Researcher spotlight

Meet our members and discover how their research is helping to build a fairer, more sustainable food system for people and the planet.

Meet our members

Dr Heather Ellis

Dr Heather Ellis leads the ESRC-funded School Meals Service project. Her work investigates how education policy and school food have influenced children's experiences, opportunities, belonging and wellbeing over the past 120 years.

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Sarah Thorne

Sarah Thorne investigates the role of silicon in improving plant health and resilience. Her current research focuses on whether silicon fertilisation can strengthen plants' natural defences against pathogens, helping to reduce disease impacts and support more sustainable approaches to food production

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Dr Alexandra Boutopoulou

Dr Alexandra Boutopoulou explores how access to digital data can support public-interest research, with a particular focus on creating more responsible and meaningful access to social media platform data.

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Dr Robert Akparibo

Dr Robert Akparibo's research explores the links between nutrition, global health and sustainable food systems. He works with communities and policymakers to develop evidence-based approaches that support healthier and more equitable food systems.

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Professor Phil Withington

Professor Phil Withington is a historian of the early modern period, committed both to understanding the past on its own terms and to bringing historical perspectives to bear on contemporary issues and problems.

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"Researcher Spotlight, Stuart Campbell" A picture of Stuart with the Institute's green gradient in the background.

Dr Stuart Campbell

Dr Stuart Campbell is an ecologist and evolutionary biologist whose research explores the complex relationships between plants and insects. His work focuses on chemical ecology, investigating how plants balance defending themselves against pests while attracting vital pollinators,

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Dr Pamela Richardson

Dr Pamela Richardson is a geographer whose research explores food systems, social justice and sustainability. Working closely with communities in the UK and internationally, she uses participatory approaches to understand and support transformations towards fairer and more sustainable food systems.

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