About us
The programme is a collaboration between the University of Strathclyde, the University of Glasgow and Edinburgh Napier University. It brings together researchers with expertise on criminal and community justice, citizenship, healthcare, Scottish prisons, sociology, social work, public health and health inequalities. In our community focused work, we are also working with the Scottish Community Development Centre.
Liz Aston
Liz Aston is a Professor of Criminology at Edinburgh Napier University and Director of the Scottish Institute for Policing Research. Her research focuses on local policing, including the intersect with health. Liz is a Co-Investigator on this CSO programme and Co-Lead (with Kat Smith) of the research strand examining Police Scotland's efforts to support and promote community wellbeing.
Emily Brenner
Emily Brenner is undertaking a PhD research project connected to this programme, based at the University of Strathclyde. Emily is trained in criminology and brings experience of working with young people in London and Scotland to publish research on trauma, juvenile justice, and knife crime. Emily's research interests are prisons, juvenile justice and critical criminology. Emily's PhD research is focusing on identifying key needs of long-term Scottish prison inmates in accessing healthcare during imprisonment and through release.
Natalie Chalmers
Natalie Chalmers is a postdoctoral researcher, who has recently been focusing on the health and well-being of older people with dementia in prison. Her research interests include secure settings, mental health and intervention development. Based at Edinburgh Napier University, Natalie will be working with Katrina and Ellen on the research strand examining digital interventions to support healthcare in prisons.
Mick Doyle
Mick Doyle, one of Scottish Community Development Centre's Heads of Programme, is supporting our research with communities. Mick has delivered, managed and researched community development for over 40 years on issues as diverse as refugee empowerment and integration, housing, poverty and civil and human rights. More recently his SCDC work includes delivering support for Community Action Planning which enables communities to tackle a wide range of local issues, including service development based on need. Mick helped facilitate Scotland's Citizens Assembly, which gathered citizen views on a wide range of issues. He has supported both community-led and joint action with academic partners on community experiences of: organised crime in Scotland; the effect of COVID-19 on childcare; community responses to sectarianism; impact of the Community Empowerment Act; and experience of Scotland's Syrian refugee resettlement programme. Additional SCDC staff may also be deployed to support the programme, as required.
Danilo Falzon
Danilo Falzon is undertaking a PhD research project connected to this programme, based at Edinburgh Napier University. Danilo brings expertise in substance use, harm reduction, social and economic inequality, criminology and restorative justice. His PhD research is exploring peer-support for people in Scottish prisons who use drugs.
Alistair Fraser
Alistair Fraser is Professor of Criminology at the University of Glasgow, where he was formerly Director of the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research. His recent research examines public health and violence reduction, and he has a longstanding interest in community-based methods. Alistair is a Co-Investigator on this programme and Co-Lead (with Beth Weaver) of the research strand focusing on communities.
Nasar Meer
Nasar Meer is Professor of Social & Political Sciences at the University of Glasgow. His research explores how different societies organise membership and how this corresponds with experiences of inequality and appeals to justice. Nasar is a Co-Investigator on this programme and is contributing to the research strand focusing on communities.
Katrina Morrison
Katrina Morrison is a lecturer in criminology within the School of Applied Sciences at Edinburgh Napier University. Her research interests include prisons and imprisonment, prison cultures and workforces; penal policy and politics; and qualitative research methods. Her work to date has focused on Scottish criminal justice policymaking with a focus on devolution and penal change, and latterly a greater focus on Scottish imprisonment and prison officers, including their learning and development. Katrina is Co-Investigator on the CSO programme and Co-Leads (with Ellen Stewart) the research strand examining digital interventions to support healthcare in prisons.
Kat Smith
Kat Smith is a Professor of Public Health Policy at the University of Strathclyde, where she co-leads the Centre for Health Policy and the Scottish Health Equity Research Unit. She brings expertise in policy options for improving health and reducing health inequalities in Scotland. Kat is the Principal Investigator of this CSO programme and is also Co-Leading (with Liz Aston) the research strand examining Police Scotland's efforts to support and promote community wellbeing.
Ellen Stewart
Ellen Stewart is a Professor of Public Policy & Health at the University of Glasgow. She brings expertise in public and patient perspectives on digital healthcare, healthcare change and health inequalities. Ellen is Co-Investigator of this CSO programme and Co-Leads (with Katrina Morrison) the research strand examining digital interventions to support healthcare in prisons.
Beth Weaver
Beth Weaver is a Professor of Criminal and Social Justice, with a background in justice social work and public protection. She is also an Associate Director of the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research. Her research broadly pivots around probation and justice social work, desistance and service user participation and involvement, regulation, risk, and governance.
We are also working with a range of peer-researchers in our research in community and prison settings.