Research leadership and public service
I lead interdisciplinary research organisations, advise public bodies and work with practitioners and communities to turn evidence into better policy and practice.
Current roles
- 2025–
Director, P-ACE LAB
UKRI–NPCC Policing Academic Centre of Excellence
- 2025–
Fellow, Academy of Social Sciences
United Kingdom
- 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
- 2024–
Advisory Board member
Home Office National Crime & Justice Lab
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 am a regular contributor to the ESRC Festival of Social Science, discussing climate change and crime, the criminalisation of poverty, 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
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.
- 03
VoySES: Discrimination and Health
I contribute to interdisciplinary research on how discrimination and social experience shape health outcomes.
- 04
Gender-based violence and violence against children
My role focuses on the economic evaluation of interventions to prevent violence and improve outcomes for women and children.
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.