Collaboratory Researcher Profiles
Project Title: Co-designing economics- and psychology-informed interventions to promote financial resilience in people facing Severe and Multiple Disadvantage
What were you doing before starting this PhD?
Before starting my PhD, I worked as a Research Fellow and lecturer in UK higher education, where my research focused on productivity, wages and economic justice. More recently, I completed a PGCE in Secondary Mathematics Education at the University of Nottingham and worked as a mathematics teacher in secondary schools. Alongside my academic work, I also volunteer as a mathematics tutor at several community centres in Nottingham, supporting people from a wide range of backgrounds.
My academic and professional experiences have given me a strong interest in how economic ideas connect with people’s everyday lives. They have also reinforced my belief that good research should combine analytical rigour with genuine engagement with the communities it seeks to understand. Personal experiences of navigating periods of uncertainty have further strengthened my commitment to research that is grounded in empathy, respect and collaboration.
What motivated you to apply for this specific PhD project?
My research explores the relationship between financial knowledge, personal circumstances and wider structural challenges. Rather than assuming that existing economic concepts apply equally to everyone, I am interested in understanding how these ideas can be adapted to better reflect the realities of people experiencing SMD.
The Collaboratory programme offered a unique opportunity to combine rigorous academic research with meaningful community engagement. A key reason I chose this project is that it is built around working alongside communities rather than simply carrying out research about them. By collaborating with community organisations, practitioners and people with lived experience, the project creates opportunities for research that is both academically rigorous and directly relevant to people’s lives.
My greatest motivation is that the project is not limited to understanding the challenges faced by people experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage. It also aims to develop practical initiatives that can empower communities through the co-design of interventions, workshops and resources that support financial resilience.
I am passionate about research that not only generates new knowledge, but also contributes to positive and lasting change for the communities involved.
What difference do you hope to make in Nottingham through this research?
I hope my research contributes both to academic knowledge and to practical improvements for people experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage. By working collaboratively with community organisations, people with lived experience and policymakers, I hope the project generates evidence that is both academically rigorous and genuinely useful in supporting more effective and inclusive approaches to financial wellbeing.
What do you hope to be doing in 5 years’ time? (personally and/or professionally)
I do not have clear plans for what I want to do in 5 years’ time, but I hope this PhD will allow me to continue developing as a researcher while significantly strengthening my research and professional portfolio. Beyond the doctorate, I want to continue pursuing the two things I am most passionate about: teaching and community work. I hope to build a career that brings together research, education and meaningful engagement with communities, ensuring that academic knowledge can contribute to positive social change.
Above all, I hope this research demonstrates that understanding financial decision-making requires us not only to study individuals, but also the social and economic conditions in which those decisions are made.