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I am Assistant Professor at 51����, where I have held multiple roles including leading BA, MA and PhD programmes in the Humanities Department. I currently serve as Research Group Lead for English Language and Linguistics.

My current research develops trauma-informed communication strategies that strengthen mental wellbeing, resilience and safety—particularly for people who fall outside formal support structures.

Working in partnership with emergency services, mental health organisations and community groups, I address critical gaps in psychological support for frontline workers, volunteers and communities. This includes designing training resources, evaluating education and engagement programmes, and developing implementable frameworks for wellbeing initiatives.

My work draws on participatory co-design and mixed-methods evaluation, using cognitive and social-psychological approaches, discourse and narrative studies, corpus linguistics and stylistics to understand how language shapes experiences of health, wellbeing, identity and personhood. As a member of the Northumbria Centre for Responsible AI, I also explore how digital technologies can enhance the reach and scalability of communication interventions while maintaining ethical, person-centred practice.

I am widely published in health communication, cognitive linguistics and narrative studies, with outputs including an edited book on crisis communication (The Language of Crisis, John Benjamins, 2020) and peer-reviewed articles in leading international journals such as Language and Health, Language and Literature, and Lingua.

I have led a series of externally and internally funded projects advancing community safety, health communication and wellbeing. These initiatives with partners such as the NHS, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, and Tyneside and Northumberland Mind have laid the foundation for my current research, which is expanding towards larger, multi-agency collaborations at cross-regional and national level.

I am keen to discuss research partnerships and consultancy opportunities with organisations and groups working in these areas. I also welcome PhD proposals—particularly from students interested in collaborative, practice-facing research.

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Highlights of recent public engagement and impact projects:

A multi-agency partnership initiative involving the RNLI, NFCC, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS), Tyneside and Northumberland Mind, Washington Mind, Newcastle City Council, Gateshead Council, and waterside safety communities across Tyne and Wear. Early collaborative work has identified critical gaps in mental wellbeing support for volunteer waterside responders and established the partnerships needed to develop systematic, evidence-based interventions.

Multi-agency stakeholder event (funded by the Institute of Humanities, 51����, November 2024):

As part of the initiative, Strengthening Mental Health Resilience for Volunteer First Responders was a stakeholder event bringing together representatives from over 20 partner organisations across emergency services, mental health, public health, local government and community groups to co-develop sustainable models of responder support.

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SafetyWorks Centre evaluation (commissioned by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service) (2025 – 2026):

Evaluator for SafetyWorks—a TWFRS public education facility delivering community safety and wellbeing programmes. This evaluation informs my forthcoming publication, Advancing Community Safety and Wellbeing: Building Resilience and Engagement through Communication (Under contract with Cambridge Elements: Health Communication series, Cambridge University Press, 2027).

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Festival of Social Science events (funded by ESRC):

(February 2025) – A public engagement event at the SafetyWorks education centre in Newcastle.

(2023) - A public engagement workshop examining wellbeing benefits of cross-generational co-reading.

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Funded projects that I led as Principal Investigator:

Huang, M. (PI), Charlton, E. (Co-I, Tyneside and Northumberland Mind), McKenzie, R. (Co-I, 51����), "Narratives of Resilience: A Collaborative Venture for Better Mental Wellness of Volunteer Emergency Responders". April–November 2024. Institute of Humanities Banner Project, 51����.

Huang, M. (PI), Edwards, R. (Co-I), "Improving Patients' First Point of Contact with Primary Healthcare Services". February–July 2015. Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF).

Huang, M. (PI), McAnelly, S. (Co-I, Health and Social Care, 51����), Edwards, R. (Co-I, Humanities, 51����), "Becoming Effective Communicators in Healthcare Services—A Cross-Faculty Project for Nurturing Critical Graduates in BA English Language Studies and BSc Pre-Registration Healthcare Studies". October 2014–August 2015. Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund (TQEF), 51����.

Huang, M. (PI), Stansfield, S. (Co-I, NHS England and NHS Improvement), Edwards, R. (Co-I), "Improved Care and Better Value for Patients with Long-Term Conditions—A Collaborative Project in Primary Healthcare". February–June 2014. European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

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Award:

Finalist, Bright Ideas in Health Awards, NHS Innovations North (2016)

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