Dr Martin Elliott is a Senior Research Fellow at the Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE), Cardiff University, and holds roles as Research Development Adviser for Health and Care Research Wales and academic lead for the all-Wales ExChange programme. His work focuses on child welfare inequalities, poverty, secure accommodation, and services for disabled children. With 17 years in statutory children’s services, he transitioned to academia via a PhD analyzing looked-after children in Wales. He has secured £3.4M+ in research funding, including a major CASCADE partnership grant. Educated with a DipSW (1997), BA(Hons) Community Studies (1998), MSc Social Science Research Methods (2013), and PhD (2018), his expertise spans mixed-methods research. Awards include the ESWRA doctoral thesis award (2020) and BASW’s British Journal of Social Work prize (2021). His research explores socio-economic dimensions in social work practice, policy impacts, and system equity. Key grants include studies on child welfare interventions, kinship care, and secure accommodation outcomes. He leads projects analyzing Wales’ Flying Start program, workforce regulation impacts, and crisis mental health services. CASCADE collaborates internationally on child welfare systems, reflecting his strategic focus on translating research into policy. His work bridges academic inquiry with frontline practice, addressing systemic challenges in child protection and welfare delivery.
Professor George Palattiyil is a Personal Chair of Social Work and Refugee Studies at the University of Edinburgh , with a focus on forced migration, HIV/AIDS, human rights, and social work education. He leads interdisciplinary initiatives like the Global Refugee Health Research Network and contributes to teaching across BSc, MSW, and MSc programmes. PhD in Social Work (University of Strathclyde, 1999) Masters in Social Work (Kerala, India) His research bridges social work and public health, emphasizing lived experiences of refugees, HIV-affected families, and older populations. Recent projects include: Impact of COVID-19 on families of care home residents in Scotland Adolescent reproductive health in Uganda, Jordan, and Bangladesh HIV/TB care barriers for refugees in Kampala Human rights of HIV-positive asylum seekers Cross-border surrogacy ethics Scientific achievements include: Senior Fellow , UK Higher Education Academy Best Personal Tutor Award (2019) Editorial work on Social Work in a Global Context He supervises PhD projects on topics like Queer women in Kerala , Refugee detention alternatives , and intergenerational care in China . His teaching integrates cross-cultural experiences, including abroad programmes to India.
Jan O. Jonsson is a Professor of Sociology at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. His primary research focuses on social stratification, including educational inequality, class structure, and social mobility. He also studies ethnic stratification, particularly through his role as Principal Investigator (PI) for Sweden in the comparative CILS4EU project on minority schoolchildren integration. Jonsson oversees the Swedish Level-of-Living Survey (LNU), shaping his interest in welfare distribution analysis. His work bridges macro-level social structures with micro-level individual experiences, emphasizing intergenerational processes and immigrant integration. Research interests prominently feature studies on educational attainment disparities, immigrant integration dynamics in Sweden and Europe, and the social consequences of economic hardship. His recent work explores occupational aspirations among immigrant youth, mental health advantages of immigrant backgrounds, and policy impacts on child poverty during economic crises. As PI for CILS4EU, Jonsson leads a multinational study investigating educational and social integration trajectories of second-generation immigrants across Europe. His contributions include analyzing Sweden’s ‘middle way’ between social mobility and inequality patterns, and evaluating educational expansion strategies’ equity impacts. He has authored numerous articles on poverty measurement, family influences on mobility, and the role of education in socioeconomic reproduction. Key projects include the Level-of-Living Survey (LNU), which tracks welfare metrics, and comparative studies on social mobility across nations. His work frequently engages with policy implications of structural inequities, offering evidence-based insights for educational and social policies.
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)United Kingdom
Professor Catherine Allerton is a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She specializes in the materialities and mobilities of everyday life, with a focus on place, kinship, childhood, migration, and temporalities in island Southeast Asia. Her fieldwork spans a two-placed village in Flores, Indonesia, and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, East Malaysia. Her research emphasizes interdisciplinary ethnographic methods, particularly involving child participants to challenge adult-centric approaches. She launched the 'Childhood in the Migrant City' exhibition using child-taken photographs from her ESRC-sponsored research. Current projects include exploring discordant temporalities between migration systems and childhood development, as well as completing a book manuscript on moral economies of belonging. Key research interests include the social and political dimensions of landscapes, the anthropology of children, and the impacts of legal status on marginalized youth. She teaches an LSE course on 'Children and Youth in Contemporary Ethnography' and actively supervises PhD students focusing on childhood, migration, citizenship, and Southeast Asian studies. Her work addresses exclusionary practices tied to race, religion, and legal frameworks in Malaysia and Indonesia. Languages spoken include Bahasa Manggarai, English, Indonesian, and Malay. No part-time status is mentioned, indicating full-time faculty commitment.
Dr. Kai Liu is a University Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge, and a Fellow at Selwyn College. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Johns Hopkins University in 2011. His research focuses on labor economics, public economics, applied microeconometrics, and China's economic development, with specific investigations into wage dynamics, human capital formation, and household decision-making under uncertainty. His research interests span: Labor market dynamics including wage risk, job mobility, and gender wage gaps Public policy analysis in education, healthcare, and family support systems Household behavior under economic uncertainty and policy reforms Human capital investments across the life cycle Economic development challenges in China Recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate strong focus on education policy impacts, health insurance effects on agricultural investments, and family environment dynamics. His work consistently applies advanced microeconometric methods to evaluate policy interventions and economic behaviors. Dr. Liu currently supervises three PhD students: Shengjuan He, Qianya Xu (researching empirical microeconomics and labor economics), and Shania Mustika (researching labor economics, education economics, and racial relations). He has secured significant research funding including: British Academy grant for 'Capital Market Imperfections, Skill Accumulation, and Inequality' (2024-2026) ESRC grant for 'Demand and Welfare Analysis using Micro-data' (2022-2026) British Academy grant for family policy research (2019-2021)
Prof. M. Danish Shakeel is a Professor and Director of the E. G. West Centre for Education Policy at The University of Buckingham, UK. He is also a Research Fellow at Harvard University's Program on Education Policy and Governance. His research focuses on K-12 education policy, particularly in the U.S., with expertise in systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and the political economy of education. Key areas include civic outcomes of private schooling, social capital, charter schools, and non-cognitive traits. His work has been featured in prestigious journals like Journal of School Choice and Education Next , and widely cited in media outlets such as Wall Street Journal and Washington Post . He collaborates globally, presenting at conferences like the American Political Science Association and Association for Education Finance and Policy. Prof. Shakeel advises prospective doctoral students on rigorous quantitative methods and policy-oriented research. His guidance includes structured abstracts, empirical methodology focus, and policy implications. Students pursuing a PhD must demonstrate advanced econometric skills and secure their own funding. His research has influenced philanthropic investments and policy discourse, highlighting gains in U.S. student achievement and the role of charter schools in improving outcomes for marginalized groups.
Patrick Tomlin is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick and Director of the Politics, Philosophy, and Law (PPL) undergraduate degree. He holds affiliations with the Philosophy Department and the Centre for Ethics, Law, and Public Affairs (CELPA). His academic journey includes roles at the University of Oxford (Corpus Christi College) and University of Reading, where he was Associate Professor in Political Philosophy. Education: B.A. (Hons) European Politics (University of Nottingham, 2002), M.A. Legal and Political Theory (University College London, 2004), D.Phil. Political Theory (University of Oxford, 2010). Research interests span moral, political, and legal philosophy, with a focus on distributive ethics, equality, criminal law, children's wellbeing, and moral uncertainty. His recent work includes exploring transferred malice in criminal law, aggregation in normative ethics, and proportionality in warfare. Publications highlight contributions to journals like Philosophical Quarterly , Law and Philosophy , and Journal of Applied Philosophy . Notable works include critiques of punishment theory, analyses of parental rights, and ethical frameworks for warfare. Awards include the Berger Memorial Prize (APA, 2017) and a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship (2020-21). He co-founded Free & Equal: A Journal of Ethics and Public Affairs in 2024 after resigning from Philosophy & Public Affairs . Teaching includes modules on ethics, applied ethics, and political economy. He advises on the PPL degree, established in 2018, and contributes to academic governance at Warwick.
Dr. Susana Castro-Kemp is an Associate Professor in Psychology and Human Development at University College London's Institute of Education (IOE), where she serves as Director of the Centre for Inclusive Education (CIE) since September 2023. Previously, she was a Reader in Education at the University of Roehampton for eight years. Her work focuses on inclusive education policy and practice globally, with particular expertise in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), early childhood intervention, and mental health in schools. The IOE has been ranked number one in the world for Education for several consecutive years, providing an ideal environment for her impactful research. Dr. Castro-Kemp holds a PhD in Psychology jointly awarded in 2012 by the University of Porto (Portugal) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA). Her doctoral research was fully funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology/European Commission and the Global Education and Development Studies scholarships. She is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society, a Senior Fellow of Advance HE, and a Recognised Research Supervisor by the UK Council for Graduate Education. Dr. Castro-Kemp's research centers on policy regulating education, health, and welfare services for children, particularly those with support needs. She examines inclusive education practices from users' perspectives, policy models leading to effective inclusive pedagogy, and country-level policy impacts on outcomes for children with special educational needs. Her work moves away from diagnostic labels toward engagement and civic participation as educational outcomes. She also investigates inclusion and early intervention in low- and middle-income countries, mental health in schools, and quality of early childhood education. Her recent publications reveal several key trends in inclusive education research. There's growing emphasis on understanding educational experiences through the voices of children and families rather than diagnostic labels. Much of her work examines the implementation gap between inclusive education policy and classroom practice. She has conducted significant research on how children with special educational needs experienced the pandemic, revealing both challenges and unexpected "silver linings" for some groups. Her corpus analysis of Ofsted reports shows narrow focus in early childhood education inspections, while her work on SEND policy increasingly takes an international comparative approach. Dr. Castro-Kemp has received recognition for her impactful work, including: Best Digital Humanities Project for Community Engagement Prize (2023) from the National Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences of South Africa for her project "Optimising collaborations and reducing inequalities of Early Childhood Intervention in post-Covid-19 South Africa" Dr. Castro-Kemp has secured approximately £1.3 million in research funding from various sources including ESRC, British Academy/Leverhulme Trust, European Commission, and private sponsors. Her current major project is 'ScopeSEND' (2024-2026), funded by the Nuffield Foundation (£250,000), examining international SEND policies. She has led numerous projects including "Transdisciplinary provision for children with disabilities in the Global South" (£3,500), "Optimising collaborations in South Africa" (£47,200), and "Froebel meets Ofsted" (£19,185). As a supervisor, she mentors MA/MSc and PhD students in education policy, early childhood, and inclusive education, having been nominated for student choice awards for excellent feedback and outstanding research supervision. As Director of the UCL Centre for Inclusive Education since 2023, Dr. Castro-Kemp leads a team focused on advancing knowledge exchange and research in inclusion and special needs. The Centre works with schools, educators, parents, and early years settings to translate research into practice. Her international collaborations include work with the World Health Organization as a technical advisor on the use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) system in educational contexts. She also serves on the SEN Policy Research Forum and has provided oral evidence to the House of Commons Education Select Committee.
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)United Kingdom
Tania Burchardt is an Associate Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics (LSE) , where she serves as Deputy Director of STICERD and Associate Director of CASE (Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion). Her work bridges theoretical frameworks like the capability approach with empirical analyses of inequality , disability policy , and applied welfare policy . Key Research Areas : Theories of justice, inequality measurement, time poverty, and social care systems Leadership Roles : Co-led projects on multidimensional inequality, intergenerational exchanges, and child poverty Her recent work explores intra-household resource allocation , social care inequities , and public engagement in policymaking . She has collaborated with organizations like the Nuffield Foundation and Sense about Science to translate research into practice. Scientific Contributions span empirical studies on: Long-term care funding reforms (2015–2020) Disability-related income disparities Time poverty intersections with economic hardship Data-driven policy recommendations for Roma/Gypsy/Traveller communities Multidimensional child poverty frameworks
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)United Kingdom
Camille Landais is a Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where she leads the Department of Economics. She serves as Director of STICERD (Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines) and Co-Director of the LSE-Gates Hub for Equal Representation in the Economy (H.E.R.). Additionally, she is a member of the French Council of Economic Advisers (CAE). Her research expertise spans Public Finance, Labour Economics, Applied Microeconomics, and Microeconometrics, with a focus on gender inequality, taxation policies, and child penalties. Landais holds a PhD in Economics from the Paris School of Economics. Her research interests include optimizing public spending efficiency, analyzing the economic impacts of family policies, and addressing wealth inequality through tax reforms. Recent work emphasizes the 'child penalty' phenomenon, migration responses to wealth taxation, and strategies for achieving full employment. She has contributed to high-impact publications such as the Review of Economic Studies and collaborates internationally on projects like the Child Penalty Atlas. Landais teaches advanced courses in public economics and actively engages in policy advising. She directs research centers that prioritize interdisciplinary approaches to economic challenges and inequality reduction. Her work frequently involves large-scale data analysis, including banking data and microsimulation techniques, to evaluate policy outcomes. Education: PhD in Economics, Paris School of Economics Research Centers: Director of STICERD, Co-Director of H.E.R., International Inequalities Institute Associate Teaching: EC325/EC426/EC534 (Public Economics modules) Professional Roles: Member of French Council of Economic Advisers, Editor of LSE Public Policy Review
Professor John Wildman is a research-active faculty member at Newcastle University specializing in public health economics and health inequalities, with particular focus on social prescribing interventions and socioeconomic determinants of health in the North East of England. His core research interests include: Public Health Health Economics Health Inequalities Social Prescribing Epidemiology Health Policy Wildman's recent work demonstrates methodological rigor through quasi-experimental designs and longitudinal analyses to evaluate complex health interventions, particularly examining how austerity policies, welfare reforms, and community-based programs like social prescribing impact vulnerable populations. His publications consistently address real-world health disparities with policy-relevant findings, especially regarding deaths of despair in deindustrialized communities, maternal mental health, and chronic disease management. No scientific awards are documented in the available publication records. He maintains extensive collaborative networks within Newcastle University's public health research ecosystem, notably with Dr Josephine Wildman and Professor Clare Bambra, securing research funding for projects investigating social prescribing efficacy, health inequality drivers, and pandemic-related health outcomes. His work directly informs NHS commissioning practices and health equity initiatives in deprived UK communities. Wildman contributes to Newcastle's research infrastructure through involvement in multidisciplinary teams focused on health services evaluation and socioeconomic determinants of health, with particular emphasis on translating evidence into community-level interventions for marginalized populations.
Professor Daniel McCarthy is a Professor in Criminology at the University of Surrey's Department of Sociology, serving as Co-Director of the Centre for Criminology and Director of Impact. He holds a BSc, MSc, and PhD. His research focuses on policing, inter-agency collaboration, and the impact of incarceration on families, particularly mothers of incarcerated youth. He explores cross-national public attitudes toward policing and punishment, including death penalty perspectives. Research interests include penal legitimacy, prisoner-family relationships, and the societal effects of imprisonment. His work emphasizes marginalized populations, such as women in prisons and families of incarcerated individuals. He has supervised PhD students on topics like prison-family dynamics and youth justice systems. McCarthy’s publications span academic books, articles, and policy-oriented research, with recent work addressing food policies in women’s prisons and post-release desistance. Teaching includes courses on youth crime, criminal investigation, and law-society relations at both undergraduate and master’s levels. He collaborates with initiatives like the Doing Porridge project, which amplifies women’s voices in criminal justice contexts. His research bridges theoretical criminology with practical policy implications, emphasizing equity and systemic reform.
Lorraine van Blerk is a Professor of Human Geography at the University of Dundee's School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law. She serves as Chair of Human Geography and leads the Research Centre for Transformative Change: Educational & Life Transitions (TCELT) in Education and Society. Her work focuses on street children/youth, refugees, and global inequalities. Academy of Social Sciences Fellow (2021) Stephen Fry Awards - Public Engagement Project of the Year (2017) Market Research Society President’s Medal (2015) Research interests include: Street youth resilience mapping Intergenerational partnerships Transitions to adulthood in crises Policy development for marginalized groups Coastal socio-ecological systems Cultural geographies of homelessness Recent publications address global street youth resilience frameworks (2REST project) and cinema's role for Harare street youth. Key collaborations include universities in Pretoria, Cape Town, Makerere, and Ryerson University. Scientific contributions recognized through: 6 major research prizes 16 funded projects 149+ research outputs International visiting appointments (Toronto Metropolitan University, National University of Singapore)
Dr Justine Howard is an Associate Professor in Education and Childhood Studies at Swansea University's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. She holds Chartered Psychologist status and is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. Her research focuses on developmental psychology, educational psychology, and the role of play in early childhood development. With over 15 years of experience in higher education, she teaches and supervises PhD students in education-related topics. Her work emphasizes play-based learning, therapeutic play, and inclusive education. Notable contributions include publications on play's developmental benefits, teacher perspectives, and the implementation of play curricula. She has presented globally on topics like play advocacy and child well-being in crisis contexts. Awards include recognition from the British Psychological Society. Current PhD supervision includes projects on social justice in Bangladesh, music education impacts, and therapeutic play in healthcare settings. Howard's research spans international collaborations and policy engagement, such as advising on Welsh educational initiatives.
Jaremey McMullin is a Senior Lecturer in the School of International Relations at the University of St Andrews, where he conducts research on post-conflict reintegration, youth peacebuilding, and veterans' politics. His work spans academic research, policy advising, and documentary filmmaking, with a focus on Liberia and the United States. Education: PhD in International Relations, University of Oxford (2006) Master of Studies in Forced Migration, University of Oxford (2001) MA in Comparative Ethnic Conflict, Queen's University Belfast (2000) BA in Government (International Relations) and Italian, Georgetown University (1999) His research centers on disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR), particularly how ex-combatant youth reintegrate through livelihoods like motorcycling in Liberia. He investigates veterans’ return, stigma, and peer support, employing qualitative and ethnographic methods. His 2013 monograph Ex-Combatants and the Post-Conflict State is a key contribution to the field. His recent work explores gendered dynamics in peace processes and youth-led peacebuilding narratives. McMullin’s publications span top journals such as Review of International Studies , Peacebuilding , and Conflict, Security & Development . His recent articles examine masculinities in peace processes, community dialogues in the Mano River Basin, and the role of documentary filmmaking in peace research. He integrates visual media into scholarship, producing acclaimed films like Silkies and Liberia: Legacies of Peace . Scientific Awards and Recognition: Award of Recognition, Close:Up Edinburgh Docufest (2020) Official Selection, Ethnografilm, Paris (2022) Official Selection, Film for Peace, Toronto (2020, 2021) Official Selection, MHSA Film Festival, Colorado (2021) He advises the United Nations on DDR programming, serving on the Research Working Group of the Integrated DDR Training Group. He has led multiple funded projects, including those supported by the Scottish Funding Council. He regularly delivers invited talks and participates in international policy workshops. He supervises graduate research and contributes to public discourse through media engagement and peer review. McMullin is actively involved in research networks and has contributed to public policy impacts, particularly in shaping UN approaches to ex-combatant reintegration. His work supports UN Sustainable Development Goals related to peace, justice, and strong institutions.
