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My research looks at how groups of people make claims to cities, particularly in the Global South. I have researched this central theme through use of qualitative and participatory methods in Colombia, South Africa, and the UK, in the context of a number of international projects.

Social inclusion and public space:

I am interested in how people interact and make use of public space, especially at the edges of cities. I am currently exploring this within the project , which asks how ‘social frontiers’ shape the experiences of different social and ethnic groups in cities across the UK, Norway and Sweden.

I am also interested in understanding and redressing the barriers to community oversight over public spaces. I researched this topic while working on the project, for which I conducted research on  in Brixton.

Conflict and peacebuilding:

My research brings together insights from geography and political science to understand how conflict dynamics affect - and are shaped by - the spaces that people inhabit. I explored this through my doctoral research on former combatants in rural and urban Colombia, and while working on the project .

Participatory and creative research methods:

I am enthusiastic about the potential for participatory and creative methods to generate meaningful social impact from research. I have employed participatory methods in Colombia via the project, winner of the 2021 ESRC Outstanding Societal Impact Prize.

I have supported the use of storytelling to make sense of how marginalised residents understand different kinds of crises in Colombia and South Africa, and artistic performance as a way to express complex ideas about migration in Rotherham.

I also previously worked in the Social Sciences Knowledge Exchange team, supporting academics across the faculty to embed impact into their research.

Research projects:

• (British Academy)
• (ESRC / Nordforsk)
• (Horizon 2020)
• (Newton RCUK-Colciencias)