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Dr Kerryn Drysdale
Research Fellow

Dr Kerryn Drysdale

Doctor of Philosophy (2016) University of Sydney.

Master of Arts (2009) Gender Studies (with merit), University of Sydney.

Bachelor of Arts with Honours (2002) University of Sydney

Arts,Design & Architecture
Centre for Social Research in Health

I am a Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Research in Health (CSRH), a specialist research centre located in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at UNSW Sydney. Through my disciplinary background in Cultural Studies, I endeavour to bring a critical cultural lens to everyday lived experiences as they pertain to public health concerns.

I currently conduct research in two broad programmes of work:  

  • Responding to health inequities and social determinants of health, particularly by working with marginalised or vulnerable populations to determine their health and wellbeing needs.
  • Tracking social scenes for LGBTQ+ people, with a specific focus on the sex-based social norms and affects in precarious urban contexts that give rise to innovative forms of health promotion and harm reduction. 

I take a community-led and -engaged approach to all my work, working with affected communities to determine their health needs.

I was awarded my PhD in 2016 from the Department of Gender and Cultural Studies, where I undertook an ethnographic exploration of Sydney's drag king culture as a site for the varied investments in social scenes for LGBTQ people. I taught Gender Studies and Cultural Studies at the University of Sydney before taking up a research-focussed position at the Centre for Social Research in Health in 2017.
Phone
+61 2 93856412
E-mail
k.drysdale@unsw.edu.au
Location
318 Goodsell Building
  • Books | 2019
    Drysdale K, 2019, Intimate Investments in Drag King Cultures The Rise and Fall of a Lesbian Social Scene, Springer Palgrave Macmillan, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15777-7
  • Book Chapters | 2019
    Drysdale K; Wong K, 2019, 'Sensory Ethnography', in Atkinson P; Cernat A; Delamont S; Sakshaug J; Williams R (ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Research Methods, http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526421036775965
    Book Chapters | 2016
    Drysdale K, 2016, 'When Scenes Fade: Methodological Lessons from Sydney's Drag King Culture', in Scene Thinking: Cultural Studies from the Scene Perspective, Routledge
  • Journal articles | 2022
    Newton G; Zappavigna M; Drysdale K; Newman CE, 2022, 'More than Humor: Memes as Bonding Icons for Belonging in Donor-Conceived People', Social Media and Society, vol. 8, pp. 205630512110690 - 205630512110690, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/20563051211069055
    Journal articles | 2022
    Schroeder SE; Drysdale K; Lafferty L; Baldry E; Marshall AD; Higgs P; Dietze P; Stoove M; Treloar C, 2022, '"It's a revolving door": Ego-depletion among prisoners with injecting drug use histories as a barrier to post-release success', International Journal of Drug Policy, vol. 101, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103571
    Journal articles | 2021
    Drysdale K, 2021, '‘Scene’ as a critical framing device: Extending analysis of chemsex cultures', Sexualities, pp. 136346072199546 - 136346072199546, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1363460721995467
    Journal articles | 2021
    Drysdale K; Bryant J; Dowsett GW; Lea T; Treloar C; Aggleton P; Holt M, 2021, 'Priorities and practices of risk reduction among gay and bisexual men in Australia who use crystal methamphetamine for sex.', Int J Drug Policy, vol. 93, pp. 103163 - 103163, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103163
    Journal articles | 2021
    Gibson A; Drysdale K; Botfield J; Cook T; Mooney-Somers J; Newman C, 2021, 'Navigating trans-visibilities, trauma, and trust in a new cervical screening program', Culture, Health and Sexuality, https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2021.1952307
    Journal articles | 2021
    Smith AKJ; Persson A; Drysdale K; Bryant J; valentine K; Wallace J; Hamilton M; Gray RM; Newman CE, 2021, 'Family imaginaries in the disclosure of a blood-borne virus', Sociology of Health and Illness, vol. 43, pp. 1422 - 1436, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13316
    Journal articles | 2021
    Treloar C; Hopwood M; Drysdale K; Lea T; Holt M; Dowsett GW; Aggleton P; Bryant J, 2021, 'Stigma as understood by key informants: A social ecological approach to gay and bisexual men's use of crystal methamphetamine for sex', International Journal of Drug Policy, vol. 94, pp. 103229 - 103229, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103229
    Journal articles | 2021
    Treloar C; Schroeder S; Lafferty L; Marshall A; Drysdale K; Higgs P; Baldry E; Stoove M; Dietze P, 2021, 'Structural competency in the post-prison period for people who inject drugs: A qualitative case study', International Journal of Drug Policy, vol. 95, pp. 103261, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103261
    Journal articles | 2020
    Drysdale K; Bryant J; Holt M; Hopwood M; Dowsett GW; Aggleton P; Lea T; Treloar C, 2020, 'Destabilising the ‘problem’ of chemsex: Diversity in settings, relations and practices revealed in Australian gay and bisexual men's crystal methamphetamine use', International Journal of Drug Policy, vol. 78, pp. 102697, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102697
    Journal articles | 2020
    Drysdale K; Cama E; Botfield J; Bear B; Cerio R; Newman CE, 2020, 'Targeting cancer prevention and screening interventions to LGBTQ communities: a scoping review', Health and Social Care in the Community, pp. 1 - 16, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13257
    Journal articles | 2020
    Drysdale K; Newman CE; Persson A; Gray RM, 2020, 'Mapping Experiences of Serodiscordance: Using Visual Methodologies to Construct Relationality in Families Living With or Affected by Stigmatized Infectious Disease', Qualitative Health Research, vol. 30, pp. 793 - 808, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1049732319890304
    Journal articles | 2019
    MacGibbon J; Broady T; Drysdale K; Bavinton B; Lee E; Mao L; Prestage G; Holt M, 2019, 'Gay Men’s Relationship Agreements in the Era of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis: An Analysis of Australian Behavioural Surveillance Data', AIDS and Behavior, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10461-019-02737-9
    Journal articles | 2018
    Drysdale K, 2018, 'Intimate Attunements: Everyday affect in Sydney’s drag king scene', Sexualities, vol. 21, pp. 640 - 656, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1363460717741792
    Journal articles | 2017
    Bryant J; Hopwood M; Dowsett GW; Aggleton P; Holt M; Lea T; Drysdale K; Treloar C, 2017, 'The rush to risk when interrogating the relationship between methamphetamine use and sexual practice among gay and bisexual men', International Journal of Drug Policy, vol. 55, pp. 242 - 248, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.12.010
    Journal articles | 2016
    Drysdale K, 2016, 'Tactile places: Doing sensory ethnography in Sydneys drag king scene', Continuum, vol. 30, pp. 206 - 217, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2016.1143190
    Journal articles | 2015
    Drysdale K, 2015, 'When Scenes Fade: Methodological lessons from Sydney's drag king culture', Cultural Studies, vol. 29, pp. 345 - 362, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09502386.2014.937939
  • Reports | 2021
    Mao L; Kirby E; Drysdale K; Rance J; Treloar C; Tu T; Fowlie C; Howard C, 2021, Resilient ageing and end of life planning among people living with or affected by chronic HBV, HCV or HIV in Australia, UNSW Centre for Social Research in Health, Sydney, http://dx.doi.org/10.26190/f13r-7p71
    Other | 2020
    Drysdale K (ed.), 2020, Crystal Clear: Negotiating pleasures and risk around sex on crystal’. Podcast series: Ep 1 Crystal: The Beauty and the Trap; Ep 2 Cultures of Care: Conversations with people who provide support to crystal users; Ep 3 What Workers Say: Health care professionals engaging gay and bisexual men using crystal for sex, https://soundcloud.com/crystal-clear-podcast
    Other | 2020
    Holt M; Bryant J; Drysdale K; Lancaster K; Newman C; Treloar C, 2020, Submission by the Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, on the proposed Mandatory Testing Bill 2020, New South Wales, https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/submissions/69754/0002%20Centre%20for%20Social%20Research%20in%20Health,%20UNSW%20Sydney.pdf
    Reports | 2020
    Mao L; Guppy J; Moss P; Drysdale K; Habel P; Thomson C; Taber B; Bogie M; Anlezark J, 2020, Ageing among people with HIV or Chronic HBV/HCV in the ACT: a brief report, The AIDS Action Council, Canberra, http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/unsworks_57976
    Reports | 2020
    Newman CE; Persson A; valentine K; Hamilton M; Bryant J; Wallace J; Drysdale K; Smith AKJ; Gray R; Lafferty L; Botfield J; Rance J; Cui J, 2020, my health, our family: documenting stories of family life in the context of HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C (summary report), UNSW Centre for Social Research in Health, Sydney, http://dx.doi.org/10.26190/5facbe6ba9ac8
    Conference Posters | 2019
    Drysdale K, 2019, 'Sex on crystal: the diversity of settings and practices related to Australian gay and bisexual men’s crystal methamphetamine use', Perth, presented at Australasian HIV & AIDS Conference, Perth, 16 September 2019 - 19 September 2019
    Conference Presentations | 2019
    Drysdale K; Newman C; Persson A, 2019, 'Mapping Intimacy: unanticipated methodological insights in researching familial relationships in the context of stigmatized infectious disease', presented at IIQM Qualitative Methods Conference, Brisbane, 01 May 2019 - 03 May 2019
    Conference Posters | 2019
    Drysdale K; Newman CE; Persson A; Gray R; Bryant J; Hamilton M; valentine K; Wallace J, 2019, 'Mapping experiences of serodiscordance: incorporating visual methodologies to represent families affected by HIV and viral hepatitis', Perth, presented at 2019 Australasian HIV & AIDS Conference, Perth, 16 September 2019 - 19 September 2019
    Conference Presentations | 2019
    Hamilton M; Gray R; Botfield J; Newman C; Drysdale K; Persson A; valentine K; Bryant J; Wallace J, 2019, 'Linked lives and chronic illness: extending life-course analysis to families affected by blood borne viruses', presented at The Australian Sociological Association 2019 Conference, Sydney, 26 November 2019 - 28 November 2019
    Other | 2019
    Lancaster K; Treloar C; Holt M; Bryant J; Drysdale K, 2019, Submission to the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug ‘Ice’, https://www.iceinquiry.nsw.gov.au/?misdirected=1
    Conference Presentations | 2019
    MacGibbon J; Broady T; Drysdale K; Bavinton B; Lee E; Mao L; Prestage G; Holt M, 2019, 'Gay Men’s Relationship Agreements In The Era Of Pre‐Exposure Prophylaxis: An Analysis Of Australian Behavioural Surveillance Data', presented at Australasian HIV/AIDS Conference, Perth, Australia, 17 September 2019 - 19 September 2019
    Conference Presentations | 2019
    Newman C; Persson A; Gray R; Drysdale K; Bryant J; valentine K; Hamilton M; Wallace J, 2019, 'The secret-keepers and the super-sharers: understanding the family life of blood borne viruses today', presented at The Australian Sociological Association 2019 Conference, Sydney, 26 November 2019 - 28 November 2019
    Conference Presentations | 2019
    Newton G; Newman C; Zappavigna M; Drysdale K, 2019, '“I would like to think that we – the donor-conceived people – are the real experts”: using linguistic methods to examine donor-conceived people’s accounts in public hearings', presented at The Australian Sociological Association 2019 Conference: Creativity and Methodological Innovation in the Sociology of Familial and Intimate Relationships Workshop, Sydney, 29 November 2019
    Conference Presentations | 2019
    Newton G; Zappavigna M; Drysdale K; Newman C, 2019, 'Evaluating contraceptive methods using peer support from Reddit', presented at 2019 Australasian HIV & AIDS Conference, Perth, 16 September 2019 - 19 September 2019
    Conference Papers | 2019
    Persson A; Newman C; Hamilton M; Bryant J; valentine K; Drysdale K; Gray R, 2019, 'The embodied relationality of blood-borne viruses: How families matter in the context of a stigmatised viral infection', London, presented at AIDS Impact, London, 29 July 2019 - 31 July 2019
    Conference Presentations | 2019
    Persson A; Newman C; Hamilton M; valentine K; Wallace J; Bryant J; Gray R; Drysdale K, 2019, 'Risk perceptions and testing in families living with mixed HIV status', presented at 2019 Australasian HIV & AIDS Conference, Perth, 16 September 2019 - 19 September 2019
    Conference Presentations | 2018
    Drysdale K; Newman C; Persson A, 2018, 'Family intimacies: conceptualising serodiscordance in families living with or affected by stigmatized infectious disease through family mapping methodologies', presented at 12th Crossroads in Cultural Studies Conference, Shanghai, 12 August 2018 - 15 August 2018
    Conference Presentations | 2018
    Gibson A; Newman C; Mooney-Somers J; Drysdale K; Botfield J; Cook T, 2018, 'Shifting the inner circle: Understanding efforts to more meaningfully ‘include’ trans and gender diverse people in cervical cancer screening', presented at IUSTI Asia Pacific Sexual Health Congress 2018, Auckland, 01 November 2018 - 03 November 2018
    Conference Presentations | 2018
    Gibson A; Newman C; Mooney-Somers J; Drysdale K; Botfield J; Cook T, 2018, 'Shifting the inner circle: Understanding efforts to more meaningfully ‘include’ trans and gender diverse people in cervical cancer screening', presented at TASA Conference 2018: Precarity, Rights, Resistance, Melbourne, 20 November 2018 - 22 November 2018
    Reports | 2018
    Hopwood M; Drysdale K; Treloar C, 2018, ‘Sunshine on a rainy day’: Crystal methamphetamine use among gay and bisexual men in Perth, Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, http://dx.doi.org/10.26190/5be39b00ad585
    Conference Presentations | 2018
    MacGibbon J; Broady T; Drysdale K; Lee E; Mao L; Bavinton B; Prestage G; Holt M, 2018, 'Gay men who use pre-exposure prophylaxis and their relationship agreements: The evolution of negotiated safety?', presented at Australasian HIV/AIDS Conference, Sydney, 24 September 2018 - 26 September 2018
    Conference Presentations | 2018
    Newman C; Drysdale K; Persson A; Rance J; Hamilton M; valentine K; Bryant J; Wallace J, 2018, 'Mediating biosocial possibilities: The deployment of biomedical technologies in HIV and viral hepatitis family disclosure narratives', presented at 2018 annual meeting of the Society for Social Studies of Science: TRANSnational STS, Sydney, 24 September 2018 - 26 September 2018
    Conference Presentations | 2018
    Newman C; Persson A; Drysdale K; Hamilton M; valentine K; Bryant J; Wallace J; Gray R; Rance J; Botfield J, 2018, 'Exploring the role of families in HIV treatment decisions and practices.', presented at Australasian HIV Conference, Sydney, 24 September 2018 - 26 September 2018
    Conference Presentations | 2018
    Newman C; Persson A; Drysdale K; Hamilton M; valentine K; Bryant J; Wallace J; Gray R; Rance J; Botfield J, 2018, 'Open doors and family secrets: Negotiating communication agreements among families affected by HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C', presented at IUSTI Asia Pacific Sexual Health Congress 2018, Auckland, 01 November 2018 - 03 November 2018
    Conference Presentations | 2018
    Newman CE; Persson A; Drysdale K; Rance J; Hamilton M; valentine K; bryant J; Wallace J, 2018, '"I found out I have HIV but it's all good, I'm on medication": The deployment of biomedical technologies in HIV and viral hepatitis family disclosure narratives', presented at 2018 In Sickness and in Health Conference, Sydney, 07 June 2018 - 09 June 2018
    Conference Presentations | 2018
    Persson A; Newman C; Drysdale K; Hamilton M; valentine K; Bryant J; Gray R; Rance J; Botfield J, 2018, 'Understanding divergent family responses to a blood borne virus diagnosis', presented at Australasian HIV Conference, Sydney, 24 September 2018 - 26 September 2018
    Theses / Dissertations | 2016
    Drysdale K, 2016, When Scenes Fade: Everyday Investments in Sydney's Drag King Culture, University of Sydney

  • “Understanding the health system implications for delivering integrated POCT for infectious diseases in primary care settings” (2020), Treloar, C., Lafferty, L., and Drysdale, K. Centre for Research Excellence in the accelerated implementation of new point-of-care technology for infectious diseases grant.
  • “Efficacy of health promotion intervention for LGBTQ communities: scoping review” (2020), Newman C., and Drysdale, K. ACON Health, commissioned research.
  • Society for the Study of Affect Summer School Seminar convenorship (2019), Drysdale K., and Kasmani, O., Scenes: sites of affective world-making and –writing (International scope; competitive submission process), Millersville University, USA.
  • Ian Potter Foundation Travel Grant (2018), Drysdale, K., Crossroads in Cultural Studies Conference, Shanghai.

FASS ECAN Publication Awards 2020 (Non-traditional Research Output category) for ‘Crystal Clear: Negotiating pleasures and risk around sex on crystal’ podcast series. 

Awarded participant, Kathleen Fitzgerald Laureate Mentorship Scheme, University of Melbourne, 3 – 7 December 2018 - awarded to outstanding early career female researchers to complete an intensive mentoring programme with a focus on research leadership and enhancing career progression.

Finalist, Rita and John Cornforth Award (2016), Graduate Medal, University of Sydney - awarded to a person who has achieved the highest standard of academic proficiency in a doctoral thesis, and contributed to the diverse life of the University and broader community.

Dean’s Citation for Excellence in Tutorials (2013), Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sydney.
 

Current projects:

  • Centre for Research Excellence in the accelerated implementation of new point-of-care technology for infectious diseases, led by Professor Rebecca Guy (The Kirby Institute). 2020 - ongoing. Social Science stream [Subproject: Understanding the health system implications for delivering integrated POCT for infectious diseases in primary care settings, led by Professor Carla Treloar. 2020 - 2021]
  • NSW Research Program for HIV, STIs and Viral Hepatitis (BRISE2), led by Professor Andrew Grulich, 2020 -2024 [Subproject: Resilient ageing and dying well among older people with HIV or chronic hepatitis B/C, led by Associate Professor Limin Mao. 2020-2021].
  • Identifying factors that improve the health of prisoners who inject drugs, led by Scientia Professor Carla Treloar. 2017-2020 [Subproject: Evaluation of ‘The Hard Cell: Living Life on the Outside’ research dissemination tool. 2021]
  • Deadly Liver Mob, led by Scientia Professor Carla Treloar. 2016-2021 [Subproject: Evaluation of the Deadly Liver Mob, led by Scientia Professor Carla Treloar. 2020-2021]
  • Equity Focussed Health Impact Assessment of the medium to long term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated response, led by Associate Professor Fiona Haigh (HERDU). 2020-2021. 

Previous projects:

  • Efficacy of health promotion intervention for LGBTQ communities: scoping review, led by Christy Newman and Kerryn Drysdale. 
  • Meaningful inclusion of trans and gender diverse populations in cervical cancer screening: A pilot study, led by Dr Ally Gibson. 
  • ‘my health, our family’: documenting stories of family life in the context of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, led by Associate Professor Christy Newman. 
  • Crystal, Sex and Pleasures between Men, led by Scientia Professor Carla Treloar. 
  • Intimate Investments in Drag King Cultures: The Rise and Fall of Lesbian Social Scenes. 2017 – 2019; Monograph.
  • Complex and changing needs of the ageing population living with viral hepatitis and/or HIV in the ACT, led by Associate Professor Limin Mao. 
     

Memberships:

  • Affect and Emotion Network, 2021 to current.
  • Association for Cultural Studies, 2016 to current.
  • Australasian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM), Affiliate Member, 2018 to current.
  • Australian Women’s & Gender Studies Association, 2017 to current.
  • Cultural Studies Association of Australasia, 2012 to current.
  • The Australian Sociological Association, 2017 to current.

While I am in research-focussed roles at UNSW Sydney, I regularly accept invitations to guest lecture in the areas of:

  • social determinants of health
  • health equity for marginalised communities
  • qualitative methodologies, including sensory ethnography and the art of interviewing
  • queer performances, performativity and LGBTQ scenes
  • scene theory and practices