Professor Gail Davies (she/her)

Gail's research is situated at the interface between human geography, science and technology studies, and animal studies. Her work focuses on the spaces of science and technology, human and animal health, and research involvement and responsibility. She has has pioneered interdisciplinary approaches to studying laboratory animal research and understanding the changing geographies of biomedical collaboration, charting developments in international, translational, and 3Rs research.

Gail recently completed work on the collaborative programme ‘The Animal Research Nexus: Changing Constitutions of Science, Health and Welfare’ (2017-2023). This grant was funded by the Wellcome Trust and developed innovative approaches to the social dimensions of animal research with Prof Beth Greenhough (Oxford University), Prof Pru Hobson-West (University of Nottingham), Dr Rob Kirk (University of Manchester) and Prof Emma Roe (University of Southampton). Research at Exeter was carried out with Dr Rich Gorman and Dr Gabrielle King on the changing interfaces between patient involvement and animal research. The resulting Researching Animal Research book is available open access.

She is currently collaborating on the Resisting Bodies: The Politics and Practices of the Immune System project (2020-2024), led by Dr Tone Druglitrø at the University of Oslo, which is generating new social science research on the connections between human and animal immune systems in research and policy. She is also developing new work around the social dimensions to the replacement of animal research. 

Gail's work has been used to inform the development of interdisciplinary research for Enhancing the 3Rs for the Swiss National Science Foundation and she chaired the UK Review of Harm-Benefit Analysis in the Use of Animals in Research. She has also worked with artist Helen Scalway on creative ways of diagramming and discussing the changing spaces of laboratory mice in the micespace website. 

Gail is currently the Director of Research and Impact for Human Geography at the University of Exeter. She has bookable 20 min slots for colleagues to talk about DORI related activities each Tuesday morning during term.

You can hear a pronunciation of Gail's name here.