Dr Esperanza Miyake

Chancellor'S Fellow And Senior Lecturer

Journalism, Media and Communication

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Personal statement

I specialise in the interdisciplinary and critical analysis of gender, race and A.I./digital technologies. My current research examines this intersection from the perspective of AI governance, digital justice and equality - I am particularly concerned with algorithmically-driven technopractices that oppress, marginalise and further disadvantage minority groups.

Current projects include: Leverhulme (Co-PI), Remembering the Covid-19 Vaccine: exploring individual and collective memories; and EPSRC IAA (Co-I) Accelerate AI adoption in NHS24 to support financially sustainable patient pathways. Past funded projects (PI & Co-I) have been in the areas of data governance, digital disconnection and digital health (British Academy/Leverhulme, SUII, Sasakawa Foundation, EPSRC Network+).

I have published five books (2008, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2025) and numerous other publications in the area of digital and cultural studies. My most recent monograph, Virtual Influencers: Identity and Digitality in the Age of Multiple Realities (2025, Routledge) examines virtual and AI influencers in the context of digital culture, society and economy. My co-edited collection, Un/locking Public Sector Data: contesting social, economic and environmental values (SUP) is due for publication soon. I have also written research-led pieces for international media outlets (The New York Times, Newsweek Japan and The Conversation) and have been interviewed for BBC 10 o'clock News, BBC News, BBC Radio Scotland and Radio 4 (Thinking Allowed). 

I collaborate and regularly work with external partners from private, public and third sectors. I am currently a member of Ofcom’s Research, Evidence and Evaluation Group, and have also been part of the Independent Expert Group for the Scottish Government's Unlocking the Value of Scotland's Public Sector Personal Data Programme (2022-23). I am also part of the Scottish Parliament's Scottish Long Covid Cross-Party Group (2021-present)

I am Senior Editor for Cogent Arts & Humanities (Taylor & Francis), leading the Culture, Media & Film section. Within my institution, I am Co-Director of the Socially Progressive AI Lab (SPAI-Lab) and Chair of the Humanities EDI committee. I am also Faculty representative for the University's Racial Equity and Anti-Racism Steering Group. Previously, I was Director of Postgraduate Research for the Humanities (2021-23), and sat on the School Ethics Committee (2020-22).

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Research Interests

  • Responsible A.I.
  • Data & A.I. governance, digital justice 
  • Surveillance and algorithmic bias
  • Gender/Race and digital technologies
  • Digital health 
  • Social Media, Apps, Platform culture 
  • Media, Consumer and Popular culture (e.g. films, anime/manga, music)

Projects

EPSRC IAA: Accelerate AI adoption in NHS24 to support financially sustainable patient pathways
Clark, Ruaridh (Principal Investigator) Orr, Dawn (Co-investigator) Maguire, Roma (Co-investigator) van der Meer, Robert (Co-investigator) Miyake, Esperanza (Co-investigator)
The aim of the project is to accelerate AI adoption within NHS24 to support sustainable patient pathways in unscheduled care. The project focuses on how predictive AI can support effective and sustainable system design in triage services, with an emphasis on co-design and stakeholder-engagement frameworks to enable adoption.
01-Jan-2026 - 31-Jan-2027
Socially Progressive AI Lab
Noto La Diega, Guido (Principal Investigator) Miyake, Esperanza (Principal Investigator) Harkens, Adam (Co-investigator) Moncur, Wendy (Co-investigator) Weaver, Beth (Co-investigator) Nikou, Stavros (Co-investigator) Jones, Benedict (Co-investigator) Cunningham, Scott (Co-investigator) Dorfler, Viktor (Co-investigator) Liu, Xi (Co-investigator)
The Socially Progressive AI Lab (SPAI-Lab) is the University of Strathclyde's hub for impactful research, collaborative bids, engagement and networking—shaping policy, technical design and regulation in Scotland, the UK and internationally. Scotland's AI Strategy 2026-2013 spotlights the Lab as a key example of "world-leading AI research".

Based in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, SPAI-Lab involves colleagues from all the faculties (Engineering, Science, Strathclyde Business School), bridging humanities‑led approaches and tech‑centred methods. The Lab's research and activities are guided by a commitment to socially progressive deployment of AI that advances equity, upholds human rights and serves the public good.

The SPAI-Lab brings together over 90 experts from across the University and is co-led by Dr Esperanza Miyake and Professor Guido Noto La Diega and is supported by a cross-Faculty, cross-departmental steering committee: Professor Wendy Moncur, Professor Beth Weaver,
Dr Stavros Nikou, Professor Ben Jones, Dr Xi Liu, Dr Adam Harkens, Professor Scott Cunningham, Professor Viktor Dorfler.
26-Jan-2026
INTERNALLY FUNDED: Strathclyde Centre for Doctoral Training in Human Rights-based Decision-Making (£132,000)
Harkens, Adam (Co-investigator) Miyake, Esperanza (Co-investigator) Nicol, Emma (Co-investigator) Ntona, Maria (Co-investigator) Schippers, Birgit (Co-investigator) Webster, Elaine (Co-investigator)
Internally funded
£132,000
01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2027
SUII - Valuing public sector data in Scotland and Europe: data governance for economic, environmental and social development.
Miyake, Esperanza (Principal Investigator) Daly, Angela (Principal Investigator) Annie, Sorbie (Co-investigator) Switzer, Stephanie (Co-investigator) Tetley-Brown, Lucille (Co-investigator) Nic Daeid, Niamh (Co-investigator) Anna, Berti Suman (Co-investigator) Valero     , Julián (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2023

More projects

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Contact

Dr Esperanza Miyake
Chancellor'S Fellow And Senior Lecturer
Journalism, Media and Communication

Email: esperanza.miyake@strath.ac.uk
Tel: Unlisted