About
Research
Email: 181331@live.stmarys.ac.uk
Biography
Nahiyan is a PhD Student in Media & Communications here at St Mary’s. His project focuses on the landscape of masculinity, particularly the online fitness space. The research critically examines the evolving performances of masculinity and male embodiment within contemporary fitness culture, a domain increasingly influential in shaping societal perceptions of gender. Through a psychoanalytical lens, he aims to understand how men constructing their identities online has become vital for navigating the anxieties and complexities of contemporary gender politics. In recent years, the online fitness space has emerged as a dominant arena for men to play with, negotiate and experiment with their identities. By adopting a multimodal angle which combines free association narrative interviewing (FANI) with the media go-along technique, his study delves into the lived experiences of male bodybuilders, exploring the diverse narratives surrounding corporeal labour, stoicism, and male bonding. This approach allows for a nuanced understanding of how these men navigate the tensions between traditional hegemonic masculinity and emerging ‘softer’ identities that embrace vulnerability and emotional intimacy.
Outside of his PhD, Nahiyan teaches across various programmes including BA Communications, Media and Marketing as well as BA Sociology. He has taught different modules relating to digital marketing, data surveillance, algorithms, datafication as well as masculinity.
In January 2025, Nahiyan was hired as a Qualitative Researcher for Bath Social and Development Research as part of a project funded by TASO (Transforming Access and Student Outcomes) that aims to evaluate student mental health and wellbeing interventions – what is referred to as The Boundary Spanner Project. His role involved an evaluation of the interventive programmes held here at St Mary’s using a Qualitative Impact Protocol (QuIP) which is an eclectic approach that draws on aspects of Process Tracing, Contribution Analysis, Most Significant Change and Realist Evaluation. This involves engaging with St Mary’s students who attend these interventions. Nahiyan’s work with Bath SDR ultimately aimed to deliver robust evidence on the impact of wellbeing interventions for undergraduate students in higher education.
Just three months into his PhD programme, Nahiyan was hired as a Research Associate at St Mary’s University for a wider project on mental health communities and internet censorship. He worked with esteemed colleagues including Dr. Jacob Johanssen, Dr. Daniela Nadj & Susanne Benzel from the Sigmund-Freud-Institut. Together, they investigated the rise of mental health communities, questioning how social media platforms can best manage mental health communities without endangering their members and external users amidst the legislation of the new online safety bill in the UK. The conclusion of this post led to the publication of Nahiyan’s first co-authored article in the International Journal of Cultural Studies.
Alongside his PhD, Nahiyan has presented his research, namely at the PhD Symposium 2023 & the FoBL Festival of Research 2024 – both of which were hosted by St Mary’s University. He has also expanded his research impact on an international level by presenting his project at the Contested Visibilities conference in Lisbon, Portugal at Universidade Lusófona. He recently presented his research at Edinburgh Napier University as part of the annual MeCCSA 2025 Conference. Nahiyan is also an Associate Scholar for the British Psychoanalytic Council.
Outside of academic work, Nahiyan is currently working at Anna Freud in the department of Postgraduate Studies (PGS). He works closely with UCL, supporting both the workforce development courses in connection with the NHS as well as the Masters programmes held at Anna Freud. Away from work, Nahiyan enjoys training at the gym as well as competing in tennis and football.
Research
Research profile
Qualifications & accreditations
- 2021 – BA (Hons.) Film & Screen Media, First Class St Mary’s University
- 2022 – MA Film Studies, Distinction Kingston University
- 2026 – PhD in Media & Communications St Mary’s University
Nahiyan’s expertise is in the following areas:
- Gender & Sexuality
- Bodies
- Digital Culture
- Data Surveillance
- Datafication & Algorithms
- Internet Culture
- Online Censorship
- Psychosocial / Psychoanalysis
- Online Health & Fitness
Publications
- Benzel, S./Johanssen, J./Nadj, D. and Rashid, N. (2024). ‘What eating disorders are really like’ - Dynamics of lived experience and repetitive aesthetics on TikTok. International Journal of Cultural Studies.