What is the central focus of your current research and how did you come to choose this?

My current research explores how we can build an ideas-informed society – one in which individuals are motivated and equipped to engage thoughtfully with high-quality ideas that help them navigate complexity, make better decisions, and contribute meaningfully to their communities. I’ve long been fascinated by how research and ideas can inform policy and practice. My early work with the Ministry of Justice and the Training and Development Agency for Schools exposed me to the barriers between knowledge and implementation. That experience, combined with a growing interest in how education systems can become more self-improving, led me to focus on bridging the research-practice gap

What are the key questions your research aims to address?

At its core, my research asks: What helps individuals and communities engage productively with powerful ideas? How can education systems foster the conditions for evidence-informed decision-making? And how can we build professional and social networks that not only spread good ideas but also help them take root and generate change?

Was there a specific moment or experience that inspired your research path?

Working on national policy at the Ministry of Justice was pivotal. I saw first-hand how decisions were made and how evidence could be overlooked or misunderstood. It made me want to be part of the solution: to find better ways of mobilising knowledge in ways that respect the complexity of real-world settings

What do you hope your research will contribute to your field or to society?

Ultimately, I want my research to support more thoughtful, evidence-aware individuals and institutions. Whether it’s through professional learning networks, leadership development, or new tools for civic engagement, I hope my work helps create environments where good ideas can thrive – and where people are better equipped to navigate complexity, uncertainty, and misinformation.

Are there real-world applications or implications of your research?

Yes – many. My work has informed teacher professional development programmes, school leadership models, and national policy strategies in England, Europe, and Australia. The “Research Learning Communities” model, for instance, has been adopted across multiple countries, and my current work on ideas engagement is being used to develop educational tools and digital interventions.

What has been the most difficult part of your research journey so far?

Bridging the gap between research and action is hard. It requires not just producing good evidence but also understanding systems, cultures, and the subtle interplay of trust, motivation, and power. Navigating this complexity – and persuading others to care about it – has often been challenging, but it’s also where I’ve grown the most.

What’s something you’ve learned about yourself through your research?

That I thrive at the intersection of ideas and people. I’ve learned that I’m not content just to generate knowledge; I want to see it used, debated, tested, and reshaped in the real world. I’ve also learned the importance of humility – of listening as much as leading.

What are you currently most excited about in your research?

I’m excited about the potential of our Ideas Engagement Index – a new tool to measure how people encounter and respond to ideas. It brings together social networks, prospection, and personal agency in a novel framework, and it’s already generating fascinating insights across Europe. I’m also developing an educational intervention and CPD programme to build ideas engagement in schools

If resources were unlimited, what project would you pursue?

I’d build a global observatory for ideas engagement – combining big data, in-depth ethnographies, and intervention design to explore how ideas travel, mutate, and influence across cultures and contexts. The aim would be to inform education, civic discourse, and public policy with a deeper understanding of how people engage with knowledge in an age of uncertainty.