Co-investigator in Psychology
Who are you?
I’m a psychologist researching people’s food choices and eating behaviours. In a nutshell, I look at why we choose to eat the foods that we do. I’m also a part-time runner, cyclist, and mum to 2 children.
What do you like best about being a food systems researcher?
The sheer breadth and variety of working in food systems research and the number of different projects and people you meet, from plant scientists through to medics. I also really enjoy engaging with stakeholders and members of the public. We all need to eat food and therefore all members of society play a meaningful role in the food system and can contribute to research and practice.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done as a food systems researcher?
In my first research assistant position, I did direct observations of children’s fruit and vegetable intake in school canteens. This involved standing next to the bins and painstakingly recording how much every single child had eaten. Some kids weren’t great at scraping their leftovers into the bin, so as well as recording data, we also needed to watch out for flying food debris (wearing white was not a good idea!).
What one piece of advice would you give to other researchers?
Don’t be afraid to step outside of your immediate area of expertise – working in an inter-disciplinary context is immensely valuable to our understanding of something as complex as the food system. Remember, you’re an expert in your area. Others will learn from you and you will learn complementary skills and expertise from others – it’s a win-win situation.
Which of your research findings has surprised you most?
The new findings coming out of Rurban Revolution are fascinating. Watch this space for lots of exciting results on where and what we could grow in urban areas in the UK and what this means for our food system. The findings from our dietary survey are also revealing new insights into the extent of urban food growing practices in the UK and the characteristics of urban growers. For example, it’s often assumed that urban growing is a relatively niche activity, for more affluent people who have time on their hands. Our results suggest otherwise!