I've got a very dichotomous difference in the way that I perceive myself”: Positive and negative constructions of body image following cancer treatment

This study investigated how women constructed body image following cancer. Four women, aged 32-67 years who had experienced breast or bowel cancer took part in a two-hour, in-depth focus group. Discourse analysis revealed that women orientated to positive aspects of the post-treatment body (silhouette, trust, acceptance) whilst acknowledging that their experiences were also traumatic (hair loss, scarring, sickness, swelling). Bodies and illness were concealed from public judgment, and women developed new trust in their bodies due to overcoming cancer; post-cancer bodies were accepted despite opportunities for normalisation. Implications for those wanting to support women during and after cancer are discussed

Evolution 2014 Presentation

<p>Presentation of my work on morphological diversity in tenrecs compared to golden moles. Evolution 2014 conference, Raleigh, North Carolina</p

Morphological diversity in tenrecs (Afrosoricida, Tenrecidae): comparing tenrec skull diversity to their closest relatives

It is important to quantify patterns of morphological diversity to enhance our understanding of variation in ecological and evolutionary traits. Here, we present a quantitative analysis of morphological diversity in a family of small mammals, the tenrecs (Afrosoricida, Tenrecidae). Tenrecs are often cited as an example of an exceptionally morphologically diverse group. However, this assumption has not been tested quantitatively. We use geometric morphometric analyses of skull shape to test whether tenrecs are more morphologically diverse than their closest relatives, the golden moles (Afrosoricida, Chrysochloridae). Tenrecs occupy a wider range of ecological niches than golden moles so we predict that they will be more morphologically diverse. Contrary to our expectations, we find that tenrec skulls are only more morphologically diverse than golden moles when measured in lateral view. Furthermore, similarities among the species-rich Microgale tenrec genus appear to mask higher morphological diversity in the rest of the family. These results reveal new insights into the morphological diversity of tenrecs and highlight the importance of using quantitative methods to test qualitative assumptions about patterns of morphological diversity

Convergence and disparity in tenrecs

<p>Poster presentation of 1st year research on morphological convergence and disparity in tenrecs. Presented at the ESEB conference in Lisbon, 2013</p

Linear measurements of insectivore mammal limbs

<p>Linear measurements of insectivore mammals' limbs.</p> <p>Full descriptions of the measurements and the museum accession numbers of the specimens can be found in the data_appendix tex file within my MSc thesis (link to the GitHub repository is below)</p> <p> </p

"Insectivore" mammal skulls, lateral view

<p>Photographs of lateral views of "insectivore" mammal skulls (Afrosoricida, Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha and Notoryctemorphia) from the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and the Smithsonian Institute (SI). I can provide a list of the species identities corresponding to each specimen ID number. Alternatively, species may be identified by searching the online museum databases for the specimen ID number.</p> <p>I photographed the skulls on a flat plane relative to the camera and the scale bar has 1mm as the smallest demarcation.</p> <p>Images are grey scale TIF files labelled with the museum specimen ID number, the specimen identity (cranial) and view (lateral) along with the date that I took the photograph. Most pictures are of the right lateral side, any pictures of the left side include "left" in their file name.</p> <p>Some specimens were photographed three times, re-positioning the skull in between each picture. They are labelled with the same museum specimen number and then _1A, _2A and _3A to indicate that they are replicate pictures of the same skull.</p> <p>These photos form part of my research on morphological diversity in tenrecs compared to other mammal groups.</p

"Insectivore" mammal skulls, dorsal view

<p>Photographs of dorsal views of "insectivore" mammal skulls (Afrosoricida, Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha and Notoryctemorphia) from the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and the Smithsonian Institute (SI). I can provide a list of the species identities corresponding to each specimen ID number. Alternatively, species may be identified by searching the online museum databases for the specimen ID number.</p> <p>I photographed the skulls on a flat plane relative to the camera and the scale bar has 1mm as the smallest demarcation.</p> <p>Images are grey scale TIF files labelled with the museum specimen ID number, the specimen identity (<strong>cr</strong>anial) and view (<strong>d</strong>orsa<strong>l</strong>) along with the date that I took the photograph. Some specimens were photographed three times, re-positioning the skull in between each picture. They are labelled with the same museum specimen number and then _1A, _2A and _3A to indicate that they are replicate pictures of the same skull.</p> <p>These photos form part of my research on morphological diversity in tenrecs compared to other mammal groups</p

"Insectivore" mammal mandibles

<p>Photographs of lateral views of "insectivore" mammal mandibles (Afrosoricida, Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha and Notoryctemorphia) from the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and the Smithsonian Institute (SI). I can provide a list of the species identities corresponding to each specimen ID number. Alternatively, species may be identified by searching the online museum databases for the specimen ID number.</p> <p>I photographed the mandibles on a flat plane relative to the camera and the scale bar has 1mm as the smallest demarcation.</p> <p>Images are grey scale TIF files labelled with the museum specimen ID number, ma (mandible) and the date that I took the photograph. Most pictures are of the right lateral side, any pictures of the left side include "left" in their file name.</p> <p>Some specimens were photographed three times, re-positioning the mandible in between each picture. They are labelled with the same museum specimen number and then _1A, _2A and _3A to indicate that they are replicate pictures of the same mandible.</p> <p>These photos form part of my research on morphological diversity in tenrecs compared to other mammal groups.</p

Linear measurements of insectivore mammals

<p>Linear measurements of insectivore mammals' skulls and mandibles.</p> <p>Full descriptions of the measurements and the museum accession numbers can be found in the data_appendix tex file within my MSc thesis (link to the GitHub repository is below)</p

"Insectivore" mammal skulls, ventral view

<p>Photographs of ventral views of "insectivore" mammal skulls (Afrosoricida, Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha and Notoryctemorphia) from the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and the Smithsonian Institute (SI). I can provide a list of the species identities corresponding to each specimen ID number. Alternatively, species may be identified by searching the online museum databases for the specimen ID number.</p> <p>I photographed the skulls on a flat plane relative to the camera and the scale bar has 1mm as the smallest demarcation.</p> <p>Images are grey scale TIF files labelled with the museum specimen ID number, the specimen identity (cranial) and view (ventral) along with the date that I took the photograph. Some specimens were photographed three times, re-positioning the skull in between each picture. They are labelled with the same museum specimen number and then _1A, _2A and _3A to indicate that they are replicate pictures of the same skull.</p> <p>These photos form part of my research on morphological diversity in tenrecs compared to other mammal groups.</p