Fellowship awarded to Leeds Beckett academic

The RSA Fellowship is a global network of 27,000 people who support the RSA’s mission to enrich society through ideas and action. Fellows have access to the brightest new ideas, innovative projects, a diverse network of like-minded people and a platform for social change.

In awarding Peter this accolade, the RSA were impressed by the award-winning, internationally-leading impact of his research.

Peter commented: “The Fellowship is recognition that my work has the creative and collaborate edge to create the conditions through which we can improve lives. I hope that the Fellowship will provide opportunities to meet more people outside my disciplinary sphere and to learn new ways of being creative for me and our University.”

Peter’s work has explored how men engage with healthcare, how they experience threats to their health, and how to improve their experience of healthcare. 

His research on masculinities and mental health has shown that, despite a wide range of research, there was a clear policy gap about the needs of men accessing mental health services or how to meet them.  The National Mental Health Development Unit, Department of Health, subsequently established an expert advisory panel and published a report (Delivering Male: effective practice in male mental health, 2013) making recommendations for practice.

Using patient-led interviews, Peter’s research on masculinities and in/continence provided key insights into men’s experiences of living with penile cancer, including their diagnosis, telling other people, deciding between treatment options, the impact on their sex life, and life post-surgery. The work led to a research-based information resource website, which was launched at the Royal Society, London in 2012.

Professor Ieuan Ellis, Dean of the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences and Pro Vice Chancellor, said: “I am delighted that Dr Peter Branney has achieved this national recognition through Fellowship of the Royal Society for the contribution of his academic work conducted here at Leeds Beckett University. This is both a great personal achievement for Peter and adds further evidence of the growing social and economic impact of our research and knowledge transfer activities at Leeds Beckett.”