I am very active in research policy, outreach, and societal impact at national and international level. I am Ambassador of the European Research Council to the United Kingdom, one of 32 ERC grantees across all disciplines selected to advocate for fundamental science with policy makers and the general public at European level.

  I also sit on the Executive Committee of the Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE), where I am Chair of Research Careers. The ISE is a large umbrella organisation bringing together the most prominent European scientific associations. As Chair for Research Careers, I lobby EU institutions on behalf of European researchers with an aim of improving the European research environment and research job stability. I am also reviewer for the 2026 UNESCO Science Report. 

   I often speak at and organise public philosophy events, talk about science and philosophy to the media, and my research has had broad policy and societal impact. See below for some of my research policy, outreach, and impact work.​

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• 2025-2031: Ambassador of the European Research council to the  United Kingdom

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• ​2023 - present: Chair for Research Careers, Initiative for Science in Europe

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• 2026: Reviewer, UNESCO Science Report, Chapter 2: The Impact of Science and Technology on Society

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• 2026. The Epistemic AI. Interviewed by Miriam Sturdee (St Andrews) for Conversations in Sketch, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) Interactions.

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• 2026. Interviewed by Chiara Natalie Focacci for Disordinati Podcast. 

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• 2026. Communicating with AI: Trust and Explanation. ReSourcE Magazine, Royal Society of Edinburgh.

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• 2026. Expert, EDI Strategy; European Commission's (EC) science advice mechanism, 'Science Advice for Policy by European Academies' (SAPEA), Brussels. See here for recommendations for increasing diversity of voices in scientific advice to EC.

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• 2025. Countering Pragmatic Mechanisms for Spreading Disinformation and Distrust in Expertise and Institutions (with Adekola, J., Bott, H., Carter, J. A., Davies, J., Hughes, J., Hutchinson, E., Ho, A., Hosie, M., Kelly, J., Kelp, C., Lavery, J., Mason, L., Noerenberg, M., Olmo, P., Owen, L., Robertson, D., Smith, C., Shergold, A., Summers, L., and Szemiel, A.. For UK Parliament Call for Evidence: Disinformation diplomacy: How malign actors are seeking to undermine democracy. . Published on the UK Parliament Website here

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• 2024. 'Towards establishing funding schemes that promote academic job security for early career researchers', https://initiative-se.eu/.../towards-establishing.../ (with ISE Working Group on Research Careers)

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• 2024. ‘ISE Opinion Paper on the Proposal for a European Framework for Research Careers’ (with ISE Working Group on Research Careers) https://initiative-se.eu/2023/12/04/ise-opinion-on-the-proposal-for-a-european-framework-for-research-careersopinion-paper/

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• 2024. Interviewed for Nature by David Matthews, for news article ‘A science mega-programme is taking shape in the EU: what it means for researchers.’ Nature 636, 288  doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-04017-6

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• 2024. Informing the political priorities of the next European Commission: Evidence Submitted for the ‘ERC Feedback to Policy’ Call of the European Commission for Evidence on EU Policies and Strategies Concerning Democracy.

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• 2024. Knowledge and Disiformation. Keynote Talk at the Madrid Festival of Ideas.

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• 2024. Interviewed by Lucia Gomez, for the Madrid Festival of Ideas.

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• 2024. White Paper: 'Defining Well-Being' In response to Scottish Government's Consultation for the Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill (with Adam Carter, Emma Gordon, and Chris Kelp). 

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• 2023. ‘ISE Statement on the planned ReICO Observatory’ (with ISE Working Group on Research Careers) https://initiative-se.eu/2023/07/17/statement-on-the-planned-reico-observatory/

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• 2023. 'Knowledge & Society' Public Outreach Event: Philosophy talks and art exhibition on issues in social epistemology (with Elizabeth Gray (Glasgow School of Art) and Pinelopi Stylianopoulou (Glasgow Philosophy)). Featuring talks by Paul Faulkner, Giada Fratantonio, John Greco, Matt McGrath, Mona Simion, and David Sosa and artworks by Alan Brash, Jennifer Clason, David Frondigoun, Martin J Godfrey, George Irons, Laura Hepner, Jacqui Kiel, Karen McAdie, Morag McDonach, Douglas William McKnight, Evelyn Mullen, Mona Simion, Pinelopi Stylianopoulou, Jennifer Taylor, and Judith Wynne.

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• 2022. Documentary film: ‘Scotland, African Voices: The Covid19 Vaccine Debate’ (with Josephine Adekola, PI).

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The documentary aims to address health inequalities and save lives by encouraging vaccine take-up in the Scottish African, Caribbean and Black community, and by highlighting social-epistemological obstacles amongst barriers to vaccination for these communities. Full documentary available here:  https://youtu.be/h1yNAZffpOg Trailer available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ie8SMVvy1Y  

Partners: Sarah Gilbert and the Vaccine Knowledge Group (University of Oxford), Emma Thompson (the MRC Centre for Virus Research), Deji Bolarinwa (University of Ilorin, Nigeria) Duncan Pritchard (University of California Irvine), Ilan Kelman (University College London, Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction), Jason Leitch (National Clinical Director, the Scottish Government), Claire Cameron (Public Health Scotland), Pastor Yinka and Adefolake Adesina (Fountain of Living Water, RCCG, Ayr), pRESPECT Hub Edinburgh, Sharpen Her: the African Women's Network (SHAWM), Glasgow Black and Scot, Aberdeen Jezreel Consultancy.

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• 2022. White Paper: ‘Trust, Disinformation, and Evidence Resistance.’ In response to the UK Parliament Call for Evidence: ‘Fighting Disinformation with Trustworthy Voices’ (with Chris Kelp). Published on the UK Parliament website here: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/111503/pdf/ 

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• 2022. Ways of Seeing. ArCadia Festival of Ideas, University of Glasgow (with Giovanna Vitelli, Head of Collections, Hunterian Museum).

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• 2022. Panel member: ‘Covid19 Vaccine Hesitancy in African, Black, and Caribbean Communities in Scotland.  Community/Public Health Scotland/ Scottish Government/Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow public event. Recording available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-akC8rL_yFA

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• 2022. Interview: ‘Vaccine Hesitancy and Evidence Resistance’. Public Debate Project, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow.

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• 2019-2022. Project Lead: ‘Changing Design, Policy, and Practice in the Wellness Resorts Industry through Philosophy of Functions’ Impact Case, University of Glasgow and Therme Group Austria (externally evaluated at REF 3*-4*, portable)

  • ​ Featured in the 'Scottish Business News' here.

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• 2021. Panellist, ‘Climate Justice, Risk, and Wellbeing’ public debate, COP26 UK Universities Innovation Showcase, Glasgow, UK.

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• 2021. ‘Knowledge, Justification, and the Lost Anxiety over Regress’. Commentary on ‘What is Knowledge’ debate between Martha Kneale and Allen Phillips Griffiths for the Open University Video Archive Exhibition https://www.open.ac.uk/library/digital-archive/

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• 2021. Interviewed by Janet Anderson for ‘From Different Perspectives: Science, Society, and Communication’, Creating Chemistrymagazine. https://www.basf.com/global/en/media/magazine/issue-10.html

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• 2021. Interviewed by Rebecca O’Dwyer for ‘Living Therme’ https://www.livingtherme.com/

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• 2020. Interviewed by Arianna Clark and Ruaridh Gilmartin for UoG ‘Thoughts’ Podcast: ‘Victim Testimony.’ https://www.thoughtsuofg.com/episodes/episode-14-victim-testimony/  

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• 2020. #YouShouldBelieveHer.’ Invited entry for Alessandra Tanesini’s ‘Open for Debate’ Public Philosophy Blog. https://blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/openfordebate/youshouldbelieveher/

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• 2019. Interviewed by Robin Bisson for Research Professional News here: https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-funding-insight-2020-1-my-winning-proposal-permission-to-prioritise-the-big-ideas/   

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• 2019. Organiser: ‘Forgiveness and Blame’ Public Roundtable, Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow and Royal Society of Edinburgh.

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• 2019 ‘Evidence and Knowledge’ public talk at the Glasgow – NASA Workshop on Safety Engineering. 

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• 2018-2019. Founding Member: 'Philosophy of Safety Engineering’ NASA-University of Glasgow Collaboration (PI: Neil McDonnell).

  • Featured in 'The Herald' here.

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• 2018. Co-Coordinator: Philosophy Café, Coatbridge Library, Glasgow (with Daniella Meehan).

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• 2018. Organiser: Public Conference on ‘Dimensions of Wellbeing,’ University of Glasgow.

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• 2018. Organiser: Cardiff Philosophy Festival: Ethics and Technology, Sherman Theatre, Cardiff (with Orestis Palermos).

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• 2017. 'The Value of Knowledge'; public lecture at the Philosophy Cafe, Cardiff.

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• 2017. ‘Testimonial Contractarianism’ Royal Institute of Philosophy Public Lecture, Cardiff.

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• 2017. Developer, Royal Institute of Philosophy, Cardiff Branch outreach website, http://www.publicphilosophycardiff.co.uk/.

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• 2017. ‘What is God?.’ Roundtable discussion at the ‘Question Everything’ philosophy meet up, The Philharmonic, Cardiff (moderator, with Orestis Palermos)

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• 2017. Organiser: Royal Institute of Philosophy Cardiff Seminar Series (with Orestis Palermos).