We have a dynamic team of researchers, this group are essential to the progress of our activities, helping to drive and coordinate our portfolio.
Dr Annie Connolly
Research Engagement Manager
The Food FoundationAnnie is Research Engagement Manager at the Food Foundation, in the Children’s Right 2 Food team. She works on the school food element of FixOurFood, focussing on policy and stakeholder engagement.
Annie has been involved in advocating for change in our food system on different scales for many years, from growing vegetables with primary school children and volunteering in food banks to campaigning for national policy change with End Hunger UK.
She did an MSc in Food Policy and has recently passed her PhD at the University of Leeds on primary school children’s lived experiences of food insecurity.
Dr Philip Hadley
Research Associate
University of YorkPhilip is a Research Associate in the School for Business and Society at the University of York in May 2023, working on projects related to food systems, hybrid business models and their associated supply chains. Alongside Fix our Food, Philip is involved in NIHR-funded research exploring community food assets in Bradford and Tower Hamlets (London), as well as a UKRI-funded Knowledge Transfer Partnership with a research institution and social enterprise in South Africa, aimed at supporting smallholder farmers to grow climate-resilient, indigenous crops, and engage in supply chain development.
Philip holds a PhD in International Development, which explored hybrid co-operative companies in agriculture in central India, as well as the international organic cotton supply chains (and ‘novel’ partnership arrangements) in which they were operating. His research drew on multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork to examine everyday practices of co-operation, institution building and value chain integration, as well as their representation by a diverse array of actors.
Prior to his PhD, Philip worked in professional research, advocacy and project roles for a number of civil society organisations.
Email: philip.hadley@york.ac.uk
Dr Juan Pablo Cordero
Research Associate
University of YorkJuan Pablo is based in the Department of Environment and Geography at the University of York, and is interested in the development of scientific software, big data research, visual representation of data, predictive numerical models and the effect of measurement uncertainty on model parameter estimation.
His role in FixOurFood is to develop numerical models of the Yorkshire food system which can help predict the effect of systemic transformations of food production, storage, processing and consumption on measurable indicators with an emphasis on the effects on business models, dietary
choices and environmental impact.Juan Pablo is a data scientist with a PhD in Astrophysics from The University of Manchester, and has previously worked in large international scientific collaborations such as the Dark Energy Survey and the SkyPy collaboration.
Email: juanpablo.cordero@york.ac.uk
Dr Alana Kluczkovski
Research Fellow
University of YorkAlana is based in the Department of Biology at the University of York. Her research focus is food production and its impact on human and planetary health. She works with the Hybrid Economies team running the innovative cutting edge technology urban indoor vertical farm, Grow It York, in the centre of York – located at the heart of the vibrant Spark container park.
Exploring the benefits of controlled environment agriculture, Alana carries out research into the vertical farm’s environmental and social impacts. She investigates how to best use vertical farms as business models that prioritise social and environmental benefits (not just profit) and how they can be encouraged in the food system. She also engages with communities, local businesses and schools, helping them to understand how to transform food systems in a more equitable, healthy and sustainable way.
Alana is also the Take a bite out of climate change consortium coordinator, where she produces educational resources to engage the public and guide policymakers about food choices to improve human and environmental health. Alana has previously been involved in a wide range of international research food systems related projects funded by N8 AgriFood Policy Hub, STFC Food Network+, STFC GCRF, UKRI GCRF and NERC and British Council.
Email: alana.kluczkovski@york.ac.uk
Dr Ruth Wade
Research Fellow
University of LeedsRuth is a Research Fellow in the School of Biology at the University of Leeds. An ecologist at heart, her passion is to use knowledge and ideas from ecological systems in agricultural systems, working towards regenerative farming, whilst maintaining a resilient and productive farming system. Her role in FixOurFood is to quantify the impacts of regenerative farming practices on the soil, plants, interacting organisms and atmosphere. She completed her PhD in 2015, measuring the impact of predicted changes in UK rainfall patterns on barley crop production, plant defence as well as insect pests and their natural enemies. During her time as a Post-doctoral Research Associate, she worked at the University of Sheffield investigating the role of hedgerows and grass leys in supporting soil biodiversity in neighbouring agricultural fields, multifunctional landscape approaches and growth/survival trade-offs in different grass species. For the last three years she has worked as a Research Consultant at ADAS where she delivered research for the agricultural sector as well as worked directly with farmers in the UK, USA and Canada, trying to narrow the gap between actual and potential yields.
Email: R.Wade@leeds.ac.uk
Eugyen Suzanne Om
PhD Researcher
University of YorkSuzanne is a PhD student at the University of York. She has a BSc in Environment, Economics and Ecology and an MSc in Environmental Economics and Environmental Management. Her interdisciplinary studies have led to her keen interest in researching food systems due to the interdependencies and connectedness. Her current research focuses on identifying and enabling synergies to support transformation to regenerative food systems. Her wider interests include business and environment, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, environmental psychology, systems thinking and inner and outer transformational change for a sustainable future.
Email: eso513@york.ac.uk
Sundus Mahdi
Research Associate
University of YorkSundus is a Research Associate in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York. She works on the school food work stream of FixOurFood. Sundus is passionate about food policies that aim to improve children’s diet and overall health whilst also reducing health inequalities. She also has a keen interest in whole systems approaches to see successful changes in behaviours and health outcomes.
Sundus has completed an MSc in Health Psychology at University College London and a Wellcome Trust funded PhD in Public Health, Economics and Decision Sciences at the University of Sheffield. Her research was focused on exploring feasible approaches to evaluating dietary digital interventions with a focus on the Change4Life Food Scanner app and it’s impacts on clinical, economic and health outcomes.
Throughout her PhD, Sundus established various public and third sector experience and collaborations. This included publishing a report on the salt content within crumpets in collaboration
with Action on Salt and conducting consultations with local authorities in collaboration with OHID Y&H on issues relating to food in a school setting. Sundus has also led public engagement initiatives in delivering healthy eating workshops to primary school children.Email: sundus.mahdi@york.ac.uk
Georgia Irving
Research Assistant
University of YorkGeorgia is a Research Assistant for the Fix our Food in Schools team at the University of York. She has previously worked in community focused roles for a large portion of her career, working closely with volunteers and community groups.
Georgia became interested in fixing the food system after volunteering at a local community kitchen and seeing the impact of a broken food system firsthand. She moved from her community role in social housing to a food focused role at City of York Council where she supported community food projects across the city and coordinated a joined-up approach to food aid, establishing the Good Place Network for sharing best practice, finding solutions to shared challenges and planning for the future.
Dr Angelina Frankowska
Research Associate
Cranfield UniversityResearch Fellow in Modelling Agricultural Systems, Cranfield University
Angelina is a research fellow at the School of Water, Energy and Environment at Cranfield University where she focuses on regenerative agricultural practices and the implementation of these into a farm model. Her expertise is in life cycle analysis and the environmental impacts of food production and consumption. Her research interests also include the food-energy-water nexus and sustainable diets.
Email: angelina.frankowska@cranfield.ac.uk
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Ben Fletcher
PhD Researcher
University of YorkBen is a PhD student within the School for Business and Society at the University of York. He is exploring the key components of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in tackling wicked problems within the food system.
Alongside his PhD, Ben supports the Bradford District Sustainable Food Partnership where he aided the co-development of the District Food Strategy.
His research interests include systems transformation, hybrid business models, cross-sector collaboration, economic inclusion, and convenience foods.
Ben has an MSc in Sustainability & Consultancy and a BA in Childhood Studies from the University of Leeds and varied professional cross-sectoral experience. Previous roles include Local Government Policy & Partnership Support, Consultancy, Youth Programme Delivery, and Manufacturing.Email: blf514@york.ac.uk
Rebecca Lait
PhD Researcher
University of YorkRebecca is undertaking a PhD with FixOurFood, based in the School for Business and Society at the University of York. Having graduated from her undergraduate and masters degrees in Theoretical Physics, Rebecca is keen to apply her analytical and problem solving skills to FixOurFood projects. Her PhD work is investigating the role of power in the UK meat and livestock system in influencing the perception and controversy of meat and livestock reduction strategies. Having carried out research in public sector procurement supply chains as well as leading climate change citizen science engagement projects prior to starting her PhD, Rebecca is now bringing together her experiences to contribute to the development of a more regenerative, sustainable and fair food system
Email: rsl521@york.ac.uk
Nicola Nixon
PhD Researcher
University of YorkNicola is currently working on her PhD with FixOurFood, based in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York. Her research focuses on how school food procurement can impact health and wellbeing outcomes for all children, working towards a more equal, healthier nation in conjunction with regenerating our natural environment. She is passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of all children through nutrition and diet and has been directly involved in school food transformation and the implementation of a whole school approach to food as Chair of Governors at a Yorkshire primary school.
Nicola has 30 years of experience in senior and executive roles in domestic and international, industry leading, businesses working with boards and committees from both the public and private sector. She specialises in risk management, transformational change and restructure, and has extensive experience of using effective monitoring and evaluation to define and drive change. She has worked with a broad range of industries to understand organisational drivers, establish or revise strategic direction and develop supporting actions and policies. She brings a diversity of thought and experience of working in a collaborative manner with key stakeholders and large interdisciplinary teams.
She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Accountants and a Registered Associate Nutritionist, with a first class BA (hons) in Business Studies and an MSc with distinction in Nutrition.
Email: nicola.nixon@york.ac.uk
Sam Buckton
PhD Researcher
University of YorkSam is currently a PhD researcher at the University of York’s Department of Environment and Geography, researching how the practice of evaluation can support food system transformations such as the one that FixOurFood aims to support in Yorkshire. Prior to this, Sam was a Research Assistant with FixOurFood working on designing, delivering, and analysing results of Three Horizons workshops with Yorkshire food system stakeholders to co-create transformative pathways to regenerative futures. He is also researching understandings of regenerative systems and contributing to research on food system synergies. Sam has a BA (Hons) in Biological Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Environmental Economics and Environmental Management from the University of York. His research interests range widely from system transformation, futures methods, new economics, and youth activism in the face of global crises, to natural history, ecology and nature conservation. He is a Research Associate with Global Assessment for a New Economics (GANE) and a Youth Advisory Board member for the University of Hull’s Energy and Environment Institute project exploring youth-led adaptation to climate change in Vietnam. He has also worked with numerous British nature conservation NGOs, including at the RSPB’s innovative Hope Farm, and with the University of Cambridge to produce its Biodiversity Action Plan.
Email: sam.buckton@york.ac.uk
Dr Ulrike Ehgartner
Research Associate
University of YorkUlrike is a social scientist with a PhD in Sociology based at the York Management School. She is interested in sustainability, consumption and transformational change and she is passionate about co-productive and transdisciplinary forms of research. In her previous work, she focused on sustainable food consumption narratives and imagined futures through the lens of critical discourse analysis.
In her role as a Research Associate for FixOurFood, she is dedicated to researching hybrid food economy initiatives and how they can impact production to consumption in a regenerative way.
Email: ulrike.ehgartner@york.ac.uk
Rebecca Newman
Research Associate
University of YorkRebecca is focusing on governance for transforming food systems in Yorkshire. Previous to this she contributed to the Harvesting the Sun Twice project exploring how social factors might shape spatial suitability for Agri voltaic systems in East Africa. She also assisted on the Sensors for Clean Water project for the Stockholm Environment Institute exploring user-directed translation of new technologies. Rebecca’s PhD focused on sustainable land use planning in Zanzibar, where she used a water, energy and food nexus framework to support the development of sustainable land use plans. Her research approach involved connecting local community insights and experience into formal decision-making processes. Prior to this she carried out her MSc research in Kenya where she investigated land use and land cover implications for beekeeping livelihoods.
Email: rebecca.newman@york.ac.uk
Dr Christopher Yap
Research Fellow
City, University of LondonChristopher is an urban geographer based at the Centre for Food Policy, City University. His research draws on political economy and political ecology perspectives, as well as visual participatory methods, to examine intersections between urbanisation, planning, inequality, and food systems governance. As a Research Fellow on FixOurFood, Christopher is part of a work package that examines and contributes towards developing the policies, governance structures, and decision-making processes that are necessary to transform the UK’s food systems.
Christopher holds a PhD in human and social geography from the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University. He has previously been involved in a wide range of international research projects with University College London, the London International Development Centre, the International Institute for Environment and Development, and FIAN International.
Email: christopher.yap@city.ac.uk
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