School of Social and Political Science

Background

My PhD project, provisionally titled 'Embracing non-reproduction in a pronatalist world: childfree women's experiences of repro-normativity in contemporary Poland', will explore how Polish childfree by choice women experience the regulation of reproduction in Poland, focusing on how their experiences are socially stratified.

I recently completed my MSc in Social Research Methods at the London School of Economics, and hold a first-class MA (Hons) in Sociology and Politics from the University of Edinburgh. 

Alongside my PhD, I work as Peer Learning and Support Coordinator at the School of Social and Political Science. I also volunteer for Abortion Support Network.

My past experience includes working as a research assistant on an interdisciplinary project based at the Edinburgh Vet School, exploring women's under-representation in veterinary medicine and surgery. I have also worked as a tutor at the LSE's Digital Skills Lab, and as an intern at Edinburgh University's Institute for Academic Development. 

Education

PhD Sociology, University of Edinburgh (2025 - present)

MSc Social Research Methods, London School of Economics (2024-2025)

MA (Hons) Sociology and Politics, University of Edinburgh (2020-2024)

Publications

Paczesna, A. (2025) ‘Embracing complexity to challenge stigma: a qualitative analysis of representations of abortion in a Polish storytelling initiative’, Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 33(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2025.2535835 

Pratschke, K., Bristow, P., Paczesna, A., Parakh, I., MacKay, J.R.D., Mackay F., Blacklock, K. (2025) ‘Marked gender inequity in the invited speakers at the European College of Veterinary Surgeons annual scientific congress 2012–2022’, PLOS One, 20(9), e0329147. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0329147

Bowlt Blacklock, K. L., MacKay, J. R., Bristow, P., Parakh, I., Paczesna, A., Mackay, F. and Pratschke, K. (2025) ‘Silent voices: Uncovering women’s absence in veterinary surgery publications’, PLOS One, 20(8), e0330392. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0330392

Conference presentations

“Imagining non-reproductive futures: the experiences of childfree women in Poland”, The Politics of (Non)Reproduction: Choice, Challenges and Change, University of York, UK (2025)

“Evaluation of gender disparity in author order for research communications at ECVS Annual Scientific Meetings, 2012-2022”, European College of Veterinary Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting, Valencia, Spain (2024)
 

Awards and funding

+3.5 Doctoral Studentship, Scottish Graduate School of Social Science/Economic and Social Research Council (2025-2029)

MSc Dissertation Funding, Department of Methodology, London School of Economics (2025)

Violet Laidlaw Prize for best performance in Joint Honours Sociology, University of Edinburgh (2024)

GENDER.ED-EUSA Feminist Trailblazers Award (Honourable Mention), University of Edinburgh (2024)

Student Partnership Agreement Small Project Funding, University of Edinburgh (2023-2024)

Tom McGlew Prize for best performance in first year Sociology, University of Edinburgh (2021)

Adam Fergusson Prize for best performance in Sociology 1A, University of Edinburgh (2021)