Dr Honor Doro Townshend is a criminologist, lecturer, media expert, and interdisciplinary researcher specialising in substance use, digital cultures, and darknet markets.
Her work integrates innovative approaches, including ‘netnography’ - the interpretation of online data from sources such as forums, social media, and blogs to gain insights into individuals and communities - to explore emerging trends in substance use, harm reduction and digital subcultures.
An advocate for interdisciplinary collaboration, Honor has lectured at multiple universities, where she has led on and developed modules on contemporary issues such as drugs and crime, serial murder, and youth subcultures.
Discussing her work, Dr Townshend said: “As we see an ever increasing shift to online interaction, it is becoming more important than ever to understand the holistic lived experiences of communities in digital spaces.
“My research explores how these often hard-to-reach or hidden groups communicate, interact and operate, how they're impacted by external and social factors, and how to help reduce harms.”
Honor specialises in transforming complex criminological findings into accessible formats for academic, public, and media audiences. Her ability to communicate research insights effectively has made her a recognised figure in public criminology.
Honor has hosted award-winning podcasts, contributed to documentaries for Amazon Prime, BBC News, Channel 4, and other major networks, and serves as a judge for the True Crime Awards.
Her media work, commended for challenging systemic failures and fostering societal change, highlights her commitment to bridging the gap between purpose-driven research and real-world impact.
Dr Townshend will be beginning her Visiting Fellowship with a research seminar for current Loughborough Business School PhD students focusing on the practice and methodology of netnography.