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Sakura Byrne

Profile summary

Professional biography

My PhD research will provide an exploration into mental wellbeing, bisexuality, and monogamy. Rather than taking a polarised, either/or approach, the goal of the research is to recognise multiple positions – e.g. bisexual monogamy as radical/transgressive, bisexual monogamy as conformity, and bisexual monogamy as an invisibilised category - and the ways in which monogamous bisexuals oscillate between them. The research will take its cue from the experiences of monogamous bisexuals themselves, with a view to informing mental health practitioners of the specific needs of monogamous bisexuals, thereby acting to ameliorate the significant mental distress experienced within this group.

I have a BSc in Psychology with Sexualities, obtained from London South Bank University. I went on to publish my honours project, titled 'Stripped: Women Working in the Exotic Dancing Industry' in Psychology of Sexualities Review, and was awarded the LGBTQ Psychology prize for undergraduate research project 2008 (BPS Psychology of Sexualities Section). My undergraduate extended self-managed essay titled 'A Critical Examination of Slash Fiction Theories' was also published in the Psychology of Women Section Review, and I was asked to present it at the Psychology of Women Annual Conference in 2009. Additionally, I was awarded the London South Bank University’s Faculty of Arts and Human Science award for outstanding academic achievement 2008.

I also attained an MSc in Gender, Sexualities, and Society, where I completed a dissertation on the previously unresearched topic of online text-based roleplay in a sexual setting in relation to female sexuality. Along with my academic achievements, I have worked in several areas of the mental health and wellbeing sector, and taught BSc Psychology as a Sessional Lecturer at London South Bank University for five years.

Research interests

My research interests include marginalised groups, subcultures, mental wellbeing, sexuality, and gender.