From left, Daniel Kobei, Samrawit Gougsa and Samuel Salaton, gather around a map of the cultural centre.

Our Research Approach

Land Body Ecologies is a research group that centres transdisciplinary approaches to research mental health and its intersections with environmental health. We bridge academic research and advocacy through creative approaches and artistic expressions exploring ecosystem health and mental health. Our use of design research, storytelling and artistic approaches allow us to deeply explore human experiences and relationships with the natural world as an alternative to the current dominant, data-driven discourses.

Photo Gallery of Research

Three screens are shown depicting a Zoom call of an exchange between London Hub and Bwindi-Hub. London-based artists and Batwa artists exchange practices.

Close-up of illustration with the logos of Wellcome, LBE, LSHTM.

Underneath are some illustrations of community members and the words "Community Led Research Hubs" in a square. This text is surrounded by Arctic Hub, Bannerghatta Hub, London Hub, Mau Forest Hub, Bwindi Hub.

Close-up of participant at the intersections of climate change and mental health workshop held at the hub. Participant is using clay to make something in relation to prompt during workshop.

Large screen of changing landscape of Bannerghatta Hub is shown and explained by Babitha, Romit and Neha.

Roasting coffee beans with Siwakorn Odochao.

LBE Team member, Outi Autti, is seated, smiling, before a mic recorder, recording The Free River podcast.

From left (Nikki, Hsi-Nong, Sheila, Vic), seated around tarot cards as part of exploratory workshop.

Letters from Sheila Ghelani's table in the London Hub

Close-up of pamphlet from Quicksand Studios

Listeners to the Honey Listening experience are seated with headphones on to the left of two large floor-to-ceiling fabric with projections of Ogiek elders.

Close-up of baskets woven from natural materials by Catherine Moreland during Bwindi artist workshop

Publications from our collaborators

Ayesha Ahmad, Researcher trauma: when our stories collide, The Lancet

https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(22)00828-5.

Kaisa Kerätär, Artbreak, Survival Stories

https://artbreak.fi/survival-stories/

Outi Autti, Journal of Interdisciplinary History: The Recognition of War Refugees

https://doi.org/10.1162/jinh_a_01799

Ilan Kelman, Psychology Today: Beyond Eco-Anxiety: Land Body Ecologies;

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/disaster-choice/202205/beyond-eco-anxiety-land-body-ecologies

Ahmad, A., V. Pratt, and S. Gougsa. 2022. “Where is the land and indigenous knowledge in understanding land trauma and land based violence in climate change?” BMJ, vol. 379, article o2790.

https://www.bmj.com/content/379/bmj.o2790

Samrawit Gougsa, Victoria Pratt, Babitha George, Cecilia Vilela, Daniel Kobei, Sylvia Kokunda, Ilan Kelman, Ben Eaton, Lilian Maina, Samson Luari, Outi Autti, Kaisa Kerätär, Jenni Laiti, Catherine Baxendale, Romit Raj, Reema Deshpande, Riya Gokharu, Neha Singh, Sheila Ghelani, Nqatyiswa Mendu, Ayesha Ahmad, Land Body Ecologies research group. 2023. Land Body Ecologies: A case study for global transdisciplinary collaboration at the intersections of environment and mental health

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2023.100206