Dawn Edge

Early life and education Edge studied healthcare and welfare at the University of Salford, where she graduated with first-class honours in 1993. She eventually trained in social sciences, completing a master's degree in social sciences also at the University of Salford.

Edge eventually joined the University of Manchester as a graduate student, where she was supported by the NHS North West partnership. Edge earned her doctorate in medical sociology in 2003. Her doctoral research investigated maternal mental health and how Black mothers accessed mental health services before and after giving birth. She has shown that they are more likely to be sectioned by the Mental Health Act, which can result in the breakdown of close relationships, and make effective family interventions unlikely. Supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Edge has looked to develop culturally-sensitive family interventions.

Edge spent 2014 as a visiting scholar in Canada and the United States of America, where she studied how the countries supported the mental health of African Caribbean populations. Her research has been funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Academic service Edge is an academic lead for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) at the University of Manchester. As part of this work, she is involved with the submission to the Race Equality Charter.

Selected publications