Meet the team - Understanding Society

Understanding Society is a complex and important study requiring significant investment and expertise, clear scientific leadership and effective operational management. It is led by a team at the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex, with expert advice from Topic Champions in many different fields.

Co-Investigators

Professor Tarek Al Baghal

Associate Director, Content Development

Professor Michaela Benzeval

Director, Understanding Society

Dr Jonathan Burton

Associate Director, Surveys

Professor Paul Clarke

Co-Investigator, Statistics

Professor Thomas Crossley

Co-Investigator, Economics

Dr Paul Fisher

Associate Director, Income

Professor Annette Jäckle

Deputy Director and lead for Innovations and Enhancements

Professor Vittal Katikireddi

Co-Investigator, Public Health

Dr Jack Kneeshaw

Executive Director and lead for Data Linkages

Professor Meena Kumari

Associate Director, Health, Biomarkers and Genetics

Professor Peter Lynn

Associate Director, Survey Methods

Dr Aja Murray

Co-Investigator, Psychology

Professor Alita Nandi

Associate Director, Outreach

Becky Parsons

Associate Director, Communications and Engagement

Raj Patel

Associate Director, Policy and Partnerships

John Payne

Associate Director, Data

Professor Brienna Perelli-Harris

Co-Investigator, Demography

Professor Lucinda Platt

Co-Investigator, Sociology

Methodology

Developing the survey methods that underpin and enhance Understanding Society, the team also provide weights and weighting guidance for the Study.

Professor Peter Lynn

Associate Director, Survey Methods

Peter leads on sample design and the design of experiments and has overall responsibility for the study’s programme of methodological research. Alongside his work on Understanding Society, Peter is Director of Survey Futures.

Dr Olena Kaminska

Survey Statistician

Olena leads on developing and producing weights and contributes more broadly to improving the quality and efficiency of Understanding Society data. Her research addresses the role of motivation in survey response, and strategies for tackling nonresponse.

Professor Paul Clarke

Co-Investigator, Statistics

Paul’s work for Understanding Society focuses on the development of advanced longitudinal methods for the analysis of household panel data, including estimating mode effects and developing novel weighting schemes. Paul also contributes to the ESRC Research Centre on Micro-Social Change.

Dr Pablo Cabrera Alvarez

Senior Research Officer

Pablo works on response maximisation strategies, including the role of incentives, SMS messages, and respondent communications strategies. He also leads an annual report on attrition.

Dr Carla Xena

Research Officer (weighting)

Carla supports the development of weights for Understanding Society. Her interests include data quality (sampling, non-response, measurement) and attitudinal and value research.

Dr Nicole James

Senior Research Officer

Nicole works on response maximisation for youth and young adults. Her research addresses longitudinal patterns of survey participation, and motivations for participation amongst young people.

Innovations

Managing the Innovation Panel and the experiments that are fielded across Understanding Society.

Professor Annette Jäckle

Deputy Director and lead for Innovations

Alongside her work as Deputy Director, Annette leads the innovations work for Understanding Society. This focuses on new data collection methods, improving the quality of survey data, and collecting additional information from respondents using tools other than survey questions.

Jim Vine

Senior Research Officer

Jim works on innovation panel experiments and survey methods research, including event triggered data collection, and using apps in surveys. He also manages the Innovation Panel Competition.

Jasmine Mitchell

UKHLS PhD student

Jasmine’s research uses the innovation panel to explore innovations in data collection methods.

Owen Preston

Research Assistant (Innovations)

Owen supports the Understanding Society innovation projects.

Enhancements

Developing survey methods and questionnaire content, enhancement projects develop new areas of work for Understanding Society.

Professor Annette Jäckle

Deputy Director and lead for Enhancements

Alongside her strategic leadership as Deputy Director for Understanding Society, Annette leads the programme of enhancements work.

Dr Paulo Serodio

Senior Research Officer (New Data)

Paulo works on data linkage and survey data augmentation at Understanding Society. His research includes work on social network analysis and text-as-data.

Christine Woods

Senior Survey Officer (Enhancements)

Chris is responsible for project managing Understanding Society enhancement projects. She also prepares research ethics applications.

Kelly Goodyear

Enhancement Data Officer

Kelly supports the project management for all enhancements activities.

Data Linkage

Working with organisations across the UK to develop Understanding Society linked data for research.

Dr Jack Kneeshaw

Executive Director & lead for data linkages

Alongside his work as Executive Director, Jack provides leadership for all data linkage activity across Understanding Society.

Dr Jamie Moore

Research Fellow

Jamie’s research is on linked and missing data, including adjusting for missing observations in survey and linked datasets.

Kristijan Garic

Survey Data Linkage Officer

Kristijan supports the processing and quality verification of data files used in data linkage. He also works on enhancing geographical linkages and trains data users on data linkage.

Questionnaire Development

Designing, scripting, and testing all Understanding Society surveys, the team also works on content development.

Professor Tarek Al Baghal

Associate Director, Content Development

Tarek leads the questionnaire development team and the content development work for Understanding Society.

Dr Karon Gush

Senior Research and Content Development Officer

Karon works on identifying and addressing questionnaire improvements to enhance data quality.

Emily Dix

Survey Officer

Emily works on questionnaire design, specification, script testing and the production of data files.

Sarah Parbury

Survey Officer

Sarah works on questionnaire design, specification and testing.

Lewis Mitchell

Survey Officer

Lewis works on questionnaire design, specification and testing.

Ryan Holmes

Survey Officer

Ryan works on questionnaire design, specification and testing.

Dr Hannah Howman

Survey Officer

Hannah works on questionnaire design, specification and testing.

Joanne Maher

Research Assistant (Questionnaire Development)

Joanne supports questionnaire development and content planning.

Surveys

Deploying Understanding Society into the field, monitoring fieldwork and liaising with our fieldwork partners, Verian and Nat Cen. The Surveys team also respond to participant queries and work with the Communications team to keep participants involved in the Study.

Dr Jonathan Burton

Associate Director, Surveys

Jonathan Burton is the Understanding Society Associate Director for Surveys and is responsible for the management of the survey and is involved in all aspects of data collection and fieldwork design for the main study, the Innovation Panel, and other enhancements to the study.

Dr Violetta Parutis

Assistant Associate Director (Surveys)

Violetta is involved in data collection, fieldwork design and monitoring. She also works closely with the participant communications team and leads the Associated Studies programme.

Isobel Hibbard

Engagement and Communications Officer (Participants)

Isobel supports Understanding Society participants, responding to queries that come in to the Study. She also liaises with fieldwork agencies to resolve any participant issues.

Janet Page

Engagement and Communications Officer (Participants)

Janet supports Understanding Society participants, responding to queries that come in to the Study. She also liaises with fieldwork agencies to resolve any participant issues.

Amy Cole

Engagement and Communications Officer (Participants)

Amy supports Understanding Society participants, responding to queries that come in to the Study. She also liaises with fieldwork agencies to resolve any participant issues.

Data

Responsible for the processing and release of all Understanding Society datasets. The Data team also provides quality assurance for released data and software development for new projects.

John Payne

Associate Director, Data

John is responsible and accountable for Understanding Society’s data management systems. This strategic role includes providing leadership for all of the data functions that underpin the Study.

Graham Jolliffe

Research Data Manager

Graham manages the interface between Understanding Society and our principal data distributors (UKDS and ONS SRS). Chairs the Understanding Society Data Strategy Group (DaSG) and is responsible for the study’s geographical data strategy. Involved in the production of various aspects of Understanding Society data.

Memory Mhembere

Research Data Manager

Memo manages the ongoing cycle of longitudinal data development, as well as preparing datasets for deposit. She also supports the development of documentation for data users.

Catherine Yuen

Survey Applications Manager

Catherine manages the quality assurance and data processing systems for Understanding Society.

Glenn Dunn

Survey Database Manager

Glenn is responsible for the data aspects of the sample database population processes, managing the wave-to-wave survey cycle requirements. He also builds and maintains the reporting processes for Understanding Society.

George Bennett

Survey Data Officer

George processes all Understanding Society datasets, with a particular focus on the creation and maintenance of derived variables. He also creates customised genetics datasets.

Amir Avarzamani

Software Developer

Amir develops and implements software and components for Understanding Society’s data management and data processing systems.

Aarthi Iyer

Survey Data Officer

Aarthi processes and cleans Understanding Society datasets.

Families and Children

Understanding Society has a strand of work focusing specifically on data collection and research on families and children.

Professor Michaela Benzeval

Director, Understanding Society

Alongside her work as Director of Understanding Society, Michaela leads the programme of work focusing on families and children.

Dr Edith Aguirre

Senior Research Officer

Edith works on infrastructure and research projects relating to pregnancy and early childhood.

Kelly Reeve

Research Officer

Kelly is a Research Officer working on developing family and relationship research within the Understanding Society study, with a particular focus on families living across households and couples in Living Apart Together (LAT) arrangements.

Dr Cara Booker

Senior Research Fellow

Cara’s research interests include the psychosocial determinants of health, social inequalities in health and wellbeing among adolescents, and social media and young adult wellbeing.

Fatimah Shah

PhD student

Fatimah’s research uses Understanding Society to look at families across households.

Giacomo De Santis

PhD student

Giacomo’s research uses Understanding Society PEACH data to explore child development and wellbeing.

Health, Biomarkers and Genetics

Supporting the development of health, biomarker and genetic data collection, the team also provide support for researchers using these datasets.

Professor Meena Kumari

Associate Director, Health, Biomarkers and Genetics

Meena leads the health and biomarker content and research un Understanding Society, with a focus on social-biological interface and genetic epidemiology. Meena also leads the Centre for Doctoral Training in Biosocial Research at the University of Essex.

Dr Hasnat Amin

Senior Research Officer

Hasnat is a statistical geneticist and genetic epidemiologist. He manages Understanding Society genetic and epigenetic data, providing support for data management and evaluating applications from researchers seeking access to UKHLS genetics data.

Dr Sethlina Aryee

Senior Research Officer

Sethlina’s research focuses on statistical, population and quantitative genetics. She manages Understanding Society biomarker and genetics data, including genetic data applications, data sharing protocols, and providing expert advice to data users.

Yunlong Liang

Senior Research Officer

Yunlong supports the experimental biomarker work in Understanding Society. His own research focuses on the social determinants of chronic pain.

Income

Working on the design, collection and analysis of income data in Understanding Society, including creating derived income variables.

Dr Paul Fisher

Associate Director, Income

Paul’s work focuses on issues around data quality and the design, collection and analysis of survey data that measures household living standards. His research covers labour economics, and health economics.

Omar Hussein

Senior Research Officer, Data Linkage – Income

Omar supports work on the collection and analysis of Understanding Society’s income data.

Ethnicity

Working on the ethnicity and immigration strand in Understanding Society.

Professor Alita Nandi

Associate Director, Outreach

Alita leads Understanding Society’s programme of work on Ethnicity. Alita is a quantitative social scientist conducting research in the areas of ethnicity, with expertise in panel data. She is also a Co-Investigator of the Study and its Associate Director for Outreach.

Tiago Nascimento

Research Assistant (Ethnicity)

Tiago’s research focuses on migration, ethnicity and asylum-seekers. He supports work on Understanding Society’s ethnic minority and immigration strand.

Dipanwita Ghatak

ISER PhD student (Ethnicity)

Outreach

Leads the user support and training activities for Understanding Society. The team also manage the User Support Forum and provide guidance for data users.

Professor Alita Nandi

Associate Director, Outreach

Alita is a quantitative social scientist with expertise in panel data. As the Study’s Associate Director for Outreach, she leads the study’s user support and training activities. The Outreach team liaises between the research community (esp. Study data users) and the Study team. She is also a Co-Investigator of the Study and leads its Ethnicity programme.

Annette Pasotti

Senior Web and Communications Officer (User Engagement)

Annette works in the user support and communications teams to engage and support new and existing data users. She produces users guides for the Study, and online training and data documentation. Annette also coordinates the Data User Group.

Dr Piotr Marzec

Senior Data Analyst and Training Officer

Piotr is responsible for a wide range of data analysis projects. He also develops and teaches courses on using Understanding Society data and on panel data methods. His research includes work on class and social stratification.

Dr Roberto Cavazos

Senior Data Analyst and Training Officer

Roberto provides expert advice and support to data users for data analysis. He leads a quantitative data analysis training programme and trains new users of the datasets.

Dr Cara Booker

Senior Research Fellow

Alongside her research on children and young adults, Cara contributes to the user support team by leading training courses for new and experienced data users.

Jane Ismail

Library and Information Officer

Jane tracks and records publications that use Understanding Society data and supports the impact tracking for the Study. She also manages the ISER Research Library.

Policy and Partnerships

Building collaborations between researchers and policymakers so that Understanding Society data is used in key policy areas.

Raj Patel

Associate Director, Policy and Partnerships

Raj is the strategic lead for policy engagement and impact at Understanding Society, where he heads up the Policy and Partnerships Unit. He works to scale up the use of the Study’s data and research for policy and strengthen academic-policy collaborations.

Robin Vanner

Policy & Partnership Manager

Robin specialises in working in partnership with stakeholders to ensure that policy is informed by quality research and data. He leads Understanding Society’s research springboards.

Communications and Engagement

Responsible for all outward facing communications with data users, policy users and study participants. The team also manage digital and web content and provide event management for the Study.

Becky Parsons

Associate Director, Communications and Engagement

Becky leads all aspects of communications and engagement for Understanding Society, so that our data users, participants and policymakers have the information they need.

Louise Miles

Senior Web and Communications Officer

Louise works on all aspects of communications for Understanding Society, with a particular focus on developing materials for study participants.

Chris Coates

Research Impact and Project Manager

Chris works with researchers, funders, and government departments to identify opportunities for Understanding Society evidence to be used for policymaking. He also edits the Understanding Society blog and hosts the Insights podcast.

Jonathan Nears

Web Application Developer

Jonathan manages and develops the Understanding Society website and digital content.

Jay James

Events Coordinator

Jay project manages all events and training hosted by Understanding Society.

Somto Anunobi

Web Developer

Somto works on the Understanding Society website and supports the development of new digital tools for the Study.

Project Management

Coordination of the practical and financial management of Understanding Society.

Dr Jack Kneeshaw

Executive Director & lead for data linkages

As Executive Director, Jack works closely with the Study’s Co-Investigators in shaping the future direction of Understanding Society organisationally, financially, scientifically and in terms of policy impact. He chairs the Executive Team and Data Linkage Group and is a member of the Data and Ethics Group.

Cheryl Pasfield

Project Support Officer and Committee Secretary

Cheryl provides project management support for the Study and is the committee secretary for the various governance committees, advisory boards and key internal meetings.

Lorraine Roberts

Finance & Contracts Officer

Lorraine manages the day-to-day finances for Understanding Society. She also support for budget management and procurement processes.

Co-Investigators

Methodology

Innovations

Enhancements

Data Linkage

Questionnaire Development

Surveys

Data

Families and Children

Health, Biomarkers and Genetics

Income

Ethnicity

Outreach

Policy and Partnerships

Communications and Engagement

Project Management

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