Local Evidence Catapult Programme

The Local Evidence Catapult programme 2023 was jointly run by Public Policy|Southampton and Southampton City Council (SCC), giving Southampton Postgraduate Researchers and Early Career Researchers the opportunity to shed light on pressing policy changes.

SCC came up with research questions related to three research areas: health and inequalities; net zero; and socioeconomic development.

In response, the Local Evidence Catapult Fellows produced rapid literature reviews/syntheses – summarising the policy context and drawing upon the varying successes of policy interventions from relevant case studies.

The researchers received awards of up to £2,500 to produce a four-page executive summary alongside a presentation. They presented their findings at the John Hansard Gallery to senior political leaders and officers at SCC. Cllrs Sarah Bogle and Eamonn Keogh were also in attendance.

 

Local Evidence Catapult Fellows

Rhys Lawrence

 

Rhys is a PhD student researching interactions between Internet usage and the construction of space, spaces, and places in literature. He is also interested in interactions between new-media and spatialisation broadly, as well as the study of modern literature and the extra-academic uses for the insights gained from such work.

 

Amirmasoud Kiakojouri

 

Amirmasoud is passionate about sustainable machinery, health monitoring and AI-driven fault diagnosis models for renewable energy applications. He is a PhD researcher in pioneering machine learning solutions for a greener, more sustainable future.

Arjun Awasthi

 

Arjun is a third year PhD candidate in Sociology, Social Policy, and Criminology. His research demystifies demand for luxury products sourced from the illegal wildlife trade. His research interests are in consumer behaviour, motivation and intention, personality and animal welfare.

 

 

 

 

Linxi Shi

 

 

Linxi is a Lecturer in Accounting and Finance in the University of Greenwich. She finished her PhD in Accounting at the University of Southampton. Prior to this, she got a Master of Science in Finance and Accounting from the University of Southampton in 2017. Her undergraduate studies were completed at The Cooperative School of International Education, Tianjin University of Commerce, China, where she achieved a Double Bachelor of Science degree, encompassing a Bachelor of Management from Tianjin University of Commerce and a Bachelor of Business Study from Charles Sturt University, Australia. Her research interest is in the developments of management accounting in emerging economies, particularly within hybridised organisations and the public healthcare sector.

 

Lucy Msungeni

 

Lucy is working on a project addressing pressing policy challenges in Southampton, as she looks at the Southampton care system and care reversal in relation to the health and inequalities broad topic. She has a background in environmental health and public health with over seven years of lecturing at a Public University in Malawi. She has experience in conducting high impact public health research and her current interests are safety, health and environment, non-communicable diseases and re-emerging communicable diseases. She is a Commonwealth Award holder and has received awards such as the Dr David Livingstone Awards to Environmental Health students in Malawi, the Southern African Consortium for Research Excellence. She enjoys supporting young people in their pursuit of achievement in various areas of life.

 

 

Lei Xun

Lei is a Research Fellow who completed his PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering focusing on energy-efficient machine learning systems. He has valuable industry experience from internships at Nokia Bell Labs and Huawei Cambridge Research Center. He is also a Technical Program Committee member for prominent workshops in the field.

 

 

 

 

Shahad Alshehri

Shahad Alshehri is a lecturer at Umm Al Qura University in Saudi Arabia and a second-year PhD student in the Centre for Risk Research (CRR). She is actively engaged in research that examines the effectiveness of risk management practices in Saudi Arabian hospitals during disasters. Her work contributes significantly to enhancing healthcare institutions' preparedness and response capabilities, thereby promoting the safeguarding of patients and healthcare workers in emergencies. Additionally, Shahad's research is pivotal in providing valuable insights and recommendations for policy-making, helping to shape a more resilient healthcare infrastructure capable of effectively managing and mitigating risks associated with disasters in the region. This, in turn, can lead to an overall improvement in the quality of healthcare services and contribute to saving lives during critical emergencies.

 

Dominique Townsend

Dominique is a coastal geomorphologist who is studying for a PhD investigating nearshore change using experimental techniques.

 

 

 

 

 

Alice Booth

Alice is in her second year working with PPS as a Policy Associate. She is also a third year PhD student in Ocean and Earth Science investigating climate sensitivity and Earth System dynamics.

 

 

 

 

Kieron Owen

Kieron is an interdisciplinary postgraduate researcher in the Web Science Institute where he examines the benefits and challenges of technology in a changing world. Evidence-based policy is important to him because he understands that the multiple dimensions of change require thorough consideration to be mutually beneficial for all.

 

 

 

Olatokunbo Shoyemi

Olatokunbo is a PhD research scholar in Decision Analytics and Risk, at Southampton Business School. He has expertise in insurance business and is currently exploring fraud risk management in financial institutions with a focus on the insurance market. Ola has earned several certifications, including Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Chartered Insurance Practitioner (AIIN), Qualified Insurance Broker (ACIB), and Certified in Information Technology as Insurance Professional (CITIP).

 

 

 

 

Fatima Ozcan

Fatima is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Southampton. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Cyber Coverage of Autonomous Ships in the context of Marine Insurance Law.

 

 

 

 

Lysanne Michels

Lysanne’s interdisciplinary research aims to mitigate gender-based health inequity, and currently focuses on reducing injury risk in women within the military.

 

 

 

 

Ali Ulvi Sahin

Ali is a second year PhD student in Southampton Law School. He is doing research on maritime sustainability and port law.