I completed my undergraduate degree, Master of Research (MRes) and PhD at Bath. I took both my MRes and PhD as part of the AAPS Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT). AAPS offered the perfect intersection of technical innovation and societal impact. The CDT’s interdisciplinary approach allowed me to explore the behavioural and societal dimensions of sustainable transport policy. This is something rarely prioritised in traditional engineering pathways. Its focus on real applications and strong links with policymakers made it a natural fit for the impact-driven research I wanted to pursue.

Supporting climate action

My PhD research explored who supports Low Emission Zones (LEZs), why they do so, how support changes over time, and how we can better analyse public feedback using AI tools. I chose this because the intersection of climate action and public behaviour inspired me. I wanted to contribute meaningfully to the policy landscape and ensure that decisions are informed by robust public insight and behavioural science. Climate policies often fail not because they are poorly designed technically, but because they lack public buy-in. I wanted to understand how to better engage communities and design fairer, more accepted policies.

LEZs are effective but contentious. Many are withdrawn or redesigned due to public opposition. My research tackled the challenge of understanding what drives long-term public support, and how policymakers could better capture and respond to community concerns — especially using large-scale consultation data.

A mixed-methods approach

I took a mixed-methods approach to my research. I used cross-sectional and longitudinal quantitative surveys to identify predictors of support and how these change over time. I developed and validated DECOTA, an AI tool for automated thematic analysis of free-text responses. I applied DECOTA to large qualitative datasets to explore nuanced public attitudes and reasons for support or opposition.

I hope that my research results in a better understanding of who supports LEZs, why, and how support evolves over time. DECOTA helps policymakers save time and money when analysing public consultation data and my evidence-based guidance supports the design of fair, effective and community-informed transport policies.

A rewarding experience

A real standout moment of my PhD was being contacted by four different UK government departments. They were interested in piloting or learning about DECOTA to analyse large volumes of public consultation data. It was incredibly validating to see the tool spark that level of interest, especially after years of development. What made it even more special was getting to publish the DECOTA methodology with my partner and another member of AAPS. It was such a proud, collaborative moment that really captured the spirit of the CDT.

Throughout my PhD, Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh was an incredible mentor. Her leadership in environmental psychology and consistent support were hugely influential. She champions her students in such a genuine way, and she’s shaped how I hope to mentor others in the future. I’m also really grateful to Dr Christina Demski, who brought such insight and positivity to my project. Her experience across academia and policy added real depth to my thinking. I learnt so much from working with her.

Reflecting back and looking forward

Balancing ambition with realism was a real challenge throughout my PhD. There was always the temptation to do more — add another dataset, test another variable. But I learnt that impactful research also means making tough decisions about scope and focus.

Seeing my work have real-world relevance has been incredibly rewarding. Especially developing DECOTA, a novel large language model tool that can help policymakers automatically analyse free-text consultation data quickly and effectively. Collaborating with local authorities and working for the Climate Change Committee gave my work tangible meaning and showed the value of behavioural science in policy.

I plan to continue working at the interface of research and policy — whether in academia, think tanks, or governmental advisory roles. My goal is to ensure that behavioural science and public perspectives are embedded in policymaking, especially in the climate sector.