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Professor Lisa Baraitser

Positions held:
  • Professor of Psychosocial Theory, School of Social Sciences
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  • Overview

    Overview

    Biography

    Lisa Baraitser is an interdisciplinary research scholar in Psychosocial Studies. Her research brings psychoanalytic and social theory together to address the temporal, ethical and affective dimensions of care.

    She has written widely on feminist and psychoanalytic theory, motherhood and the ethics of care, social reproduction, and the temporalities of care. From 2018-2023 she was the co-PI of Waiting Times, a Wellcome Trust funded project on waiting in relation to healthcare.ÌýÌýHer current research project is a multi-disciplinary project on the future of fertility control, also funded by the Wellcome Trust.

    Key works include Maternal Encounters: The Ethics of Interruption (Routledge, 2009, joint-winner of the Feminist and Women's Studies Association Book Prize); Enduring Time (Bloomsbury, 2017), and the forthcoming co-authored book, Waiting Times: Crisis, Chronicity and Care (Bloomsbury, 2026).

    Lisa Baraitser holds degrees in Medical Science and Psychology (BSc., Hons), Counselling and Psychotherapy (MA); and Psychology (PhD), and is a psychoanalyst (M. Inst. Psychoanal).

    Prior to joining ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú in 2005 she worked in a range of mental health settings that seek to address the psychological ramifications of violence, abuse and poverty in the lives of women. During this time she was also the Artistic Director of an experimental theatre collective.

    Highlights

    • Principal Investigator, 2025-2030,  Wellcome Trust Discover Award (£3.85 million). 

    • 2018-2025 Co-Principal Investigator with Professor Laura Salisbury on Waiting Times, a Wellcome Trust collaborative award (£1.2 million), leading a team of 10 researchers to investigate the meanings of waiting in, and for, healthcare, in order to change academic and public understandings of what ‘timely’ care means. See

    • Recent publications:

      Baraitser L, Anucha K, Catty J et al. (Un)timely care: findings from the Waiting Times project [version 1; peer review: 1 approved with reservations]. Wellcome Open Res 2024, 9:490 

      Baraitser, L., (2023) International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 104(5): 912-926

      Baraitser, L., (2023) : Reflections on ‘Psychoanalysis for the People: Free Clinics and the Social Mission of Psychoanalysis’. Psychoanalysis and History 2022 24:3, 375-392.

      Baraitser, L., (2020) Psychoanalysis, Culture, Society, 25(4): 499-517.


    Professional memberships

    • Member: British Psychoanalytic Council

      Member: International Psychoanalytic Association

      Member: Institute of Psychoanalysis

      Member: Psychosocial Studies Network

      Fellow: Higher Education Academy

    Honours and awards

    • Feminist and Women's Studies Association Book Prize for Maternal Encounters: The Ethics of Interruption (Routledge, 2009) Feminist and Women's Studies Association, November 2009
    • Mid-Career Fellow Independent Social Research Foundation, November 2014
  • Research

    Research

    Research interests

    • Temporal, affective and ethical dimensions of care
    • Reproductive time
    • Motherhood, maternity, maternal subjectivities, identities and ethics
    • Psychoanalytic theory and practice
    • Critical Time Studies
    • Psychosocial Studies
    • Medical Humanities

    Research overview

    My research is situated at the interface between Psychosocial Studies, Medical Humanities and Psychoanalytic Studies. 

    My main research concerns the temporal, ethical and affective dimensions of care - from motherhood, through to healthcare - and the relation between care and forms of social violence. I have written widely on maternal subjectivity, temporality, care, violence and ethics from psychosocial perspectives.

    I am currently Principal Investigator of Contragestive Time: Pregnant Uncertainties in Fertility Control (Wellcome Trust Discovery Award, £3.85 million).

    From 2028-2025 I was co-Principal Investigator of , (Wellcome Trust collaborative award, £1.2 million) with Laura Salisbury at the University of Exeter, which investigated the meanings of waiting in, and for healthcare. 

    Other research develops psychosocial and psychoanalytic theory, conceptualising ways that psychic life is inflected with social forms of power, and the ways the social world is always already conditioned by internal identifications and psychic investments. 

    I am a trained psychoanalyst, (Member, British Psychoanalytical Society) and have research interests in psychoanalytic theory, especially its interface with feminist and queer theories of gender and sexuality. 

    Research Centres and Institutes

    Research clusters and groups

    • Co-Principal Investigator,

    Research projects

    Contragestive Time: Pregnant Uncertainties in Fertility Control.

    Abstract

    Contragestive Time expands our understanding of the timing of reproduction to prepare the ground for the next generation of fertility control. Contraception has not delivered its promise - women struggle to find acceptable, effective methods, and are turning away from hormonal contraception. Innovation is urgently needed and is likely to come in the form of pills taken weekly, monthly or just after a missed period. ‘Contragestives’ operate in the invisible time between a possible conception and the possibility of an early abortion, ensuring a state of ‘non-pregnancy’ without it being known whether pregnancy ever existed. Contragestives challenge clinical, ethical and legal distinctions between contraception and abortion which is both their promise, and their risk. Contragestive Time carefully and collaboratively opens the possibility of intervening in this time. Deliberately moving beyond entrenched disagreements about the timing of ‘life’ and the ethics of contraception and abortion, it unpicks the history and philosophical implications of terms that maintain these boundaries and the ‘clock time’ that measures reproduction. Creating new meanings of reproductive time, it tests legal frameworks, generates new clinical knowledge, and considers their impact on policy and rights. Contragestive Time prepares the philosophical, social, legal, medical and political grounds for a contragestive future.

    Post doctoral staff

    • Holly Isard
    • Clare Murphy
  • Supervision and teaching

    Supervision and teaching

    Supervision

    Supervisions within ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú:
    7

    I supervise PhD students working on time, care, motherhood, psychoanalytic theory and epistemological and methodological issues in Psychosocial Studies.

    Current doctoral researchers

    • LINDA MILLER
      Nature of supervision:
      PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR,
    • DAFNI KALOGEROPOULOU
      Nature of supervision:
      JOINT PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR,

    Doctoral alumni since 2013-14

    • AMANDA AUSTEN
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor,
      Title of thesis:
      Psychiatrists¿ experiences of Systemic Family Therapy: NA Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
      Awarded:
      2016
    • STEPHANIE DAVIES
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor,
      Title of thesis:
      An investigation of ‘watchful waiting’ as used by general practitioners as a practice of care
      Awarded:
      2023
    • JONAS GREEN
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor,
      Title of thesis:
      The Phallus and its Discontents
      Awarded:
      2020
    • ALAN BRISTOW
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor,
      Title of thesis:
      Psychosis, Writing and the Social Bond: Psychopathography as Social Critique
      Awarded:
      2020
    • RONI BOR
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor,
      Title of thesis:
      Contact supervision with looked after children: a psychosocial exploration into role construction, negotiation and wider implications
      Awarded:
      2020

    Teaching

    I teach on the BA Psychosocial Studies, MA Psychoanalytic Studies and MA Psychosocial Studies. Modules include Love, Psychoanalytic and Social Theory, Creative Archives, and Psychoanalysis and Culture. I supervise Masters students across the department's portfolio, PhD students in Psychosocial Studies, Gender Studies, and Medical Humanities, and mentor post-doctoral researchers on the Waiting Times project. 

  • Publications

    Publications

    Article

    • Salisbury, Laura and Baraitser, Lisa and Catty, J. and Anucha, K. and Davies, Stephanie and Flexer, M. and Osserman, Jordan and Moore, Martin (2023) . The Lancet 401 (10375), pp. 428-429. ISSN 0140-6736.
    • Bar-Haim, S. and Baraitser, Lisa and Moore, M.D. (2023) . Wellcome Open Research 8, pp. 73. ISSN 2398-502X.
    • Bastian, M. and Flatø, E.H. and Baraitser, Lisa and Jordheim, H. and Salisbury, L. and van Dooren, T. (2023) . The Geographical journal ISSN 1475-4959.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2023) . The International Journal of Psychoanalysis 104 (5), pp. 912-926. ISSN 0020-7578.
    • Bastian, M. and Flatø, E. and Baraitser, Lisa and Jordheim, H. and Salisbury, L. and van Dooren, T. (2022) . Geo: Geography and Environment 9 (2), pp. e00114. ISSN 2054-4049.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2022) . Psychoanalysis and History 24 (3), pp. 375-392. ISSN 1460-8235.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Kemmer, L. and Kühn, A. and Weber, V. (2021) . ephemera: theory & politics in organization 21 (1), ISSN 1473-2866.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Salisbury, Laura (2020) . Wellcome Open Research ISSN 2398-502X.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Riley, D. (2020) . Feminist Theory 21 (3), pp. 339-349. ISSN 1741-2773.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2020) . Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society 25 (4), pp. 499-517. ISSN 1088-0763.
    • Flexer, M.J. and Baraitser, Lisa (2020) . Renewal: A Journal of Social Democracy 28 (4), pp. 22-30. ISSN 0968-5211.
    • Gentile, K. and Baraitser, Lisa (2018) . Studies in Gender and Sexuality 19 (2), pp. 87-88. ISSN 1524-0657.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2017) . Performance Research 22 (5), pp. 7-17. ISSN 1352-8165.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2016) . Australian Feminist Studies 31 (90), pp. 393-409. ISSN 0816-4649.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2015) . Theory, Culture & Society 32 (5-6), pp. 207-231. ISSN 0263-2764.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2015) . Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society 20 (S2), pp. 151-159. ISSN 1088-0763.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2014) . Studies in Gender and Sexuality 15 (3), pp. 228-234. ISSN 1524-0657.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2014) . Studies in the Maternal 6 (1), pp. 1-7. ISSN 1759-0434.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2013) . New Formations 79, pp. 8-25. ISSN 0950-2378.
    • Tyler, I. and Baraitser, Lisa (2013) . Studies in the Maternal 5 (2), ISSN 1759-0434.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2013) . Families, Relationships and Societies 2 (1), pp. 147-153. ISSN 2046-7435.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2013) . Tijdschrift voor Genderstudies 15 (4),
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2012) . European Journal of Women's Studies 19 (3), pp. 380-385. ISSN 1350-5068.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2012) . Studies in Gender and Sexuality 13 (2), pp. 117-122. ISSN 1524-0657.
    • Frost, N. and Eatough, Virginia and Shaw, R.L. and Weille, K.L. and Tzemou, E. and Baraitser, Lisa (2012) . Qualitative Research in Psychology 9 (3), pp. 231-248. ISSN 1478-0887.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2012) . Studies in Gender and Sexuality 13 (1), pp. 15-23. ISSN 1524-0657.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2010) . Subjectivity 3, pp. 125-130. ISSN 1755-6341.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Tyler, I. (2010) . Soundings: A Journal of Politics and Culture (44), ISSN 1362-6620.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Pollock, G. and Spigel, S. (2010) . Studies in the Maternal 2 (1), ISSN 1759-0434.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2009) . Psychodynamic Practice 15 (2), pp. 191-194. ISSN 1475-3634.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Spigel, S. (2009) . Studies in the Maternal 1 (1), ISSN 1759-0434.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2009) . Feminist Review 93, pp. 138-139. ISSN 0141-7789.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2009) . Feminist Review 93 (1), pp. 8-26. ISSN 0141-7789.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2008) . Studies in Gender and Sexuality 9 (1), pp. 86-110. ISSN 1524-0657.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2008) . Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society 13 (4), pp. 423-427. ISSN 1088-0763.
    • Bayly, S. and Baraitser, Lisa (2008) . Subjectivity 24 (1), pp. 340-355. ISSN 1755-6341.
    • Frosh, Stephen and Baraitser, Lisa (2008) . Qualitative Research in Psychology 5 (1), pp. 68-77. ISSN 1478-0887.
    • Frosh, Stephen and Baraitser, Lisa (2008) . Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society 13 (4), pp. 346-365. ISSN 1088-0763.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Noack, Amelie (2007) . British Journal of Psychotherapy 23 (2), pp. 171-188. ISSN 1752-0118.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2006) . Studies in Gender and Sexuality 7 (3), pp. 217-238. ISSN 1524-0657.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2006) . Studies in Gender and Sexuality 7 (3), pp. 249-257. ISSN 1524-0657.
    • Noack, Amelie and Baraitser, Lisa (2004) . British Journal of Psychotherapy 20 (3), pp. 345-359. ISSN 1752-0118.
    • Frosh, Stephen and Baraitser, Lisa (2003) . Psychoanalytic Review 90, pp. 771-789. ISSN 0033-2836.

    Book

    • Baraitser, Lisa (2017) . London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781350008137.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and O'Rourke, M. (2014) . New York, USA: Punctum Books.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2008) . Women and Psychology. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9780415455015.

    Book review

    • Baraitser, Lisa (2022) .
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2022) .
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2018) .
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2014) .
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2012) .
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2009) .
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2008) .

    Book section

    • Baraitser, Lisa and Salisbury, L. (2024) . In: Pellicer-Ortín, S. and Kuznetski, J. and Battisti, C. (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Literatures and Crisis. Routledge Literature Companions. London, UK and New York, U.S.: Routledge. pp. 62-71. ISBN 9781032424644.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Brook, W. (2021) . In: Browne, V. and Danely, J. and Managhan, T. and Rosenow, D. (eds.) Vulnerability and the Politics of Care. Proceedings of the British Academy. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780197266830.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2021) . In: Klingan, K. and Schindler, J. and Houde, N. (eds.) Echo. Das Neue Alphabet. Leipzig, Germany: Spector Books. ISBN 9783959054560.
    • Anucha, K. and Baraitser, Lisa and Davies, S. and Flexer, M.J. and Robinson, D. (2021) . In: Clift, B.C. and Gore, J. and Gustafsson, S. and Bekker, S. and Batlle, I.C. and Hatchard, J. (eds.) Temporality in Qualitative Inquiry: Theories, Methods and Practices. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 39-56. ISBN 9780367538491.
    • Salisbury, Laura and Baraitser, Lisa (2020) . In: Kirtsoglou, E. and Simpson, B. (eds.) The Time of Anthropology: Studies of contemporary chronopolitics. London, UK: Routledge. pp. 103-122. ISBN 9781003087199.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2020) . In: Cook, D.T. (ed.) The SAGE Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood Studies. Sage. ISBN 9781473942929.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2019) . In: Stavrakakis, Y. (ed.) Routledge Handbook of Psychoanalytic Political Theory. Routledge. pp. 107-121. ISBN 9781138696310.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Thomson, R. (2018) . In: Rosen, R. and Twamley, K. (eds.) Feminism and the Politics of Childhood - Friends or Foes?. UCL Press. pp. 66-82. ISBN 9781787350632.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2015) . In: Frosh, Stephen (ed.) Psychosocial Imaginaries: Perspectives on Temporality, Subjectivities and Activism. Studies In The Psychosocial. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 21-47. ISBN 9781137388179.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2014) . In: Baraitser, Lisa and O'Rourke, M. (eds.) A Feeling for Things. New York, USA: Punctum Books.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2014) . In: Blaagaard, B. (ed.) The Subject of Rosi Braidotti: Politics and Concepts. London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781472573353.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2014) . In: Bueskens, P. (ed.) Mothering and Psychoanalysis: Clinical, Sociological and Feminist Perspectives. Basingstoke, UK: Demeter Press. ISBN 9781927335260.
    • Tyler, I. and Baraitser, Lisa (2013) . In: Bowers, P. and Knowles, H. (eds.) Private View: Public Birth. London, UK: JKL Books.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2012) . In: Gulerce, A. (ed.) Re(con)figuring Psychoanalysis: Critical Juxtapositions of the Philosophical, the Sociohistorical and the Political. Social Sciences Collection 2012. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 221-240. ISBN 9780230293755.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Spigel, S. (2011) . In: O'Reilly, A. (ed.) The 21st Century Motherhood Movement. Ontario, Canada: Demeter Press. ISBN 9780986667114.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2010) . In: O'Reilly, A. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Motherhood. Sage.
    • Frosh, Stephen and Baraitser, Lisa (2009) . In: Elliott, A. and du Gay, P. (eds.) Identity in Question. London, UK: Sage. pp. 158-169. ISBN 9781412922432.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Bayly, S. (2001) . In: Campbell, P. and Kear, A. (eds.) Psychoanalysis and Performance. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9780415212052.

    Editorial

    • Baraitser, Lisa (2022) . Time and Society 31 (1), pp. 17-21. Sage. ISSN 0961-463X.
    • Bastian, M. and Baraitser, Lisa and Flexer, M.J. and Hom, A.R. and Salisbury, L. (2020) . Time & Society 29 (2), pp. 289-296. SAGE Publications. ISSN 1461-7463.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Salisbury, L. (2020) . Wellcome Open Research 5, pp. 128. Wellcome Trust. ISSN 2398-502X.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2019) . Studies in Gender and Sexuality 20 (4), pp. 209-213. Taylor and Francis. ISSN 1524-0657.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Hartman, S. (2016) . Studies in Gender and Sexuality 17 (3), pp. 139-140. Taylor and Francis. ISSN 1524-0657.

    Exhibition

    • Corr, R. and Robinson, D. and Baraitser, Lisa (2022) .

    Letter

    • Baraitser, Lisa and Catty, J. and Salisbury, L. and Anucha, K. and Davies, S. and Flexer, M. J. and Moore, M.D. and Osserman, J. (2021) . BMJ 372, pp. n429. BMJ Publishing Group. ISSN 1759-2151.

    Other

    • Baraitser, Lisa and Salisbury, Laura (2022) . ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú, University of London.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Salisbury, L. (2020) . Wellcome Open Research.
    • Bastian, M. and Baraitser, Lisa and Flexer, M.J. and Hom, A.R. and Salisbury, Laura (2020) . Sage.
    • Baraitser, Lisa and Gentile, K. (2018) . Taylor & Francis.
    • Baraitser, Lisa (2018) . London, UK: ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú, University of London.
    • Hartman, S. and Baraitser, Lisa (2016) . Taylor & Francis.
  • Business and community

    Business and community

    Outreach

    The Waiting Times project has an extensive public engagement programme including engagement through storytelling about waiting in and for healthcare with a range of hospices, GP surgeries, housing co-operatives, and NHS Trusts. See for further details. 

    Artist events linked to Waiting Times include:

    2022, February-April. A 14-minute film about time and care by Ruairi Corr and Deborah Robinson. Peltz Gallery, London. 

    2021 Martin O’Brien, , a performance and installation at the ICA, London, July 2021.

    Selected media includes: 

    2020 Lisa Baraitser speaks about suspended time at : About Feminist Economics, with artists Ruth Beale and Amy Feneck.

    2020 Lisa Baraitser speaks to Stewart Motha about Enduring Time on the .ÌýÌý

    2020 Lisa Baraitser speaks to Jordan Osserman about Enduring Time on the .ÌýÌý

    2019 BBC Radio 3, Free Thinking, 17th December 2019. With Rana Mitter, Lisa Baraitser, Rupert Read,  Nafeez Ahmed, and Tessa Khan.

    2019 BBC Radio 3, Free Thinking, January 2019. , with Josh Cohen, Shahidha Bari, Madeline Bunting, Sam Goodman and Rachel Long. 

    2018 . Institute of Cultural Inquiry, Berlin

    2018 Enduring and Broken Time: A conversation with Judith Butler. 

    I am regularly invited to speak at a range of public and academic fora including arts organizations and events, psychotherapy and psychoanalytic institutions, NHS Trusts, and academic conferences.

    Recent talks include:

    2022 Keynote: On Being with Others Now. British Psychoanalytic Council conference, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy NOW, London, October 2022.

    2022 With artist Koki Tanaka, Where is the Planetary? Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKV), Berlin, 14-17th October, 2022.

    2021 Keynote ‘Enduring Time in Pandemic Times: Care, Violence and the Possibility of Containment’. The Unconscious and Everyday Life: Repair and Reparation: Clinical, Social, and Cultural Contexts, University of Essex.

    2021 Keynote ‘Collaboration as Psychosocial Method: Notes from the Waiting Times project.’ Researching the Unconscious: The Essex Summer School in Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Research Methods. Freud Museum, London.

    2022 Misogyny and its Roots. Intolerance to the Feminine, International Psychoanalytic Association, COWAP-Europe Conference, Rome, 22nd-23rd October 2022.

    2022 Waiting Times. Camden and Islington Personality Disorder Unit. C&I NHS Foundation Trust. September, 2022.

    2022 Parapraxis Conversations: On The Maternal. With Joy James and Sarah Knott. July 2022.

    2021 Care, Waiting and Utopia. & Utopia public lecture series, University of Copenhagen, Department of Arts and Cultural Studies, and California Institute of the Arts, MA Aesthetics and Politics Programme.