I am a political theorist with an interest in democratic design, and in the use of methods from philosophical ethics to contribute to interdisciplinary research on global challenges. My research is animated by two questions:

What democratic innovations would allow us to better cope with the environmental, social, and technological challenges that humanity faces?

What does it mean, in theory and practice, to adapt to climate change, and to promote global development, in a way that is both ethical and just?

Ongoing research includes work on motivation in political theory, on ethics in adaptation to climate change, technology and democracy, pandemics, and Indigenous Peoples. My previous research focused on the philosophy of equality and fairness, particularly in respect of distributions of risk. I have also published on the ethics of consent, on carbon offsetting and carbon quotas, and on political authority. My research on justice and risk was awarded the Inaugural Sanders Prize in Political Philosophy in 2015.

My policy work includes advising a broad range of UK and international NGOs and government bodies, including the UK Cabinet Office. In 2020 I was awarded the International Society for Environmental Ethics Andrew Light Prize for Public Philosophy for policy engagement. I am a member of the Strategic Advisory Group for the UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund, and a member of the Expert Advisory Group on Safeguarding for the UK Collaborative on Development Research.

I have a BA in psychology and philosophy, and a BPhil and DPhil in philosophy (Oxford). Before joining Warwick in 2014, I was a Lecturer in Political Theory at the Universities of Exeter and Reading. I have held visiting positions at the University of Toronto, the University of Louvain, and the University of Oxford. Prior to becoming an academic I lived and worked with marginalised groups in various countries, including Rwanda, Guyana, India, Peru, Nigeria, Mexico, Indonesia, and the Middle East.