Sydney Calkin

I am a Reader (Associate Professor) in the School of Society and the Environment at Queen Mary University of London. My work addresses questions at the intersection of gender, political geography and reproductive technology. 

From 2016-2024, my work focused on medication abortion pills and their cross-border journeys. I focused especially on the countries where abortion is illegal, and explored how medication abortion pills changed the possibilities for obtaining safe abortion outside of the law. 

From 2024-2029, I am leading a research team on a new project that expands this work beyond abortion pills, to include HIV PrEP and gender-affirming hormones. We explore how people self-manage their health using pharmaceuticals they buy online, especially when the treatments they want are stigmatized or illegal locally. 

From 2026-2028, I will undertake a new piece of work on the geography of CRISPR gene-editing technology in reproductive settings. I am interested in how this technology-in-the-making will result in the emergence of cross-border reproductive economies and reproductive travel.  

On this site, you can learn more about my research projects, publications, and media work.