The past six weeks I’ve been on a real learning curve professionally. Reminds me how much I love learning!! Been great to push myself outside of my comfort zone.

Call for evidence issued today by ACMD for their review of medical cannabis regulations in the UK: www.gov.uk/government/c... #cannabis #medicalcannabis #drugpolicy

I’ve had a brilliant day at the British Science Festival #BSF25. Thanks so much for inviting us to share our @medcanproject.bsky.social research!

Dr Sandra Fawcett, lecturer in skin physiology, spoke yesterday on BBC radio #Stoke about #skin #cancer and the ABCDE approach to keeping track of your moles. Her part starts right after David Bowie www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Get your free tickets for the British Science Festival In Liverpool! The whole programme looks absolutely amazing!! I’ll be there sharing my research on the experiences of cannabis patients too! #BSF25

Thanks so much to @lisa-white.bsky.social @ccse-ljmu.bsky.social for organising a fab writing retreat and creating space for bid-writing, publishing and supportive conversations. Good start to the week! #AcWri

Really enjoyed the poster session at @issdp conference today. Great papers too & many fascinating conversations on cannabis policy with delegates from New Zealand, Canada, Uruguay, Germany and more… #ISSDP25

8 years. 8 f**king years and still nothing. #grenfell💚 #grenfelltowerfire

Fabulous cross stitch exhibition by Dr Lisa Williams @issdrugpolicy.bsky.social conference. I love this! #ISSDP25

🧬🧒 Poverty leaves a mark – even in children’s cells A new study finds kids from poorer families show signs of faster biological ageing, linked to stress and shorter telomeres – even before age 11. 🔗 www.theguardian.com/inequality/2... #SciComm #ChildHealth #Inequality 🧪

Historian here, holder of multiple degrees, previous holder of RA posts, co-author of book, journal articles, numerous essays and book reviews - attributes and skills seemingly unwanted by most employers. Seeks freelance work, writing, editing, researching, etc, in pursuit of paying bills.

Home from amazing USA visit to bring together these two long lost sisters! All started with a DNA test kit we gifted my mother-in-law one Christmas. Now her extended USA family gathered from six states to greet us. Unforgettable experience! #genealogy #DNA

Advance article (open access): Stigmatised and stressed: UK cannabis patients living in the context of prohibition by Lindsey Metcalf McGrath and Helen Beckett Wilson journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

88% of low-income households who receive disability benefits were going without the essentials in the 6 months to Oct 📢 59% had to take out a loan to cover the cost of essentials. 53% were in arrears. Our COL tracker: www.jrf.org.uk/cost-of-livi... Anushka Asthana on @itvpeston.bsky.social

Started the week right with a Monday morning Shut Up and Write with my @ccse-ljmu.bsky.social Writer’s Group. Coffee and friendly faces resulted in two productive hours #acwri #suaw

🚨Call for papers on voluntary action history. 🚨 The Voluntary Action History Society 8th holds its 8th International Conference at the University of Liverpool, 2-4 July 2025. Abstract deadline 15 March 2025. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.vahs.org.uk/events/confe...

Big ‘Blue Sky’ welcome to @ccse-ljmu.bsky.social the Centre for the Study of Crime, Criminalisation & Social Exclusion (CCSE) - my research centre at LJMU

🎨🌄 Today’s haiku: golden streaks of light roll through patchwork fields, tracing ancient paths anew Inspired by The Icknield Way (1912) by Spencer Gore #Haiku #Poetry #BlueSkyPoets

The journal Critical Social Policy is seeking new members to join its Editorial Collective. Closing date is 18th January 2025 - see full details at the link below ⬇️ www.criticalsocialpolicy.com/post/csp-is-...

Super excited about this Creative Writing & Social Research event next week www.ncrm.ac.uk/training/sho...

Call for abstracts for #issdp2025 has been extended to 31st January (you've still got time to submit your excellent drug policy research!) pretalx.com/internationa...

Really honoured to be part of the organising committee for this year’s Int Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP) in Manchester. Hosted by Manchester Met (who madly made me a visiting professor ☺️). Call for abstracts opened www.issdp.org

And… my research sabbatical comes to an end. Grateful to @ljmu for supporting me to spend a whole semester 100% focused on my @medcanproject.bsky.social research. It shows no signs of slowing down. Looking forward to the new teaching semester next week, alongside my research writing!

Our #cannabis research cited in news coverage of the #epilepsy families forced to turn to criminalised routes to medicine. Follow @medcanproject.bsky.social where we share our study findings. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/01...

Please Share 📣: I am a 2nd Year PhD student researching the experiences of victimisation and the Criminal Justice System among autistic people. If you would like to share your experiences, please click the link below. (Must be 18+and live in the UK). shusls.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Heartbreaking stories of parents facing awful dilemmas because of the barriers to legal cannabis medicines in the UK #cannabis #epilepsy #NHS

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... One of these children has been treated with a range of anti epileptic drugs some of which are not licensed for children. She has also been given phenytoin and ketamine with very little effect. This is national disgrace.

@bsky.app Pls share! We're creating new resources for women about alcohol during pregnancy and early motherhood. Our 2nd coproduction session is Mon 13th Jan in #Liverpool city centre. We need #women (and partners) who are trying to get pregnant, #pregnant, #mums with kids up to 5 years old

I love Liverpool ! How cool to do a Christmas Tractor Convoy to raise funds for Alder Hey Childrens Hospital ! www.justgiving.com/page/festive...

A great opportunity to contribute to this important conversation about the attacks on higher education

This Special Issue Call centres on Race, Gender and Representation in Higher Education, a timely and important topic-- spread the words, and send in your abstracts!

Another lovely thing I did in 2024 was take part in this fabulous Science Communication through Poetry course which led to my poem being included in this anthology.

Proud to be featured in this science poetry collection! “Plant-based medicine” by @lmetcalfmcgrath.bsky.social - a poem based on some of our @medcanproject.bsky.social research findings & patient stories #Cannabis #SciComm

One of the highlights of 2024 was being a part of the inaugural cohort to complete intensive #publicengagement training in a partnership between LJMU and NCCPE. So nice to be presented with a certificate at our university research conference alongside all the inspiring researchers from the course

Bit windy here to say the least. Bit of drama when small part of opposite neighbour’s roof slammed into my house earlier. #StormDarragh

Concentration levels are very low today. Going to dust off the old #pomodoro timer from my PhD days and see if I can find some writing focus! #AcWri

Some weekend reading for you: Freedom is Rest, a comic book by @louisekenward.bsky.social and Julian Gray based on research into better future care for people with Energy Limiting Conditions #MECFS #ChronicIllness #LongCovid #Fibromyalgia #EDS #autoimmune disbeliefdisregard.uk/wp-content/u...

We collaborated with the talented Sophie Maliphant and the brilliant MerseyBeep Music to make a little animation of our research findings on medical cannabis www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR5S...

Such important issues so clearly explained in this animation on #chronicillness and not being believed. Great work.

Little bit excited to see our journal article on cannabis patient experiences is ‘trending’ and also ‘most read’ in Critical Social Policy! #cannabis #medicalcannabis #drugpolicy @medcanproject.bsky.social doi.org/10.1177/0261...

Beautiful!

Thanks for the starter pack! Great to find & connect with other drug policy people on here…

Another useful starter pack!

Love this idea…. Creative activities to counter academic stress 😊

Use these hashtags if you want the sociological feed to pick you up! Hey #socsky #sociology #sociological

WEEKEND UPDATE: I have created and continue to update a number of starter packs of academic journals. Please use and share, and let me know of anything missing or incorrect. go.bsky.app/3TTXHMb go.bsky.app/FcArK3K go.bsky.app/UCkz2Pn go.bsky.app/RwDTRi6 go.bsky.app/PrDd6nE go.bsky.app/4uTfdZB

The Sociological Quarterly is now on BlueSky! We'll be using this account to publicize new articles, promote upcoming special issues, and more. Please follow us and spread the word.

Autumn’s chill descends, frogs leap into new waters – disease fades with time. A haiku for #science study on reintroducing disease-resistant frogs: www.nature.com/articles/s41... As I try to build a community here, I’ll aim to do one of these each day. If you enjoy it, feel free to share 🙏🧪

Writing my journal article suspended today as I have hurt my neck. It hurts. I’m frustrated. Feeling sorry for myself. Want chocolate. #AcWriMo #AcWri