Professor | The University of Kyushu University | Japan
Prof. Dr. Melanie Sarantou is a leading researcher in social design, arts-based research, service design, and participatory and decolonising methodologies. Her scholarly work explores empathy as a driver of social innovation, narrative and story-making methods, and design approaches that address complexity within cultural, Indigenous, and marginalised contexts. She contributes to interdisciplinary design research by integrating artistic inquiry with policy, healthcare, education, and sustainability frameworks. Her publications 49 academic documents, approximately 150 citations, and an h-index of 5. demonstrate strong theoretical grounding combined with methodological innovation, particularly in empathic service design, transformation design, and socially engaged arts. Through edited volumes, special journal issues, and peer-reviewed chapters and articles, her research advances global discourse on design for societal transformation and inclusive futures.