Research leadership and public service
I lead interdisciplinary research centres, advise public bodies and work with practitioners, policymakers and communities to strengthen the use of evidence in policy and practice.
Current roles
- 2025–
Director, P-ACE LAB
UKRI–NPCC Policing Academic Centre of Excellence
- 2016–
Director, Centre for Crime, Justice and Policing
University of Birmingham
- 2024–
Member, Research Diversity Advisory Panel
REF 2029
- 2022–
Member, Police Science Council
Independent UK scientific advisory committee
Evidence in practice
My research has informed policing practice, intervention design, organisational learning and public debate.
- 01
Evidence-based policing
My research on missing persons, investigative decision-making and diversion supports police forces and criminal-justice partners in strengthening evidence-based practice.
- 02
Violence against women and girls
With health and social-science colleagues, I study the long-term consequences of domestic abuse and evaluate how support for survivors can be improved.
- 03
Public engagement
I contribute regularly to public engagement, including through the ESRC Festival of Social Science. On 27 October 2026, 18:00–19:30 (UK time), I will chair the online panel ‘Cost of Living and the Criminalisation of Poverty’, exploring financial hardship and the criminal justice system with researchers and practitioners. Previous events have addressed climate change and crime, fake news, data and community policing.
- 04
Knowledge exchange
I share research directly with policymakers and practitioners through parliamentary briefings on safer streets and workshops on diversion and effective commissioning.
Current funded projects
- 01
P-ACE LAB
I direct this multi-university Policing Academic Centre of Excellence, bringing researchers, police and communities together to strengthen evidence, technology and research capability.
- 02
Behavioural decision-making in police-initiated domestic-abuse referral pathways
As co-investigator and mentor, I support research on optimal engagement timing, neurodivergent survivors and policing practice.
- 03
Are out-of-court resolutions effective in lowering crime?
I am evaluating whether out-of-court resolutions reduce crime and improve diversion and justice outcomes.
- 04
VoySES: Discrimination and Health
I contribute to interdisciplinary research on how discrimination and social experience shape health outcomes.
Editorial and peer-review service
- Associate Editor, Frontiers in Psychology (from 2026)
- Guest Editor, Journal of Development Economics special issue (2025–26)
- Editorial board member, Society and Management Review (from 2016)
- Regular reviewer across economics, political science, criminology, public health and psychology
- ESRC end-of-grant assessor and reviewer
Responsible research leadership
I embed equality, diversity and inclusion in research design, team working and the evaluation of interventions, including attention to race equity in criminal-justice trials.
I also support colleagues through mentoring and flexible working, and advocate for diversity to be recognised in the REF research environment.
Interested in working together?
I welcome enquiries about research collaboration, doctoral supervision, policy evaluation and media commentary.