Dr Sasha Loyal

Sasha is a Lecturer in Health and Wellbeing in Society. She has a background in psychology and sociology and completed her PhD in reproductive timing within British South Asian Communities at the the Centre for Reproduction Research (CRR), De Montfort University. Sasha has a keen interest in health and wellbeing, reproduction, gender and family formation within ethnic minority groups. 

Sasha has worked as a Research Fellow at the CRR and has been involved in a number of research projects focusing on egg donation, surrogacy and infertility.    She is currently involved in ESRC-funded project “Egg-donation in the UK, Belgium and Spain: An interdisciplinary study (EDNA)" and works with key stakeholders to develop impact work. She is also a researcher on the NIHR funded project ‘Pre-Amp project’ which is focused on improving patient experiences pre- amputation. 

Centre for Reproduction Research

Loyal, S., & Hanna, E. (2024). The psychological preparation of patients for amputation surgery: A narrative review of the literature. SAGE Open, 14(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241295940

Loyal, S., Hudson, S., Culley, L., & Weis, C. (2023). The experience of counselling for UK egg providers. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 23, 702-708. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12613

Song, J.H.H., Loyal, S., and Lond, B. (2020) Metacognitive Awareness Scale, Domain Specific (MCAS- DS): Assessing Metacognitive Awareness during Raven's Progressive Matrices. Frontiers in Psychology. https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/handle/2086/20509

Loyal, S. Will we really see a coronavirus 'baby boom'? Blog post on Centre for Reproduction Research Blog. June 2020. https://centreforreproductionresearch962893217.wordpress.com

• Qualitative research
• Health and well-being
• Reproductive decision-making and the use of reproductive technologies within minority ethnic groups 
• Social and psychological aspects of infertility 

• Social research methods 
• Ageing, gender, ethnicity and health 
• Reproduction 

• BSc (Hons) Psychology, De Montfort University
• MSc Health Psychology, De Montfort University
• PhD Sociology and Psychology, De Montfort University 

• Poster 4th prize winner, DMU's Annual Poster Competition for Research Degree Students, 2017
• High Flyers PhD Scholarship, 2016-2019

• Member – British Sociological Association
• Member – Society of Reproductive and Infant Psychology

• Loyal, S. “You could have it all and they’ll still want a baby”: British South Asian women’s perceptions on the timing of motherhood. Invited talk delivered to the Centre for Population Change, Universiy of Southampton. July 2024. 

• Loyal, S. Social egg freezing and reproductive timing within British South Asian communities: perceptions of hope, risk and dilemmas. BSA Human Reproduction Study Group Annual Conference. De Montfort University. May 2022.

• Loyal, S., Culley, L., Hudson, N., & Weis, C. "It's kind of a rubber-stamping exercise": a qualitative study of counselling for egg providers in UK clinics. ISCHP 12th Biennial Conference (Online). August 2021. 

• Loyal, S. "Is there ever a right time? A qualitative study on the perceptions of reproductive timing in British South Asian communities. ISCHP 12th Biennial Conference (Online). August 2021. 

• Loyal, S. The baby 'bust': the impact of COVID-19 on reproductive planning and experiences. Research and the COVID-19 Crisis. World Health Day Lecture Series. De Montfort University, UK. April 2021. 

• Loyal, S. "I think as a woman you are just expected to have children". Reproductive timing, decision-making and intersectionality'. Psychology Postgraduate Conference. De Montfort University, UK. April 2019.

• Loyal, S. Exploring perceptions of women's roles and reproductive timing in British South Asian communities. Doctoral College Lecture Series: SDG5 - Gender Equality. De Montfort University, UK. March 2019. 

• Loyal, S. Exploring perceptions of reproductive timing in British South Asian groups: PhD in Progress. Centre of Reproduction Research Seminar. De Montfort University, UK. October 2018. 

• Loyal S. Reproductive timing in British South Asian communities: Evidence from focus groups. Presentation. Psychology of Women & Equalities Section Annual Conference. Windsor, UK. July 2018.

• Loyal, S. Using intersectionality to explore reproductive timing in British South Asian communities. Presentation. Postgraduate Medical Humanities Conference. University of Exeter, UK. June 2018.

• Loyal, S. Exploring perceptions of reproductive timing within British South Asian communities using Intersectionality. Presentation. Intersectionality Symposium. De Montfort University, Leicester, UK. June 2017.

• 'Loyal, S. When is the right time to have children?' Poster presentation. Society of Reproductive and Infant Psychology Annual Conference, York. 12-13 September 2017. 

• Loyal, S. ‘When is the best time to have children? Exploring perceptions of readiness in British South Asian communities.’ Poster presentation. Research Degree Students’ Poster Competition. De Montfort University, Leicester. April 2017. 4^th prize for best poster.

• EDNA - Egg donation in the UK, Spain and Belgium: an interdisciplinary study. Building Impact (£3861). Higher Education Investment Fund (HEIF), De Montfort University. Hudson, N (PI), Culley, L., Herbrand, C., Weis, C., Loyal, S., Fearon, K., Turner, J. Feb-June 2020.
• Funding generation and co-organisation of BSA Public Sociology event (£1000). De Montfort University, Leicester. March 2017. (Co-applicant).