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The Team
Sarah Chaytor
Director of Research Strategy & Policy
Sarah Chaytor joined the Office of the Vice-Provost (Research) in 2009 and established UCL Public Policy in 2012. Her current role includes overseeing the UCL Public Policy programme and building UCL’s capacity to engage with public policy, as well as advising the Vice-Provost (Research) on research strategy and other aspects of his portfolio, leading UCL’s research policy work, and managing strategic projects.
She is a co-investigator and Co-Chair of the Project Delivery Group for the £10 million Capabilities in Academic-Policy Engagement project.
Prior to joining UCL, Sarah worked as a research fellow at the Russell Group, leading work related to research funding and policy. She previously held research policy roles at the Wellcome Trust and Universities UK, and before that worked as a parliamentary researcher and for a think tank. She was a co-founder of UPEN, the Universities Policy Engagement Network, and is co-chair of the UPEN Futures Working Group.
Sarah has a MA in Issues in Modern Culture from UCL and a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Oxford.
Olivia Stevenson
Deputy Director of UCL Public Policy
Dr Olivia Stevenson joined in 2015 and is responsible for leading the UCL Public Policy programme.
Focused on generating collaborative opportunities, Olivia develops strategic initiatives to improve the quality of engagement between academic research and public policy. She is the co-lead for practice on the UPEN Programmes project, funded by Research England, the ESRC, and UKRI.
Olivia is a cofounder of the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN), was UCL's co-lead on the £10m Capabilities in Academic-Policy Engagement (CAPE) project, and has delivered a range of internationally recognised high-impact research projects, published widely, most recently on knowledge mobilisation.
Olivia has a PhD in Social Geography from the University of Leeds and a Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship.
Katherine Welch
Deputy Director of External Engagements and Partnerships (currently on secondment)
Katherine joined the team in 2017 and is responsible for supporting UCL researchers and academics to connect their work with strategic partners across academia, policy, third sector and professional organisations. She is leading UCL Public Policy's work on climate and net zero as well as Artificial Intelligence and work.
Katherine was previously Deputy Director and Manager of the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources, establishing alongside the Director the Institute's research, teaching and engagement agendas. Prior to joining UCL, Katherine worked in the mining sector as a journalist and editor for global mining publication, Mining Journal. Katherine has a first-class honours in Geology and a Masters in Quaternary Science.
Dr Sinéad Murphy
Policy Engagement Coordinator
Sinéad joined the team in August 2023 and works primarily on UCL Policy Commissions and the UCL Brokerage Academy. Her role focuses on enabling academic-policy engagement, and bringing together researchers from across disciplines to explore impactful solutions to pressing public policy challenges.
Prior to joining UCL Public Policy, Sinéad worked in teaching and academic research and knowledge exchange, and has also held roles in research administration, professional services, and learned society management. Alongside her independent research outputs, Sinéad is part of the Beyond Gender Research Collective. Sinéad has a PhD in Comparative Literature from King’s College London.
Dr Alice Tofts
Policy Fellowship Coordinator
Alice joined the team in September 2023. Her role focuses on developing UCL’s policy fellowship ( secondments, internships, placements) programme, facilitating engagement between academics and policymakers.
She has a Masters in Museum Studies from UCL and a PhD in modern History from the University of Nottingham and in affiliation with Imperial War Museums. Alongside her PhD, she runs engagement events and workshops on the subject of her research.
Prior to joining UCL Public Policy, Alice worked at the University of Sussex’s public policy initiative Policy@Sussex as well as working as a research assistant focusing on the history of sustainable business practices and policy. Prior to that she worked in museum consultancy with a focus on environmental sustainability.
Daisy Forster
Impact Reporting and Communications Coordinator
Daisy joined the team in February 2024. Prior to joining UCL Public Policy, she was involved in the CAPE programme at the University of Nottingham. Her role focuses translating UCL's policy work into impactful reporting and communications.
Prior to working in academic policy engagement, Daisy worked in policy influencing roles charities, including as an elected sabbatical officer in the University of Nottingham Students' Union, where she held the student living and wellbeing portfolio. She also has a BA in Liberal Arts (History) from the University of Nottingham.
E: daisy.forster@ucl.ac.uk
Prof Graeme Reid
Professor of Science and Research Policy at University College London (UCL)
Graeme chairs the Board of the National Physical Laboratory, one of the UK’s largest Government Labs.
He spent most of his career at the interface between science and government, working in the Business Department, the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury before joining UCL in 2014.
Graeme has led policy reviews for the UK Science Minister (with Sir Adrian Smith), the Scottish Funding Council and the Welsh Government. Graeme was specialist advisor to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee during their inquiries into Brexit.
Previous appointments include membership of the Council of Research England, chair of the Campaign for Science and Engineering and trustee of the Association of Medical Research Charities. Graeme began his career at the National Engineering Laboratory, near Glasgow.
Dr Robyn Parker
Head of Communications and Impact, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)
As UPEN's Head of Communications and Impact, Robyn looks after all UPEN’s external communications. That means she's the one who oversees UPEN’s website, newsletter, LinkedIn presence, and she also handles UPEN’s brand and media relations. Robyn is also responsible for all the communications, case studies, and stories that will be coming from UPEN Programmes.
If you've got a good news story you think UPEN should share, or if you have ideas for how we can improve the communication channels, get in touch with Robyn.
Before joining UPEN, Robyn managed the multi-partner project, Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE). She holds a PhD from the University of Sheffield in medieval history. When she's not at work, you can find her at festivals, or admiring new growth on her houseplants.
E: robyn.parker@ucl.ac.uk
Ayden McKeating
Head of Programmes and Operations, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)
As the Head of Programmes and Operations for UPEN, Ayden manages the UKRI funded programme. He is responsible for the implementation of a robust governance framework, programme recruitment, leading overall programme management, and managing the £5.9 million award, which includes managing commissioning fund allocations, and distributing programme funds across various streams.
Ayden works closely with all UPEN Programmes partners, chairing regular reporting meetings to review and track progress across their areas of work. He is a member of the Programme’s Strategy Group and helps facilitate the advisory board’s activities and engagement. He also reports progress to the programme’s research funders at UKRI.
Get in touch with Ayden if you have any questions regarding UPEN’s UKRI investment or have an operational enquiry.
Ayden has worked in the higher education sector for over a decade, and prior to UPEN, was the Operations Manager at the ESRC funded International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO).
E: ayden.mckeating@ucl.ac.uk
Laura Bea
Head of Membership and Network Development, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)
Laura is the Head of Membership and Network Development (part time) for the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN). She's responsible for creating and delivering UPEN’s Member Engagement Strategy with the members and partners. You can get in touch with Laura if you have with any enquiries about what UPEN offers, how to get involved in UPEN activities, or for any ideas you'd like to put forward for UPEN’s commissioning funds.
Alongside this, she is also co-Chair and co-creator of UPEN’s Arts and Humanities Sub-Committee, and co-chair of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Sub Committee, and has produced work on how knowledge brokerage can embed EDI activities to support more diverse people and knowledges engaged in policymaking.
Outside of this role, they are conducting a PhD at the University of Southampton on the role of fiction as a form of knowledge and evidence within public policy making, funded by the Southcoast Doctoral Training Partnership, Economic and Social Science Research Council (SCDTP ESRC).
Laura enjoys reading fiction, knitting, and learning Punjabi outside of work; she is a big Lord of the Rings fan and will always welcome disruptions to meetings in the forms of fluffy household pets (excluding spiders).
E: l.bea@ucl.ac.uk
