Yara Evans

Dr Yara Evans serves as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Environmental Policy within Imperial College London's Faculty of Natural Sciences, focusing on the intersection of social sustainability and policy in the bioeconomy. Based at 507, Weeks Building on South Kensington Campus, she can be contacted via y.evans@imperial.ac.uk and +44 20 7594 9304. Her career spans two decades, transitioning from Human Geography research on Brazilian migration dynamics in London to current EU-funded bioeconomy projects under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe frameworks.

Evans' research interests center on the complex socio-economic dimensions of sustainability. Early work examined social differentiation, cultural identity, and gendered violence among Brazilian migrants in London, while recent research investigates biofuels and bioproducts through social sustainability assessments and policy analysis. She emphasizes that environmental sustainability requires holistic evaluation of land use change, biodiversity impacts, water degradation, and social trade-offs across energy/agriculture systems, arguing that equity and community involvement are critical at all scales of bioeconomy development.

Her publications from 2021-2024 predominantly address EU bioeconomy projects (BioMates, BioRescue, COSMOS), analyzing policy barriers, stakeholder perceptions, and social acceptance risks. Earlier works (2004-2020) focus on migration studies and urban violence, revealing consistent analytical threads in power dynamics and policy-impact relationships. The Grantham Institute affiliation underscores her environmental policy specialization.

Scientific Awards: No awards, fellowships, or medals are documented in the provided text.

Advising and Grants: Evans has secured major EU funding through Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects including BioMates (multi-year consortium), BioRescue, and COSMOS—each targeting sustainable bio-refinery technologies. While student advising isn't specified, her role involves social sustainability assessment and policy barrier analysis. Collaborative grants feature transnational partnerships with universities and research institutes across Europe.

Labs and Teams: She operates within the Centre for Environmental Policy's research ecosystem, collaborating through the Grantham Institute's sustainability network. Her EU project teams integrate environmental scientists, policy analysts, and social researchers to develop interdisciplinary bioeconomy frameworks, with BioMates serving as her primary current vehicle for stakeholder workshops and regulatory barrier investigations.