Mair Underwood

Mair Underwood is an anthropologist in the School of Social Science who specialises in bodies. In particular she explores how body modifications (such as tattoo or bodybuilding) are used to create, reflect and disrupt social boundaries such as those of gender and class. She is especially interested in the social lives of image and performance enhancing drugs: how they acquire meaning through social interactions and how they alter social interactions. She also has an interest in assessment practice and has conducted research into assessment techniques that promote student engagement and academic integrity and compiled them into a searchable database called the UQ Assessment Ideas Factory. Mair is passionate about community engagement and engages with the community through her YouTube profile and podcasts such as this one with VPA Australia. Mair Underwood coordinates two courses: SOSC2190 Human Bodies, Culture and Society; SOCY1060 Gender, Sexuality and Society: An Introduction Anthropology, Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Gender studies, Health Sciences, Human Society, Sociology; bodybuilding, tattoo, body, body modification, online ethnography

[2026] Experiences of healthcare support and access among women who use performance and image‐enhancing drugs. Schuurs, Hannah C., Walter, Zoe, Hides, Leanne and Underwood, Mair (2026). Drug and Alcohol Review, 45 (6) e70227, 1-13. doi: 10.1111/dar.70227 [2026] Reframing ‘vulnerability’ to digital harms: adolescent boys and young men navigating responsible digital citizenship. Irving, Rohann, Zhao, Yang, Stahl, Garth, Opozda, Melissa, Holohan, Lisa, Smith, James A., Edwards, Elizabeth, Drummond, Murray, Underwood, Mair and Scholes, Laura (2026). International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 31 (1) 2700267, 1. doi: 10.1080/02673843.2026.2700267 [2026] Enhancing the body, negotiating identity: A phenomenological study of athletic, feminine, and moral identity among women who use performanc