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David Owen is a Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Employment Research (IER) within the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Warwick. With a background in Geography, his research primarily focuses on demographic and labour market change and its spatial expression. He has extensive experience working with major public sector bodies including the Department for Education, Construction Industry Training Board, NASUWT, Home Office, and UK Commission for Employment and Skills. His research interests span spatial patterns of employment and unemployment change, ethnic composition of populations, labour market differentials by ethnic group, migration impacts on labour markets, commuting patterns, and geographical variations in quality of life. He specializes in quantitative analysis of large secondary datasets such as the UK Census and Labour Force Survey, with particular expertise in spatial analysis, GIS, and computer cartography. Recent publications show a strong focus on regional labour market patterns, ethnicity and employment, veterans' integration, and educational workforce analysis. His work combines rigorous quantitative methods with policy-relevant applications, often addressing issues of social inequality and labour market dynamics. His articles demonstrate expertise across multiple disciplines including labour economics, geography, migration studies, and social policy. Principal Research Fellow at University of Warwick's Institute for Employment Research Extensive work with government departments and public sector bodies Specialist in spatial analysis of socio-economic data Expert in labour market information systems and projections Dr. Owen actively supervises PhD students and maintains a robust research program with multiple ongoing projects funded by government agencies and research councils. His work bridges academic research and practical policy applications, particularly in areas of labour market dynamics, migration, and ethnic inequalities.

• Spatial patterns of employment and unemployment change
• Ethnic composition of population
• Labour market differentials by ethnic group
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Priya Deshingkar is Professor of Migration and Development at the University of Sussex's School of Global Studies. Her affiliations include collaborations with the Overseas Development Institute (as former Research Fellow), Asia Research Institute (Singapore), Centre for Migration Studies (Ghana), and African Centre for Migration and Society (South Africa). She holds a PhD in Development Studies from the Institute of Development Studies, an MSc from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, and a BSc (Hons) in Zoology from the University of Delhi. Her research adopts feminist and decolonial approaches to analyze migration, focusing on precarious work, human smuggling, trafficking, and displacement. Key themes include Southern epistemologies, irregular migration, and the role of intermediaries in labor mobility. Her work challenges policy narratives by emphasizing migrant agency and contextual vulnerabilities. Recent publications explore migration during crises (e.g., COVID-19), gendered migration patterns, and critiques of anti-trafficking frameworks. Articles frequently analyze South Asia, Africa, and the Gulf, employing mixed methods to uncover systemic drivers of exploitation. She directs major research initiatives including the DFID-funded Migrating out of Poverty Consortium (£8.64M) and the ESRC Protracted Displacement Project. She teaches postgraduate modules on forced labor and migration, integrating critical perspectives into Sussex's decolonized curriculum.

• Migration
• Development Studies
• Feminist Perspectives
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Dr. Ali Ali is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Human Geography at the School of Global Studies, University of Sussex. He is an active member of the Sussex Centre for Migration Research with extensive field experience in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Northern Cyprus. His academic journey includes research positions at the London School of Economics and University of Oxford's Refugee Studies Centre, as well as policy work with UNHCR and DFID. Dr. Ali holds a PhD from the University of East London (2012), an MSc in Middle East Politics from SOAS, and a BA in Arabic with Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies from Durham University. His educational background has provided a strong foundation for his research on Middle Eastern migration dynamics and displacement. His research focuses on migration and forced migration to and from the Middle East, with particular attention to socio-economic implications of armed conflict, international student mobilities, and displacement during financial crises. He conducts field-based qualitative research across multiple Middle Eastern countries, examining how displaced populations transform host societies and how conflict affects civilian life. Recent work investigates Lebanon's financial collapse impacts on migration patterns and international student migration to Cyprus. Dr. Ali has maintained a robust publication record with articles in leading journals including Journal of Refugee Studies and Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. His work shows a clear trajectory from examining specific conflict zones (Iraq, Syria) toward broader conceptual frameworks for understanding displacement, with increasing focus on economic dimensions of forced migration and local governance responses to refugee crises. Dr. Ali currently leads a British Academy/Leverhulme Trust funded project on migration to Cyprus and serves as Co-Investigator on the Protracted Displacement Economies GCRF project. His research has practical policy implications, with connections to UN agencies and government departments. As an educator, Dr. Ali co-convenes Understanding Global Migration, leads the Geography Overseas Field Trip to Greece, and convenes the post-graduate Issues in Forced Migration and Displacement. He actively supervises doctoral students interested in migration and displacement topics, with a particular focus on Middle Eastern contexts but open to global case studies. His work bridges theoretical innovation with empirical field research, demonstrating strong methodological rigor in qualitative approaches. Dr. Ali's research contributes significantly to understanding how displacement processes unfold at local levels and how communities adapt to large-scale population movements.

• Migration and forced migration to/from Middle East
• Socio-economic implications of armed conflict
• International student mobilities
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Melissa Gatter is an Assistant Professor in Anthropology and International Development at the University of Sussex's School of Global Studies. She joined the university in 2022 after serving as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Sheffield's Institute for Global Sustainable Development (2021-2022). Her academic journey includes a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Cambridge (2020), an MPhil in Middle Eastern Studies from Cambridge, and a BA in International Studies, Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, and Human Rights from the University of Chicago. Dr. Gatter's research centers on the anthropology of forced migration, development, and time, with particular focus on the intersection of time, space, and aid in refugee camps and spaces of displacement in Jordan and the United States. Her acclaimed book Time and Power in Azraq Refugee Camp: A Nine-to-Five Emergency (American University in Cairo Press, 2023) won the 2023 Alixa Naff Prize in Migration Studies. Currently, she is researching the emerging situation for asylum seekers in shelters and camps in New York City and Chicago, funded by a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant. Her scholarly work spans themes of carcerality and borders, digital surveillance, humanitarian governance, and refugee resistance. Dr. Gatter has published in prestigious journals including Ethnos, Territory Politics and Governance, Refugee Review, and Contemporary Levant, with her 2025 article 'Resilience for Whom? Resiliency Humanitarianism and Everyday Resistance in a Carceral Camp' representing her most recent contribution. 2023 Alixa Naff Prize in Migration Studies 2022-23 Winner, Learning Together Award 2023-24 Nominee, Teaching to Disrupt Award 2024-25 Nominee, Innovation and Research Culture Award As a supervisor, Dr. Gatter currently advises PhD student Aris Dougas Chavarria researching migrant deaths at sea. She teaches courses including Gender and Development, Feminist Approaches to Global Development, and International Development Thesis. Beyond academia, she has extensive practical experience having worked with Save the Children, CARE, and Plan International in Jordan's refugee camps, and consulted for Frontline Aids and the Euromed Feminist Initiative on programs for displaced women across the Middle East.

• Forced migration
• Time and space
• Humanitarian aid
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Dr. Mei Trueba is an Associate Professor in International Development and Global Health at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), University of Sussex. She serves as Deputy Director of Doctoral Studies at BSMS and is an elected member of the University of Sussex Senate. Dr. Trueba is also the Chair of the International Working Group on Ethical Public Procurement (IWGEPP) and a Senior Research Ethics Officer. Her research focuses on the political economies of health and ill-health, with particular expertise in occupational health and safety in low-and-middle-income settings, forced labor in global supply chains, and neglected tropical diseases. Dr. Trueba specializes in qualitative and ethnographic research methods that prioritize collaboration with 'expert-by-experience' advisors to inform policy and practice. Dr. Trueba's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on labor rights in global health supply chains, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as research on neglected tropical diseases and their social determinants. Her work spans multiple continents including Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, reflecting her extensive geographic expertise. Her scientific recognition includes: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (since 2019) Active membership in the WHO working group on Skin NTDs Research leadership for the International Working Group on Ethical Public Procurement Dr. Trueba has successfully secured research funding from prestigious organizations including the Wellcome Trust, Arts and Humanities Research Council, and the Pan American Health Organization. She has supervised PhD students researching topics such as mycetoma management in Sudan and scabies in Ethiopia, and regularly collaborates with international governmental and non-governmental organizations. She leads the International Working Group on Ethical Public Procurement, which focuses on reducing modern slavery in healthcare supply chains through ethical procurement practices. Her research group actively engages with policymakers and practitioners to translate research findings into actionable strategies for improving working conditions and health outcomes for marginalized populations.

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Forced Labour and Modern Slavery
• Working Conditions and Precarious Employment
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