Prof Rusi Jaspal

Rusi Jaspal is Professor of Psychology and Sexual Health, Deputy Head of Research for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, and Deputy Director of the Mary Seacole Research Centre at De Montfort University Leicester, UK. Rusi obtained his PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London where he was supervised by Dr. Marco Cinnirella, but he also obtained degrees from the University of Cambridge and the University of Surrey. Rusi’s research focuses on the inter-relations between social representation, identity and social action.  His research examines the evolution of social representations and their personalisation at the level of the individual; the socio-psychological processes underlying the construction and management of identities; and how groups and individuals respond to threatened identity (social action).  Much of his research draws on Identity Process Theory and seeks to develop the theory in a variety of empirical contexts, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Rusi’s current funded research focuses on the social, psychological and behavioral correlates of sexual risk-taking, and the social, psychological and behavioural aspects of living with HIV, particularly among men who have sex with men. This strand of work focuses on key issues, such as the factors underlying decision-making to have an HIV test, the factors underpinning HIV status disclosure, attitudes towards condoms and biomedical HIV prevention methods (e.g. PEP and PrEP), decision-making vis-à-vis the initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), and adherence to HAART.

Recent Publications:

Jaspal, R., Fish, J., Papaloukas, P., & Williamson, I. (2016). Black and minority ethnic men who have sex with men Project evaluation and systematic review. Public Health England.

Lopes, B., & Jaspal, R. (2015). Paranoia predicts out-group prejudice: preliminary experimental data. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 18(5), 380-395.

Nerlich, B., & Jaspal, R. (2014). Images of extreme weather: symbolising human responses to climate change. Science as Culture, 23(2), 253-276.

Jaspal, R. (2014). Representing the ‘Zionist Regime’: Mass Communication of Anti-Zionism in the English-Language Iranian Press. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 41(3), 287-305.

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