Hall student Frances Hand is a BBC/AHRC New Generation Thinker

St Edmund Hall student Frances Hand (2022, DPhil Law) has been selected as a BBC and AHRC New Generation Thinker 2026. The scheme recognises five of the UK’s most promising early-career academics, chosen by BBC Radio 4 and the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Frances will work with Woman’s Hour on BBC Radio 4, sharing her research on the UK’s maternity services.

She comments: “Whilst my ‘home’ will be Woman’s Hour on BBC Radio 4, New Generation Thinkers work across the whole of BBC Radio 4, so you might also hear me on programmes such as Free Thinking and The Essay.”

One in three women in the UK describe childbirth as “traumatic”. Frances’s research focuses on making childbirth safer for women in the UK. She has drawn together publicly available data on women’s experiences to develop a national picture of the causes and consequences of what she terms “obstetric violence”. Frances argues for a more human rights-focused response to these harms, particularly in light of the UK Government’s commitments to protect women from violence.

This is a tremendous achievement for Frances, and Teddy Hall wishes her every success as she brings her important research to a wider audience.

Find out more about the New Generation Thinkers 2026 on the BBC website.