Dr Clare Gunby (she/her)

My profile

Biography

I joined the Department of Nursing in September 2022 as a Senior Lecturer in Gender-based Violence. I moved from the University of Birmingham where I managed an NIHR-funded study examining the role of the specialist voluntary sector in supporting survivors of sexual violence (PROSPER) - the first national study of its kind.

My research interests focus on sexual and domestic abuse, mental health, gender, sexuality and justice. I have 10 years’ experience researching these areas, writing on them and managing related research projects. I have held grants from a range of funders and work across disciplines. I started my career is psychology, moving to public health and into the fields of law and sociology. My work has examined legal, criminal justice, voluntary sector and public health responses to sexual violence (and gender-based violence more broadly) and how these can be used, often in tandem, to reduce and ‘recover’ from victimisation. I am committed to the adoption of participatory research methods and the co-production of knowledge.

I am a peer reviewer for a range of journals including Feminist Criminology, Violence Against Women, the Journal of Interpersonal Violence and the European Journal of Public Health. I am on the editorial board for the Journal of Gender and Justice and I am a member of the Institute for Children’s Futures. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Interests and expertise

My expertise centre on sexual violence, mental health, gender and justice. Most recently, I have been working on a study funded by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s Office, analysing the recommendations made (to health, criminal justice and adult/child social care services) in Domestic Homicide Reviews. I have also been working with colleagues nationally on a study examining the intersections between having a minoritised identity and knowledge of sexual violence/disclosure on university campus. In 2023 I completed work on an NIHR-funded study, ‘supporting survivors of sexual violence: a mixed-methods, co-research study of the role, funding and commissioning of specialist services provided by the voluntary sector in England’. In 2021 I completed a Nottingham City CCG-funded project informing how mental health services can best be commissioned to meet the needs of LGBT+ people in Nottingham. I have led/co-led research that developed interview guidance for medical examiners working with intoxicated rape complainants and research that has examined the 2003 Sexual Offences Act. As part of the latter, I have explored the emotional labour involved in prosecuting and defending rape cases and the intensive affects of the rape courtroom. I have collaborated with Liverpool City Council to develop their strategy for preventing sexual offences in bars and nightclubs and have led research focused on better understanding the ‘medium risk’ category in cases of domestic abuse.  

I would be very happy to consider postgraduate research supervision in any of these areas. 

Impact

Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) and the National Oversight Mechanism, Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s Office (2022-2024), with Prof. Chantler, Dr Baker and Dr Heyes (Manchester Met). Analysing the recommendations made in DHRs in the areas of adult and children’s social care, health and criminal justice. Delivering thematic reports, briefing papers, blog posts and presenting the findings to over 800 attendees. This work has fed into the DAC’s development of the National Oversight Mechanism; a system for ensuring that recommendations are implemented and monitored in order to achieve real change in policy and practice.

Let’s Talk About Sexual Violence, Office for Students funded sexual violence educational intervention (2019-2020), with Prof. Carline (University of Liverpool) and Harriet Smailes (Lime Culture).  Leading on the conception, development and execution of a six-site cross University exhibition using arts-based media to educate the campus community on sexual violence. Working closely with academic colleagues, students, specialist support services, practitioners and artist to challenge rape myths and misconceptions. In 2020, bringing aspects of the exhibition to the University of Birmingham in conjunction with the specialist voluntary sector service, RSVP.

Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence in the Night-Time Economy (NTE), Liverpool City Council (2010-2015), with Dr Carline (University of Liverpool). Working with Liverpool City Council to develop a strategy to raise awareness (and reduce) sexual offences in the NTE. Working with the council to develop two media campaigns aimed at educating young men on alcohol-involved consent and unwanted sexual touching in bars and nightclubs. This research formed the 2014 REF impact case study for my former institution. 

Projects

Nottingham City CCG, Improving the metal health outcomes for LGBT people in Nottingham (2017-2021), Co-i with Dr Barnes and Dr Ayres (University of Leicester) and Professor Johnson (University of Brighton/RMIT Melbourne).

Collaboration Ready Scheme, La Trobe University, Waiting for Justice: Mapping Emotional Labour in the Criminal Justice System (2018-2019), Co-i with Dr Carline (University of Liverpool) and Dr Kirsty Duncanson (La Trobe University).

ESRC Impact AccelerationPreserving and Protecting Rape Complainant Memory: Establishing Evidence-Based Forensic Medical Examination Interviews (2017-2019), Co-i with Dr Flowe (University of Birmingham) and Dr Carline (University of Liverpool).

British Academy/Leverhulme, Evaluating Rape Law Effectiveness (2014-2016), PI with Dr Carline (University of Liverpool).

Nottinghamshire OPCC, Protect, Support and Respond to Repeat Female Victims of Medium Risk Domestic Abuse (2013-2016), Joint PI with Dr Barnes and Dr Ayres (University of Leicester).

Teaching

Supervision

I supervise on the following modules: 

MSc pre-registration Adult/Mental Health Nursing - Supervised Independent Study Project. 

Masters in Global Public Health - Dissertation. 

MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice - Research for Quality Improvement Practice Project.

Research outputs

Career history

2022

Senior Lecturer in Gender-based Violence, School of Nursing, Manchester Metropolitan University 

2019-2022

Research Fellow, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham

2013-2019

Lecturer in Criminology, University of Leicester 

2012-2013

Lecturer in Criminal Justice, Liverpool John Moores University 

2011-2012

Research Associate, Keele University

2008-2011

PhD, Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University