Emma is a co-director of the Binks Hub, a new interdisciplinary research hub centred on the creation of transformative, co-created research. Emma is responsible for the Hub’s programme of teaching and education. Working closely with the Research Training Centre and EFI, Emma is working to extend and expand training and education in participatory, collaborative and creative approaches to research.
Emma’s research interests centre around how academics can use research to meaningfully reveal and tackle social inequalities. She typically draws on qualitative methods that help understand people and their lives from their own vantage points and has a particular interest in using collaborative and participatory methodologies. Her research interests are broadly concerned with community identity and understanding the social infrastructures that support community belonging, trust and tolerance. Areas of research include youth transitions; educational engagement; public libraries; ‘significant others’ and Adverse Childhood Experiences. Prior to joining the University as a lecturer in 2020, Emma was a researcher in urban studies at Heriot Watt University, and a social housing consultant at DTZ Pieda (Edinburgh).
