Staff profile

Emily Davis joined Durham University in 2025 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Moving Bodies Lab, part of the Discovery Research Platform for Medical Humanities. She is a social scientist focused on dance and health, with a particular interest in those dancing with progressive neurological conditions, including dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Her work explores how critical and social theory, along with arts-based and body-based methods, can both create and translate new understandings of health and illness. 

Across her work, Emily is committed to public engagement, currently serving as the Engagement Lead for PATHS (Public Health, Arts, Theory, Health, and Social Science) Research Group at the University of Edinburgh. Her work has been featured in podcasts, news outlets, and Healing Arts Scotland, an arts and health festival led by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab in collaboration with the World Health Organization.

Emily completed her PhD in 2025 jointly across the University of St Andrews, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Glasgow Caledonian University, funded by the Thouron Award. Working in partnership with Scottish Ballet, her doctoral research focused on their dance programme for people living with MS. Emily’s ongoing interest in dance and health is grounded in her interdisciplinary background, holding a BA in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania and expertise as a former professional ballet dancer (Philadelphia Ballet, 2015–2021) and community dance health practitioner.

Journal Article

• Cross-sector perspectives on the role of a UK national cultural asset in social prescribing: a qualitative study.
  
  Davis, E. (2026). Cross-sector perspectives on the role of a UK national cultural asset in social prescribing: a qualitative study. BMC Primary Care, 27(1), Article 46. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-025-03156-7
• Dance for health impact in a rural Scottish island community: understanding stakeholder experiences
  
  Davis, E., Whiteside, B., Stott, T., & Paul, L. (2026). Dance for health impact in a rural Scottish island community: understanding stakeholder experiences. Health Promotion International, 41(3), Article daag069. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daag069
• What are the research priorities in dance for dementia? A co-created agenda to support equitable research
  
  Warran, K., Letrondo, P., Robertson, M., Sinclair, L., Smith, E., Åström, E., Davis, E., Whiteside, B., & Wilkinson, H. (2024). What are the research priorities in dance for dementia? A co-created agenda to support equitable research. Arts & Health: An International Journal for Research, Policy and Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/17533015.2024.2408023
• Dance for Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review
  
  Davis, E., Webster, A., Whiteside, B., & Paul, L. (2023). Dance for Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review. International Journal of MS Care, 25(4), 176-185. https://doi.org/10.7224/1537-2073.2022-088

Report

• SB Duet: Evaluating the Impact and Implementation of Digital Dance Resources in Care Homes
  
  Davis, E. (2026). SB Duet: Evaluating the Impact and Implementation of Digital Dance Resources in Care Homes. Scottish Ballet.