Dr Nuala Morse is an interdisciplinary researcher with a background in cultural geography, museum studies, and participatory research and practice. Nuala’s research focuses on the practice of community engagement and politics of participation in culture and the arts, with a particular emphasis on museums. Her research is particularly interested in exploring the emotional and ‘felt’ qualities of engagement work, and the professional labour of ‘doing’ engagement work. She is currently a Research Associate at UCL/University of Manchester, investigating the links between museums programmes, health and wellbeing for a range of audiences, including mental health service users; people in addictions recovery; older adults living with dementia; and stroke rehabilitation patients.

Nuala recently completed a doctorate in the Department of Geography at Durham University which examined the cultures of participation in museums. She was then awarded an Endeavour Research Fellowship at the Institute for Culture and Society, University of Western Sydney, where she pursued these questions in an Australian museum context. Nuala’s current research explores the distinctive nature of the 'social work' of museum professionals; and the role of the museum as a space of social care.