Kate Summers

Kate Summers is a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Methodology, London School of Economics and Political Science. Her research focuses on qualitative methods development for studying working-age social security policy and economic inequality, particularly in post-pandemic contexts.

Research Interests: She specializes in participatory approaches, in-depth interviews, and focus groups to explore disability and health condition experiences within social security systems. Key projects include Welfare at a (Social) Distance and the Commission on Social Security led by experts by experience.

Methodological Contributions: Her work emphasizes trust-building, methodological pluralism, and remote data collection techniques. She advocates for research practices that prioritize participant agency and actionable outcomes.

Scientific Awards:

• British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship

Current Projects: She is on secondment to the UK Government's Department for Work and Pensions until 2025, focusing on participatory research implementation and policy reform.