Macarena Beltran is a Research Assistant at the Centre for Business in Society (CBiS) and is part of the Sustainable Production and Consumption cluster research team.

Dr Beltran has a vested interest in sustainability-related research, particularly in socio-technical sustainability transitions of established systems, which involves a profound transformation in energy, plastics consumption, transport and production, and their various effect on academia and society. Currently, she leads the ESRC funded project -SIMBIO- that studies the socio-technical transition of bioplastics packaging to sustainable packaging.

Her PhD research evaluated the impact of retrofit measures on energy demand under the theoretical lens of the rebound effect (Newcastle University), in collaboration (funding) with the council association Your Homes Newcastle and the Institute of Sustainability at Newcastle University.

Her previous experience includes working on Impact & Evaluation at the University of East London, researching projects funded by the Office for Students and with financial companies and steel companies (e.g. evaluating the supply chain of self-build products and behavioural patterns).

Dr Beltran also holds an MA in Planning and Environment Research (Newcastle University), a Master in Marketing and Business (IEDE-Chile), Industrial Engineering and a Bachelor in Science (Universidad de Santiago-Chile).

Macarena also contributes to creating case studies for PGR/UG students, PGR supervision, and supervising internships for Master students.