Welcome – about me

I am a behavioural scientist, multidisciplinary researcher, and author. My work focusses on human decision-making, drawing on tools from behavioural economics, cognitive science, and psychology. I am currently an Advisor at The Behavioural Insights Team. 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, 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, and 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 applications of behavioural science and foresight in leadership, sustainability, climate-change, and health.

I am currently an Advisor at The Behavioural Insights Team in Sydney. Before joining BIT, I was based at the Memory and Imagination in Neurological Disorders (MIND) group led by Professor Muireann Irish 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 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.

You can click here to read more about The Invention of Tomorrow: A Natural History of Foresight, my new book with Thomas Suddendorf and Jonathan Redshaw on the powers and pitfalls of the ability to think about the future – out now in hard cover and audio.

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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