About me
Dr Alison Fixsen is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Westminster and a medical sociologist whose research explores eating disorders, mental health, social prescribing, lived experience, and community wellbeing. Her work draws on qualitative and participatory approaches to examine how individuals, families, and communities navigate health and care systems. Current research focuses on the experiences of parents and carers supporting young people with eating disorders, with particular attention to family expertise, medical justice, and the challenges of navigating fragmented mental health services. She has published widely and contributes to public and policy discussions on mental health and wellbeing.
Teaching
I lead and teach on a range of modules related to qualitative research methods and mental health and eating disorders studies.
MSc Psychology Qualitative Research Methods - Module leader
PhD supervision: 4 PhDs active, 3 completed
Examination experience:
Internal examiner ( 2 active, 5 completed)
External examiner
University of Maynooth (2023)
Deakin University (2026)
Supervisor for BSc Psych, MSc Psych, MSc Health Psych
Previous posts- Co-Chair of College Research Ethics Committee; Disability Tutor Faculty of Life Sciences.
Research
My current work focuses on understanding eating disorders from multiple stakeholders perspectives.
2026- Principal Investigator- Lived and social Experiences of Families and Caregivers of those with eating disorders
2026- QHT funded project Modern Masculinities
2021: Principal Investigator- Green Social prescribing during and Post Covid: a UK based study.
2020: Principal Investigator: Pathways and barriers to social prescribing: Co-producing initiatives which address social and health inequalities in urban areas (Community funding).
2018-19: Co-investigator: NHS funded evaluation of a social prescribing scheme in Shropshire.
2019: Co-investigator National Lottery funded social prescribing outcomes project.
2018 - 2019 Co-investigator University of Malaysia funded project on orthorexia nervosa.
2012-15: Principal Investigator: ‘Netography’ of benzodiazepine user stories of withdrawal and recovery, which has been widely read and discussed among stakeholders including those in the BZD virtual community.
2010-2014: Principal Investigator on 2 university based research studies, the first investigating the emotion work of final year students undergoing personal and professional development (PPD) and clinical training (Fixsen and Ridge 2012), and the other a secondary analysis of level 4 and 5 student experiences of this programme (Fixsen et al. 2015).
2013-17 (Doctorate): Ethnographic exploration of staff experiences of Learning and Development programmes.
1995- 1996: Joint Principal Investigator on a randomised trial of homeopathic versus standard care in the treatment of otitis media with effusion in children, later published in two journals.
Publications
For details of all my research outputs, visit my WestminsterResearch profile.