Supervision interests

Mark supervises doctoral research in the fields of health and society, sexualities, and narrative methods in the social sciences. Topics have included, Facebook friendships, Sorry Day narratives, parenting children with severe emotional distress, cigarette advertising in Indonesia, mid-twentieth century public health film on TB and malaria, self-tracking tech, and refugee mental health support.

Monash teaching commitment

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 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Research area keywords

  • Immunity as culture
  • Superbugs
  • Pandemics
  • Science and Technology Studies
  • Narrative bioethics
  • Social public health
  • HIV treatment and prevention
  • Sociology of antibiotics
  • One Health
  • Coronavirus

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