Sarah O’Brien

Sarah O’Brien is a Research Fellow in the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester. Her work focuses on energy transitions, nuclear policy, and climate change impacts. She leads a comparative study on nuclear site futures across four countries, with a focus on France’s Cotentin peninsula. Previously, she researched anti-fracking activism in Lancashire as part of the “Ethics of Oil” project.

• Education: BA in Human, Social, and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge; PhD in Social Anthropology from the Centre for Energy Ethics

Her research employs ethnographic methods to examine grassroots movements, ethical dimensions of energy systems, and societal futures. She co-organized interdisciplinary initiatives like the Art of Energy and Africa @2050 workshop. Current projects include the MIMESIS initiative exploring nuclear decommissioning’s societal implications.

Professional networks include the Energy & Climate Finance Network. She actively participates in knowledge exchange through panels like ‘Post-carbon Transformations’ (2024).