Julie McLaren

Julie McLaren is a PhD candidate at the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose and a Research Fellow in Sustainable and Healthy Cities for the CUSSH Project at the UCL IEDE.

Julie’s research is strongly linked with policy and practice. As Research Fellow in Sustainable and Healthy Cities for the CUSSH project, she works as part of a team in close partnership with the Greater London Authority on their open innovation programmes. This also connects to her PhD research which is focused on civic innovation and inclusive urban governance under the supervision of Professor Rainer Kattel.

Prior to joining UCL, Julie worked in the research and innovation sector in a range of roles including as a freelance consultant and practitioner, Deputy Director of Research at the University of Exeter and Associate Director of Research and Innovation Programmes at the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). At AHRC she played a role in the shaping of the UK Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and a successful bid to the fund for a £80M investment for the Creative Industries. Her professional experience connects with her research in its focus on urban, creative and innovation public policy and development programmes.

She has a Masters in Public Administration in Innovation, Public Policy and Public Value from IIPP, and an MSc in Economic Geography.