Profile
I am a Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Aston University's Department of Politics, History, and International Relations. I have previously worked at the University of Lincoln and the University of Nottingham.
I conduct research on British foreign and security policy, and I am particularly interested in understanding i) the impact of the UK's foreign and security policy machinery on its approach to the world and ii) how a policymaker's perceptions of past foreign and security policy events shape their policy preferences in the present. My research often takes an interpretivist approach using archival methods, elite interviews, and discourse analysis. I have published three peer-reviewed articles in leading International Relations journals, and I am currently working on a book project about the 2003 Iraq War and British foreign policy decision-making.
In addition to my research, I have previously taken part in interviews for BBC Radio and the Guardian and I have authored a number of blogs for academic organisations, such as UK in the Changing Europe. I have also provided research support for a project on covert influence commissioned by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs. Recently, I delivered a talk at the UK Parliament on US-UK relations.
I have taught a range of modules on British Politics, International Relations, security, and research methods. I am an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.