I am originally from Wellington, Aotearoa / New Zealand, where I completed an honours degree in English Literature and Psychology and an MSc in Psychology at Victoria University of Wellington. My MSc focused on the topic of identity and indigenous rights. I then moved to Edinburgh where I worked as a Research Officer for the Community Justice charity, Sacro, from 2005-2009, undertaking research on a range of interventions and policy topics including Restorative Justice, supported accommodation services for ex-offenders, bail supervision, alcohol education interventions, support for street sex workers and mediation services. In 2009 I began a PhD in Psychology at the University of Edinburgh on the integration of asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland. In 2012 I completed my PhD and began working as a lecturer in Social Work at the University of Edinburgh.

Broadly I am interested in issues related to justice, equality and identity. More specifically, I am interested in criminal justice, particularly restorative justice and desistance from offending. I am also interested in topics relating to asylum seekers and refugees as well as racism, prejudice and discrimination. I would be happy to supervise PhD students on any of these subjects. I have used a range of research methods in my research, particularly discourse analysis as well as various forms of statistical analysis and evaluation methodologies.