Research expertise
The Centre for Public Policy is the doorway to policy research and expertise at the University of Glasgow.
Media enquiries
Researchers on this page can provide insights and expertise in their policy areas to policymakers and the media. Contact: public-policy@glasgow.ac.uk.
Justice and rights
This group of researchers explore how justice, rights, and legal systems shape fair and inclusive societies. Their expertise is broad, spanning from children's rights to international law, criminal justice, prisons, and legal reform. Their work supports progress on UN Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 16.
Sustainable Development Goals
See our experts in Justice and rights
- Professor Chris Gill - Administrative justice; access to justice; public policy
- Dr David McMenemy - Public library policy; privacy and data protection; intellectual freedom
- Dr Diana Camps - Linguistic and cultural rights; education; social rights
- Eamon Keane - Criminal justice; sexual offences; legal reform
- Professor Fiona Leverick - Criminal justice; prosecution of sexual offences
- Professor Henry Lovat - International law and politics; trade law and policy; human rights and armed conflict law
- Professor Jayita Sarkar - Nuclear energy and weapons; partitions and statelessness
- Professor Jen Ang - Access to justice; human rights
- Dr Kat Fradera - Spatial justice; regulatory decision-making; environmental law
- Professor Lesley-Anne Barnes Macfarlane - International children’s rights obligations;children's rights; child and family law
- Dr Louise Kennefick - Community supervision; probation
- Professor Nicole Busby - Equality and human rights law; individual socio-economic rights; access to justice
- Professor Sarah Armstrong - Criminal justice; prisons and sentencing; death in custody
- Dr Zihao Li - Technology; law; policy
Governance and politics
Researchers in this category examine how governance, political systems, and institutional change can support more effective, inclusive, and accountable societies. Their expertise is broad, from elections and democracy, defence and security, to AI governance, peacebuilding, and public services. Their work largely drives forward Sustainable Development Goal 17.
Sustainable Development Goals
See our experts in Governance and politics
- Professor Adina Dudau - Public management; non-profits management; accountability, trust and integrity
- Professor Ariadne Vromen - Citizen engagement; digital politics and governance; policy advocacy
- Professor Anja Neundorf - Civic education; democracy promotion
- Professor Bernhard Reinsberg - International organisations and global governance; development financing; state capacity
- Professor Christopher Carman - Scottish politics and elections; US political processes and elections; democracy in the UK
- Dr Clementine Hill O'Connor - Participatory governance; lived experience and evidence use; social security policy
- Dr Fred Paxton - Democratic governance and political representation; local government politics; populism and identity politics
- Dr Ian C. Elliott - Mission-led government; public administration; public policy
- Dr Jaylan Azer - Digital and AI governance; social media and digital marketing; public health communication
- Professor Kezia Dugdale - Public policy; impact of policy on communities; Scottish politics
- Professor Nicola McEwen - Intergovernmental relations and devolution; territorial politics; Elections
- Dr Nikolas Kirby - Philosophy and public policy; good governance; social trust
- Dr Nour Ghadban - Bias in AI systems; inclusive data practices; fairness in AI design
- Dr Paul Reilly - Social media platform governance and moderation; peacebuilding; digital activism and crisis communication
- Dr Rhys Crilley - Global security; nuclear weapons non-proliferation; arms control and disarmament
- Professor Sergi Pardos-Prado - Immigration policy and attitudes; political behaviour
- Dr Timothy Peacock - Defence and security; international relations and foreign policy; wargaming and serious games
- Professor Yannis Tsalavoutas - Corporate reporting and related regulation
Health and social policy
These researchers explore how health and social policies can reduce inequality, improve wellbeing, and build resilient communities.Their work covers a wide range of issues from poverty and public health, to gambling harms, disability, inequality, and more. Their work contributes to the delivery of UN Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, and 10.
Sustainable Development Goals
See our experts in Health and social policy
- Professor Annette Hastings - Inequality in changing cities; austerity; local government
- Professor Andrea Williamson - Health inequalities; general practice and primary care; severe and multiple disadvantage
- Professor Ben Colburn - End of life care; refugee education; ethics of new technologies
- Professor Charlotte Pearson - Social care; social security and welfare; disability policy
- Dr Claire MacRae - Societal risk and inequality; austerity; fiscal constraints and decision-making
- Dr Dan Fisher - Migration; refugee integration; asylum process
- Dr Daria Ukhova - Gambling regulation; gambling harms; gender-responsive health policies
- Dr David Blane - General practice and primary care; public health; health inequalities
- Professor David Conway - Dental and oral health; health inequalities; cancer
- Dr David Walsh - Social and political determinants of health; health inequalities; public health
- Dr Eleanor Grieve - Health research methodologies; translational medicine; public health
- Dr Ellen Bishop - Place-making; community participation; education and food
- Professor Ellen Stewart - Health policy; inequality; public participation
- Professor Emilie Combet - Food; obesity; nutrition
- Dr Emma Laurie - Health policy; antimicrobial resistance
- Dr Fabiola Creed - Tanning technologies and culture; maternal mental health; gambling sports sponsorship and harms
- Dr Frederick Ho - Data science; AI; health inequalities
- Dr Gillian Fergie - Health inequalities; social determinants of health; early years and welfare policy
- Professor Heather Wardle - Gambling; gambling harms; addictions
- Professor Honghan Wu - Public health and AI
- Dr Jana Anderson - Healthy and sustainable diet; food systems
- Dr Jane Cullingworth - Voluntary sector; disability
- Dr Jessica Enright - Health; agriculture; infectious disease modelling
- Professor Jim Lewsey - Public health; alcohol; drugs
- Dr Jo Inchley - Adolescent physical and mental health; social media use; school attendance and health promotion
- Jo Winterbottom - Public health; health in all policies; wellbeing economy
- Dr Jonathan Stokes - Economic determinants of health; integrated care; multimorbidity
- Professor Kirstin Mitchell - Sexual health and blood borne viruses; social relationships; health and wellbeing
- Professor Kate O'Donnell - Primary care; access to health care; health care policy
- Professor Laurence Moore - Social determinants of health; inequality
- Louise Lawson - Health inequalities; unpaid caring; social security and social care
- Michal Shimonovich - Child health; policy evaluation
- Dr Nai Rui Chng - Neglected tropical diseases; rabies; politics and regulatory governance
- Dr Michael Howcroft - Reduced inequalities; sustainable cities and communities; peace, justice and strong institutions
- Professor Nasar Meer - Race; racism
- Dr Paula Karlsson-Brown - Risk and resilience; poverty and inequality; voluntary sector
- Professor Peter Craig - Public health; health inequalities; social security
- Professor Petra Meier - Health in all policies; public health; systems thinking
- Professor Rosalind Searle - Threats and securities; professional wrongdoing and interpersonal violence; decent work
- Professor Ruth Dundas - Maternal and child health; welfare and maternity grants; early years education
- Professor Ruth Patrick - Social security and welfare state; Universal Credit; poverty
- Sarah Tipping - Statistical methods and analysis; gambling harms; problem gambling
- Professor Sayantan Ghosal - Poverty and inequality; sovereign debt restructuring; behavioural public policy
- Dr Serena Pattaro - Social security and welfare state; Scottish devolved benefits; child poverty
- Professor Sharon Wright - Social security and welfare state; Universal Credit; poverty
- Dr Simon Walker - Suicide prevention; workplace mental health; occupational health
- Dr Thomas Rochow - Youth transitions; social security; underemployment
Economy and infrastructure
Researchers in this group investigate the systems and strategies that support resilient economies and sustainable infrastructure. This includes expertise in housing policy, creative and cultural development, digital innovation, placemaking, and more; contributing to the delivery of Sustainable Development Goals 9, 11, and 12.
Sustainable Development Goals
See our experts in Economy and infrastructure
- Dr David Waite - Regional economics; inclusive growth; alternative economic development
- Professor Emeritus Duncan Maclennan - Economics; housing policy and governance; neighbourhoods and cities
- Dr Ewan Gibbs - Energy and industrial policy; employment and work policy; workplace relations and trade unions
- Dr Franziska Paul - Public and collective ownership; de-privatisation; sustainability and economy
- Professor Graeme Roy - Applied economics; Scottish economy; economic policy
- Dr Helen Traill - Food policy; democratic localism; community wealth building
- Dr Inge Ejbye Sørensen - Media, film and TV policy; film and screen education
- Dr Katherine Champion - Cultural policy; creative industries economy
- Professor Kenneth Gibb - Housing policy; decarbonising housing; local government finance and housing taxation
- Dr Lauren Tuckerman - Economic policy; innovation; social enterprise
- Dr Lynn Wilson - Circular economy; climate and sustainability; and consumer protection
- Dr Maha Rafi Atal - Corporate power; social responsibility and accountability; political economy
- Dr Mark Wong - AI and technology; racism and anti-racism; public voice
- Dr Mingshu Wang - Sustainable transport and mobility; urban inequality; environmental justice
- Professor Rebecca Madgin - Placemaking and heritage; communities and culture; architecture and planning
- Dr Rhys Williams - Energy and sustainability; poverty; citizen power
- Dr Richard Osborne - Creative industries; intellectual property; music industry
- Professor Sarah Cook - Cultural strategy in digital arts; AI and the arts
- Dr Saurabh Lall - Entrepreneurship; social enterprise; philanthropy and third sector management
- Professor Sreevas Sahasranamam - Entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems; rural entrepreneurship
- Dr Ula Furgal - Cultural and creative policy
Education and work
This group brings together expertise on education and work, from media literacy and labour markets to gender and entrepreneurship, education policy, and just transition. Their research supports progress toward UN Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 8.
Sustainable Development Goals
See our experts in Education and work
- Dr Anna Beck - Policy networks in education; teacher education reform; teacher voice and representation
- Professor Catherine Lido - Lifelong learning, intersectional inequalities, novel data
- Professor Chris Chapman - Education, public policy and practice; improvement of outcomes in disadvantaged settings
- Professor David Lundie - Religion and education; values education; Digital citizenship education
- Dr Eleanor Kirk - Employment; equality; justice
- Professor Ellen Boeren - Lifelong learning, benchmarks and indicators; welfare typologies
- Dr Jalnidh Kaur - Education policy in developing countries; teacher professional development; social media and education
- Lucille Tetley-Brown - Digital government transformation; public services; data work
- Professor Simon McGrath - Education-development relationship; skills development and vocational learning; skills for sustainable futures
- Professor Sotiria Grek - Education policy and governance; global public policy; art and public policy
- Dr Tanya Wilson - Labour markets; wages, employment and discrimination
Climate and the environment
Focused on the environmental challenges that shape our planet’s future, this group of researchers have broad expertise spanning climate change, the circular economy, food sustainability, urban policy, and climate politics and misinformation, and more.
Their work advances the aims of UN Sustainable Development Goals 6, 7, 13, 14, and 15.
Sustainable Development Goals
See our experts in Climate and the environment
- Dr Abraham Zhang - Circular economy; Net Zero; supply chain management
- Dr Ajaz Ahmed - Climate change; food and agriculture
- Professor Caroline Gauchotte-Lindsay - Water quality; water treatment; pollution
- Honorary Professor Cecilia Tortajada - Water, environment and natural resources management and policy; agricultural development and capacity building
- Dr David Bailey - Marine conservation and fisheries
- Dr Emma Lawlor - Sustainable transport and urban policy; active travel; and health inequalities
- Dr Hannah Salamon - Gender and climate change; feminism and politics; green energy transition
- Professor Jaime Toney - Climate adaptation and mitigation; systems thinking and approaches
- Professor Jing Yao - Urban and land-use planning; public services
- Professor João Porto de Albuquerque - Climate sustainability; urban data and policy; Global South
- Professor Jude Robinson - Tobacco control; smoking and vaping; child/adolescent smoking
- Dr Jun Young Cheong - Net Zero; sustainable energy; batteries
- Dr Katherine Simpson - Biodiversity and nature recovery; nature-based solutions; environmental land and marine management
- Dr Lluis de Nadal - Climate misinformation; climate communication
- Dr Michelle Bloor - Ecotoxicology; chemicals, waste and pollution policy; pollution control and mitigation
- Dr Miza Moreau - Planning and design; public and green space
- Professor Patrick Bayer - Climate politics; environmental regulation; political economy
- Tianyi Tang - Urban sustainability; environmental justice; Chinese land policy
