PhD in crop physiology, plant breeding and genetics from the University of Nottingham
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
MSc in political ecology and critical anthropology from Wageningen University
I am an interdisciplinary researcher, teacher and practitioner – spanning the natural and social sciences, from plant physiology to political ecology – with a focus on fostering food justice by agroecological approaches.
I have eight years working in International Agriculture in Asia and Africa, and six years in Sustainable Development and Agroecology in Europe.
I have worked in various sustainability sectors, including CGIAR (formerly, the Consultative Group for International Agriculture Research), AIRCA (Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture) and the UK environmental charity sector.
I have research interests in breeding underutilised crops as part of a broader project of diversifying agriculture, local agroecological food systems and using participatory (action) approaches.
I have two broader concerns related to scientific practice. The first is how, or whether, we can close the gap between the publication of findings and the impact that it promises. The second is how (or whether) academia can be self-reflective and responsible, particularly in acknowledging its positionality and power.
Bambara groundnut is a climate-resilient crop: How could a drought-tolerant and nutritious legume improve community resilience in the face of climate change?, https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85068776205&origin=inward&txGid=2cd56b1ac5df4d23fa6bcfec5930366d, Sustainable Solutions for Food Security: Combating Climate Change by Adaptation (Springer)
Challenges facing genetically improving underutilised crops: Progress in bambara groundnut, http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85070930701&partnerID=MN8TOARS, Acta Horticulturae
Increasing leaf vein density via mutagenesis in rice results in an enhanced rate of photosynthesis, smaller cell sizes and can reduce interveinal mesophyll cell number, http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85034115400&partnerID=MN8TOARS, Frontiers in Plant Science
Applying molecular genetics to underutilised species – problems and opportunities, http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84955298453&partnerID=MN8TOARS, Malaysian Applied Biology
Increasing leaf vein density by mutagenesis: Laying the foundations for C4 rice, http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84899713144&partnerID=MN8TOARS, PLoS ONE
The Agroecology Learning Collective (TALC)
Landed Community Kitchens in the North of England
