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Professor Stephanie Alice Baker

Professor

School of Policy & Global Affairs Department of Sociology and Criminology

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About

Overview

Dr Stephanie Alice Baker is Professor of Sociology. She currently serves as Deputy Head of the Department of Sociology and Criminology. She received a B.A. (Hons. 1st Class) from the University of Sydney in 2006 and a Ph.D. (awarded without revision) from the University of Western Sydney in 2010. She has held research and teaching positions at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, the University of Sydney, the University of Western Sydney, the University of Greenwich and Goldsmiths, University of London. 

Dr Baker’s research explores the intersection between society, technology and culture, particularly in relation to health and medicine. She is interested in how emerging technologies shape the ways in which people share and amplify health information, and how information is networked online. She is also interested in how digital technologies afford community formation and new ways of relating to audiences, and how these relationships are monetised. Much of her research has focused on the self-help and wellness industry. She has published several articles and books on these topics including, Lifestyle Gurus: constructing authority and influence online (Polity, 2019) and Wellness Culture: how the wellness movement has been used to empower, profit and misinform (Emerald, 2022).

Her recent research explores the impact of recommender algorithms in spreading and monetising health misinformation and how GenAI is used in the context of mental health. Her research on cancer misinformation on TikTok featured on BBC Panorama and various media outlets. In 2021, she was invited by the UK Parliament to provide oral evidence and written evidence on influencer culture in relation to online radicalisation, terrorism and extremism. She continues to work with the government and policymakers in their efforts to reduce and respond to mis/disinformation.

Consultancy Work

Dr Baker has worked with organisations across the public and private sector. Past collaborators include the BBC, the Guardian, ITV, Flamingo, the Discovery Channel, Weber Shandwick, Tapestry Research, Sense Worldwide and TECNO mobile. 

She is a guest speaker, together with public health experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO), on the University of Toronto's health policy module, 'Health Communication in the Age of Infodemics.'

Media Appearances

Dr Baker is committed to public facing research. She has a strong media presence having featured in the BBC, the Guardian, PBS, RNZ, the Independent and the New York Times. She is a frequent podcast guest.

In 2024, she collaborated with several colleagues to develop their forthcoming book on Cults (Rutledge, 2024) into a podcast series. Twenty-first Century Cults, a podcast about a series of male gurus who have established cult followings online, can be accessed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other streaming services.

Keynote and Invited Presentations (last four years)

Baker, S. A. (9 December 2025). Keynote Presentation. Book launch: The Ice Prophet. Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Baker, S. A. (15-18 October 2025). Invited Panel Presentation. Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR). Niteroi, Brazil.

Baker, S. A. (22 May 2025). Invited Panel Presentation. Health Equity Event. IPSOS. London, UK.

Baker, S. A. & Gill, R. (21 May 2025). Conference Presentation. "I am not a feminist": understanding the appeal of anti-feminist influencers in the wellness space. Reactionary Politics, Women and Popular Culture. Loughborough, UK.

Baker, S. A. (17 January 2025). Keynote Presentation. "Link in Bio": fake cancer cures, algorithmic misinformation and online harms on TikTok. Tackling Health Misinformation and understanding health literacy. Patient Information Forum. London, UK.

Baker, S. A. (22 November 2024). Keynote Presentation. Methods of Misinformation Workshop. Amsterdam, Netherlands. 

Baker, S. A. (12-13 September 2024). Invited Presentation. Conspiracy Theories and Religion. Zurich, Switzerland.

Baker, S. A. (10-11 June 2024). Invited Presentation. Trust and Technology: From Social Relations to the State of Democracy. Bucharest, Romania.

Baker, S. A. (23-24 May 2024). Invited Presentation. Poly Crises Interrogated – Health, Pandemics and the Crisis. Finsbury Institute, London, UK.

Baker, S. A. (8 March 2024). Keynote Presentation. The Wellness Trap - How wellness culture is impacting on women’s careers. Bayes Business School. London, UK.

Baker, S. A. (6 March 2024). Invited Presentation. AI UK Fringe Event. London, UK.

Baker, S. A. (4 March 2024). Keynote Presentation. Wellness as a Gateway to Misinformation and Conspiracy Theories. Helsinki, Finland.

Baker, S. A. (02 August 2023). Keynote Presentation. Metaphor & Misinformation and Religion in Media-Driven Worlds. Bochum, Germany. 

Baker, S. A. (23-24 March 2023). Keynote Panellist. The Wellness to Far-Right Pipeline: the journey as a vehicle for conspirituality and extremism. Crisis of the Social: Faultlines, (Un)Truths, and Manipulation. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. 

Baker, S. A. (17 February 2023). Keynote Discussant. New Challenges-New Rights?’ Transatlantic Forum Workshop. Center for International Human Rights at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York (CUNY) and the Department of Law at the Free University of Berlin (online conference).

Baker, S. A. & Walsh, M.J. (12 October 2022). Presenter. Researching COVID-19 Disinformation Online: Identifying the common tropes used by influencers to promote anti-vaccine messaging during the pandemic. ESRC Doctoral Training Workshops – Researching social media: Truths, lies, influencers and beyond.

Baker, S. A. & Maddox, A. (2022). Presenter. From COVID-19 Treatment to Miracle Cure: the role of influencers and public figures in amplifying the hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin conspiracy theories during the pandemic. British Sociological Association (online conference).

Policy Experience & Impact

2024 Consulted for the UK Cabinet Office’s Open Innovation Team (OIT), Research Project on AI and mis/disinformation. The Project–Classified Official Sensitive.

2023 Invited to present my research on health disinformation to policymakers and government officials at Singapore’s Centre of Excellence for National Security, Nanyang Technological University.

2022 Written Evidence (INF0004). House of Commons – UK Parliament Select Inquiry into Misinformation and Trusted Voices.

2022 Consulted for the UK Cabinet Office’s Open Innovation Team (OIT), Research Project on emerging trends in terrorism and violent extremism. The Project–Classified Official Sensitive–was commissioned by the Home Office.

2022 Featured in evidence to the Victorian Government’s counter terrorism report.

2022 Written Evidence: Influencer Culture (INF0040). House of Commons – UK Parliament Select Inquiry into Influencer Culture.

2021 Oral Evidence. House of Commons – UK Parliament Select Inquiry into Influencer Culture in a session on influencers, disinformation and online radicalization.

2021 Written Evidence: Influencer Culture (INF0004). House of Commons – UK Parliament Select Inquiry into Influencer Culture.

2020 Informed the House of Lords COVID-19 Committee inquiry on the implications of the pandemic during the next 2-5 years: Life beyond COVID-19: What are experts concerned about?

2020 Consulted for the UK Cabinet Office’s Open Innovation Team (OIT), Research Project on mis–disinformation and trends affecting the relationship between the citizen and the state. The Project–Classified Official Sensitive.

2020 Tackling Misinformation and Disinformation in the Context of COVID-19. Cabinet Office C19 Seminar Series.

Qualifications

  • Fellowship of Advance HE, City St George's, University of London, 2023
  • PhD, University of Western Sydney, Australia, 2010
  • BA (Hons 1st Class), University of Sydney, Australia, 2006

Employment

  • Professor, City St George's, University of London, United Kingdom, August 2025 - present
  • Reader, University of London, United Kingdom, August 2023 - July 2025
  • Senior Lecturer, City, University of London, United Kingdom, August 2020 - August 2023
  • Lecturer, City, University of London, United Kingdom, November 2014 - May 2020
  • Researcher, Goldsmiths University of London, United Kingdom, 2013 - 2014
  • Visiting Lecturer, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom, 2010 - 2012
  • Research Assistant, Institute for Culture and Society, Australia, 2010 - 2012
  • Research Assistant, Centre for Citizenship and Public Policy, Australia, 2010
  • Research Fellow, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, India, 2010
  • Honorary Visiting Fellow, University of Leicester, United Kingdom, 2007 - 2008
  • Academic Tutor, University of Sydney, Australia, 2006 - 2007

Memberships of professional organisations

  • The Royal Society of Arts (RSA), 2017 - present
  • Inducted Member, Golden Key International Honour Society, 2003 - present

Awards

  • Emerald Literati Network Award for Excellence (2013). Outstanding Paper Award Winner
  • European Association for Sociology of Sport (2011). Young Researcher’s Award
  • Australian Federal Government (2010). Endeavour Research Award
  • University of Western Sydney (2008). Postgraduate Research Award (full PhD scholarship)
  • University of Sydney (2007). Wentworth Travelling Scholarship
  • University of Sydney (2006). University Postgraduate Award (full PhD scholarship)
  • University of Sydney Postgraduate Research Support Scheme
    2006, 2007, 2008

Publications

Publications by category

Books (5)

  • Baker, S., McLaughlin, E. and Rojek, C. (2024). cults. London: Routledge. ISBN 9781032370576.
  • Baker, S., McLaughlin, E. and Rojek, C. (2024). Cults. Routledge.
  • Baker, S.A. (2022). Wellness Culture: How the Wellness Movement has been used to Empower, Profit and Misinform.
  • Baker, S.A. and Rojek, C. (2019). Lifestyle Gurus Constructing Authority and Influence Online. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Polity. ISBN 9781509530182.
  • Baker, S.A. (2014). Social Tragedy. Palgrave Macmillan US. ISBN 9781349481507.

Chapters (17)

  • Alice Baker, S., McLaughlin, E. and Rojek, C. (2026). “Am I Big Chungus?” Media and the Spirit of Populism (pp. 140-157). Routledge.
  • Baker, S.A. (2025). “Link in Bio”. Mis/Disinformation and Democratic Society (pp. 118-135). Routledge.
  • Baker, S.A. (2025). Coaches, gurus and influencers as self-help and lifestyle experts. The Routledge Handbook of Lifestyle Journalism (pp. 392-406). Routledge.
  • McLaughlin, E., Baker, S. and Rojek, C. (2024). The cult of the public intellectual: Jordan B.Peterson. Cults (pp. 123-142). London: Routledge. ISBN 9781032370590.
  • McLaughlin, E., Baker, S. and Rojek, C. (2024). Doomsday cults: the Manson Family. Cults (pp. 46-66). Routledge. ISBN 9781032370590.
  • Baker, S.A. and Walsh, M.J. (2020). You are what you Instagram: clean eating and the symbolic representation of food. Digital Food Cultures (pp. 53-68). Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9781138392595.
  • Baker, S.A. (2014). Introduction: Plato's Challenge. In Baker, S.A. (Ed.), Social Tragedy: The Power of Myth, Ritual, and Emotion in the New Media Ecology (pp. 1-27). Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1137379138.
  • Baker, S.A. and Rowe, D. (2013). The power of popular publicity: new social media and the affective dynamics of the sport racism scandal. (pp. 441-460). Informa UK Limited.
  • Baker, S.A. and Hamilton, M. (2013). France. In Emery, R.E. (Ed.), Cultural Sociology of Divorce: An Encyclopedia New York: SAGE.
  • Baker, S.A. (2013). Theatre and Film. In Emery, R.E. (Ed.), Cultural Sociology of Divorce: An Encyclopedia New York: SAGE.
  • Baker, S.-.A. (2012). Social Tragedy: Zidane’s Role in France’s Tragic Epic. From Conflict to Recognition (pp. 235-250). BRILL. ISBN 9789042035355.
  • Rowe, D. and Baker, S.A. (2012). Truly a Fan Experience? The Cultural Politics of the Live Site. In Krøvel, R. and Roksvold, T. (Eds.), We Love to Hate Each Other: Mediated Football Fan Culture (pp. 303-319). Gothenburg: Nordicom. ISBN 9789186523350.
  • Baker, S.A. (2011). Ancient India. In Barnett, G. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Social Networks (pp. 38-41). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
  • Baker, S.A. (2011). Earliest Civilizations. In Barnett, G. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Social Networks (pp. 221-224). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
  • Baker, S.A. and Peckman, A. (2011). India. In Barnett, G. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Social Networks (pp. 401-406). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
  • Baker, S.A. (2011). Nepal. In Barnett, G. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Social Networks (pp. 586-587). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
  • Baker, S.-.A. (2010). Hoping to Fear: The Cathartic Transformation of the Civic Community. The Resilience of Hope (pp. 95-119). BRILL. ISBN 9789042030220.

Internet publications (8)

Journal articles (33)

Reports (2)

Professional activities

Keynote lecture/speech

  • The Social Foundation of Decision Making. Leeds, UK (2016). http://www.itvmedia.co.uk/news/family-planning?dm_t=0,0,0,0,0