• Energy Ethics and AI
• Socio-technical frameworks in the development setting
• Data feminism 
• Participatory and disruptive research methods
• Digital literacy for minoritised communities  

My work aims to dismantle knowledge silos across disciplines and sectors to develop new ways of thinking about real-world problems, particularly for communities that have been traditionally excluded from positions of power. Prioritising an ethics of care that seeks to engage these communities as active participants in the research process, I acknowledge and value different ways of knowing. My hope is that the outcomes of my research will promote greater equality in decision-making to build the capacity and resilience of all communities now and in the future.

Selected Research Projects

Solar Energy Transitions (SET): Inclusive e-cooking in sub-Saharan Africa

Nuffield Expressions of Self: Race, religion and representation of care-experienced children and young people 

GAP-E: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Researching Key Industry Gaps in AI and Ethics 

EPSRC GCRF Humanitarian Engineering and Energy for Displacement (HEED)

Alison is an Assistant Professor and Ethics Lead at the Centre for Computational Science and Mathematical Modelling (CSM). 

Her research centres around data feminism, ethics, and energy. Originally trained as a sociologist of religion, Alison has in recent years shifted her focus towards the critical role of minoritised communities in decision-making within the fields of energy and technology. Her commitment to broadening access to the benefits of AI advances is evident in her research of capacity-building initiatives, such as the Solar Energy Transitions (SET) project and various programs supported by the Nuffield Foundation and UK Research and Innovation. 

As EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) Lead at CSM, she has championed numerous projects aimed at creating supportive networks for women and underrepresented groups in STEM, such as being awarded funding from the British Council to support MRes Women in STEM from South Asia.  Her contributions to the field are widely recognised, with her scholarly work featured in journals such as Energy Research & Social Science, Energies, and The British Journal of Social Work. She serves in the UKRI Peer College for Future Leaders and was the chair of the Scientific Study of Religion Committee for Student Grant Awards. 

Beyond academia, Alison's collaboration with industry partners like Energy Systems Catapult and her contributions to the Global Plan of Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings exemplifies increasing digital literacy for underrepresented communities can shape a more inclusive and equitable technological future.