People
Profile
I joined Leicester Law School in 2025 as a Lecturer. Between August 2023 and July 2024, I was a Lecturer in Healthcare Law at the University of Manchester. Prior to this, I was a Teaching Assistant at the University of Leeds, where I completed my PhD.
Research
My research interests lie in the fields of Medical Law & Ethics, Mental Health Law, and Socio-Legal Study, particularly on the topic of informed consent. My PhD thesis focused on informed consent and decision-making within doctor-patient relationships for patients living with depression. Between July and August 2025, I received a grant from the Max Planck Society to take up a visiting researcher position at the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy in Munich, Germany. My current research project focuses on the management of student mental health in Higher Education.
Publications
- Keene AR and Xu X, 'Case Comment: Re D (A Child) [2019] UKSC 42' (2020) 28 Medical Law Review 595
Supervision
I welcome PhD proposals from prospective doctoral candidates in the areas of Mental Health Law, Medical Law & Ethics, and Socio-Legal Study.
Teaching
Undergraduate:
- LW1004 Law of Obligations 2 (Module Convenor)
- LW2410 Law of Tort
- LW2370 Equity and Trusts
Postgraduate:
- LW7293 Mental Health Law (Module Convenor)
Awards
- Applicant. July - August 2025. 'Small Research Grant for Visiting Scholars at the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy'. Funder: Max Planck Society. €5,000.
Conferences
- 'Managing Student Mental Health in Higher Education: A Comparative Study Between China and the UK' - Academic Talk, Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy, Munich, July 2025
- 'Managing Student Mental Health Crisis in Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study of Chinese Depression Screening Policy' - Third UK and Ireland Mental Diversity Law Conference, Nottingham, July 2023
- 'Depression Screening for Chinese Young Students: A Step Towards Destigmatisation or Not' - SLS Annual Conference, Durham, September 2021