My research background is primarily in Education in conflict and crisis, although I am interested in pedagogy and leadership, having worked as a post-primary English and Drama practitioner before moving into research in 2013. I am now an active member of the Sharing Education Programme team at SSESW, where my role involves seeking opportunities to develop and enhance the Shared Education model of school collaboration, and to also explore how it might support schools in international contexts of conflict and crises. My academic profile is located under the Contested Societies and Education research theme within SSESW, and attached to the Centre for Shared Education.

I have research and consultancy experience with international NGOs and the local public sector, providing services to the economic and education sectors in Northern Ireland. These include large scale evaluations, longitudinal surveys, and feasibility studies. 

I am interested in the transformative potential of education in divided societies. My portfolio of project work looks at interschool collaboration, how teachers navigate challenges in contexts of conflict and division, systemic and organisational change, and school improvement. I would consider myself a mixed methods researcher. My main methodological background is in Social Network Analysis, which I have used to explore the relational structures that support teacher collaboration. I have also applied this method in other substantive areas such as Public Health, to map stakeholder networks that are responsible for mobilising health resources in contexts of displacement.