We support a Scotland which is curious, creative, equitable and well. Science Ceilidh is an award-winning organisation supporting diverse schools & communities to explore culture, research and their health. Our schools programme focuses on enriching interdisciplinary learning nationally, seeing over 25,000 learners and educators to date. Our community programmes includes building deeper relationships with New Scots refugees, communities with additional support needs, carers and individuals with dementia, and singers with diverse mental health experiences. We are part of a five-year action research programme to support cultural democracy in Scotland with the Fun Palaces campaign, including supporting community arts groups, youth workers & librarians to link creativity, science and wellbeing in their own contexts through supporting the Culture and Wellbeing Community Network Scotland. As director, I am leading a small team to make an impact through partnership and community building, open resource develop and training, reflective practice, generous leadership and making connections between sectors (including science education, participatory community arts, public engagement and third sector).

I am passionate about supporting equitable community and public engagement and partnerships, and work as a consultant and advisor to support these both on a practitioner-level and more strategically. I am not an expert on other people's lives. However, I am interested in how we can genuinely challenge power dynamics around institutions and professionals with the "underserved" or "easy-to-ignore", serving as an independent critical friend, evaluator, facilitator "trainer" and/or intermediary. More strategically, I am on Science and Technology Facilities Council's Wonder Initiative advisory group, consulted on Explore Your Universe's Phase 4 programme, part of the Scottish Government STEM's strategy STEM week working groups and trustee for Macroberts Arts in Stirling. Previously as a practitioner besides our Science Ceilidh work, I have worked in science communicator internationally including working with Science Theatre company LASTheatre on science engagement and evaluating the award-winning Deadinburgh and New Atlantis, representing Edinburgh International Science Festival in international ventures, including at the World Innovation Summit for Edinburgh (WISE) 2015 in Qatar, at the Festival of Science and Creativity 2014 and Saudi Arabia Bangalore for the first Science Festival in India (2013).

Seasonally working with EISF working as Local Content Manager for three years, managing the workshops from local providers including the universities and local businesses as the sustainable arm of the Science Festival, providing training, support and project management including supporting local alumni to become team leaders themselves. Also worked as Assistant Staff Manager 2014, and Zone/Team Leaders 2013 - 2011.

Working with Professor Neil Roberts (CRIC) and Professor Tim Crow (University of Oxford, POWIC) on using post-MR imaging analysis techniques to characterise structural asymmetries in the brain in relation to language, evolution & psychosis. Using softwares such as BrainVisa & Freesurfer to analyse various brain areas, including the Sylvian Fissures, Insula and the Cingulate.

Leading the Wellcome-Trust funded ER surgery workshop teaching basic anatomy, biology & first aid with the Edinburgh International Science Festival 2009, returning as the Team Leader in 2010.Selected to go to Abu Dhabi in November 2011 & October 2012 in a Team Leader capacity. This involved training and supervising a team of around 30 local students in science communication for the ER surgery workshop as part of the first & second Abu Dhabi Science Festival.

Working with Dr Krista Hyde at the Montreal Children's Hospital Research Institute on a project as part of an Independent Research course. This was on the behavioural and neural correlates of human auditory processing. I validated a novel behavioural task paradigm measuring the processing of local and global aspects of auditory stimulus on typical populations. The focus was to examine the effects of musical training using a sample of musicians and non-musicians, with an aim to extend to autist populations in the future.