Welcome – about me

I am a behavioural scientist, multidisciplinary researcher, and author. My work centres on human decision-making, drawing on tools from behavioural economics, cognitive science, and evidence-based policy development. I am currently a Senior Advisor at The Behavioural Insights Team. I work across BIT Australia projects to apply behavioural science in a range of social impact policy areas including sustainability, mental health, digital health, aged care, and disability.

Previously, I was a research scientist at the Brain and Mind Centre & School of Psychology at The University of Sydney, and the Department of Psychology at Harvard University.

I received my PhD in cognitive science from the University of Queensland, focusing on how people make decisions about the future. My first book, The Invention of Tomorrow, was released in 2022. Written together with Thomas Suddendorf and Jonathan Redshaw, the book is all about the science of human foresight: how this ability works, where it comes from, and how we can put it to better use.

My bio and research

In my research I have worked on experimental, survey, interview, cross-sectional, and longitudinal projects with diverse participants including students, young children, health professionals, and community volunteers, as well as with large epidemiological, economic, and national datasets. You can see a list of my published work on the research page of this website, or on my Google Scholar profile.

I am a passionate science communicator. My writing has appeared in outlets including BBC Future, The Globe and Mail, Psyche, and The Conversation, among others. A selection of my articles can be found on the media page of this website, alongside some of my podcast and radio appearances. I am particularly passionate about exploring and communicating behavioural science and foresight in leadership, sustainability, climate-change, and health, especially where I can help in the development of evidence-based policy solutions to complex problems.

I am currently a Senior Advisor at The Behavioural Insights Team Australia. BIT is a social purpose company owned by the UK innovation charity Nesta focused on applying an evidence-based understanding of human behaviour to improve public policy, programs, products, and services. I manage a portfolio of primarily health policy projects with government, academic, and NGO partners.

Before joining BIT, I was based at the Memory and Imagination in Neurological Disorders (MIND) group at the Brain and Mind Centre, the University of Sydney, as well as the University of Sydney School of Psychology. I was also a researcher at the Harvard University Department of Psychology, with the Schacter Memory Lab where I was an NHMRC CJ Martin Biomedical Early Career Fellow. Before that, I was based at the University of Queensland School of Psychology, at the Early Cognitive Development Centre and the Centre for Psychology and Evolution.

The Invention of Tomorrow

You can click here to read more about The Invention of Tomorrow: A Natural History of Foresight (Basic Books, 2022), my book with Thomas Suddendorf and Jonathan Redshaw on the powers and pitfalls of the ability to think about the future – available in hard cover and audio formats.

If you’d like to get in touch, please feel free to reach out. You can find me on LinkedIn here.  

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