Dr Mimi Huang

Assistant Professor

Department: Humanities

I am a Senior Lecturer at Northumbria University, where I have held multiple roles, including leading BA, MA and PhD programmes in the Humanities Department. Currently, I serve as the PGR Lead and Research Group Lead for English Language and Linguistics.

My research explores the relationship between communication and experience across different contexts and platforms. I focus on how language shapes and reflects our understanding and engagement with health, wellbeing, identity and personhood. My work draws on multidisciplinary approaches, including cognitive linguistics, narrative studies, discourse analysis, corpus linguistics and stylistics. I collaborate with public services, charities and community groups to improve communication and engagement in public health and safety initiatives.

I welcome researchers, practitioners and organisations interested in these areas to connect and discuss potential research projects and public engagement opportunities.

Highlights of recent public engagement and impact projects led by Mimi:

- 2024 Banner Project funded by the Institute of Humanities, Northumbria University:

Narratives of resilience – A collaborative venture for better mental wellness of volunteer emergency responders (Great Hall, Sutherland Buildling, Newcastle upon Tyne, 28th November, 2024)

- SafetyWorks! programme evaluation

Commissioned by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service to evaluate the educational initiatives at the SafetyWorks! Centre in Newcastle.

- Festival of Social Sciences 2024 event (funded by ESRC, scheduled for February, 2025)

Community safety unlocked – Exploring risk and wellbeing at SafetyWorks!

- Festival of Social Science 2023 event (funded by ESRC):

Beyond bedtime – The hidden joy and wellness in adults reading with children

Email Mimi

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Research interests:

The scope of my research spans cognitive linguistics, language and health, narrative studies, discourse analysis, CDA, stylistics and corpus linguistics. These strands converge under three overarching themes:

Language and health: I am interested in the diverse ways that language shapes our understanding and engagement with health-related matters, ranging from physical health to mental wellbeing, public health communication, health literacy and beyond.

Wellbeing, identity and personhood: This part of my research explores the connections between language and individual identity, examining how we communicate and make sense of our identity, wellbeing and relationships with others within the broader community.

Narratives and stories: My research also investigates the characteristics, functions and significance of narratives across various genres and contexts, including literary and creative works, narratives in workplace and organisational settings, as well as personal and shared stories within social groups and communities.

Public engagement and impact activities:

I work closely with public services, charities, healthcare organisations, community groups, and the broader public to enhance communication and engagement in healthcare, community safety and public health.

PhD supervision:

I am currently accepting PhD students.

With extensive experience as a principal supervisor at Northumbria, I have successfully guided research students to the completion of their PhD degrees, tailoring my approach to each student to help them achieve their full potential.

I welcome research proposals in cognitive linguistics, health communication, narrative studies, discourse analysis, stylistics, metaphor studies, corpus linguistics, and interdisciplinary projects. I am particularly interested in projects that employ mixed-methods and multidisciplinary approaches to explore the intersection of language with health, well-being, identity and personhood, as well as those that explore the cognitive and sociocultural dimensions of narratives and storytelling. If you are passionate about these areas, I would be delighted to discuss your research proposals.

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Weaving narrative threads with social psychological processes: narrative modulations in online consumer reviews of a medical memoir, Huang, M. 1 Nov 2024, In: Language and Literature
Narrative modulations in patient-practitioner communication: Exploring attunement and misattunement in supported self-management, Huang, M. 1 Jun 2024, In: Language and Health
The Language of Crisis: Metaphors, Frames and Discourses, Huang, M., Holmgreen, L. 16 Jul 2020
Introduction: Constructing and Communicating Crisis Discourse from Cognitive, Discursive and Sociocultural Perspectives, Huang, M. Jul 2020, The Language of Crisis, Amsterdam, John Benjamins
Narrative Modulation in the Storytelling of Breast Cancer Survivors’ Transitional Experiences, Huang, M. Jul 2020, The Language of Crisis, Amsterdam, John Benjamins
Socio-psychological salience and categorisation accuracy of speaker place of origin, McKenzie, R., Huang, M., Ong, T., Snodin, N. 1 Sep 2019, In: Lingua
An investigation of how supported self care is perceived and communicated by healthcare community members in the North East of England, Huang, M. 4 Apr 2017, British Sociology Annual Conference 2017
Communicating and Cooperating with Cancer Patients -- Where Cognitive Science Meets Narrative Medicine, Huang, M. 20 Jul 2015, ICLC 13 - 13th International Cognitive Linguistics Conference
A Critical Review of Narrative-Based Medicine — Its Recent Development and Prospective Outlook, Ye, Y., Huang, M. May 2015, In: Xunzheng Yixue
Exploring Meaning Construction in Narrative Discourse, Huang, M. 15 Feb 2012, 4th UK Cognitive Linguistics Conference

PGR Supervision

Yulin Diao Communicators on the Frontlines: A Mixed-methods Study on the Linguistic Dimensions of Vicarious Trauma in Public Service Interpreters. Start Date: 01/10/2024
Saeed Hoseini Multiple Voices in Lyric Poetry: A Discourse Stylistic Study of How a Non-Narrative Genre Creates Effect Through Narrative. Start Date: 01/10/2024