Dr Sarah Cooper

In terms of both research and teaching, my interests lie firmly in the field of public policy and administration, both in domestic UK politics and at a supranational, EU level. More specifically, I explore ideas of new institutionalism and Europeanization, particularly in relation to gender and sexuality, and often within the healthcare domain. To date, this has included the regulation surrounding access to, and delivery of, reproductive technologies such as abortion and IVF, and the management of more criminal matters such as sexual assault. As editor of Public Money and Mangement's 'Equality in an Uncertain Public Sector' (2020) Special Issue my work has extended further to consider the role of public inquiries in learning lessons in these fields.

Between 2016-18, I was convenor of the UK Political Studies Association’s (PSA) Public Policy and Administration Specialist Group and Co-Chair of the Council for European Studies 'Gender and Sexuality Research Network' from 2018-2021. I additionally provided oral evidence for the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly Report on 'The cross-jurisdictional implications of abortion policy in the BIPA jurisdictions' in 2018.

My first book 'Regulating Women: Policymaking and Practice in the UK' was published in February 2016 and critiques the legislative approach to abortion, sex work, porn and rape in the UK. As part of the Public Health Policy Research Series with Palgrave Macmillan, my most recent monograph published in 2023 is titled 'Analysing Gender in Healthcare: The Politics of Sex and Reproduction'. It considers government decision making around themes such as sex education in schools and access to appropriate care for gender and sex minorities.