Elspeth Davies

A medical anthropologist by background, my research seeks to understand some of the social and ethical issues surrounding cancer early detection. I am particularly interested in in medicalisation and (over)diagnosis, injustices and inequalities, and the relationship between academia and activism.

I am currently working on Cancer Research UK’s ‘Test, Evidence, Transition’ programme, which seeks to equitably and effectively optimise colorectal cancer diagnostic pathways across the country. In my department, I co-lead the Diagnosis Special Interest Group and am a trained harassment adviser. I also supervise students on the MSc in Applied Digital Health.

I am writing a book based on my doctoral thesis, which followed the development of a novel tool for screening for oesophageal cancer risk. My thesis explored questions surrounding what it might mean to live 'at risk' of disease - for the people who become patients, and for the clinicians, healthcare services and communities that must care for these people who are not 'ill' but might be in the future. 

Outside of my department, I am a Junior Research Fellow at Linacre College and a Lecturer at the University of Cambridge, where I contribute to teaching on issues related to health, medicine, gender and care. 

I am always happy to hear from potential future students and collaborators. 

Rigney, Jane. 2024. On medical anthropology, understanding ‘risk’ and barriers to achieving interdisciplinarity in the world of cancer prevention: an interview with Elspeth Davies. Cancer Presentation and Screening Blog: Queen Mary University of London. Available here.

Armstrong, Emily. 2022. Acing it: The ambitious early career researchers driving progress in cancer early detection. Cancer Research UK Website. Available here.