I am a social scientist who trained as a human and development geographer. My research and teaching interests focus on social inequality, ethics and social justice; particularly with respect to women, children and young people.

My research embraces qualitative, participatory and quantitative research methods. Geographically my research has concentrated on countries in sub-Saharan Africa for most of my career. Responding to the global pandemic I expanded my research scope to consider impacts of COVID-19 and the turn to nature.

In academic publishing I have co-edited a number of books, authored many articles and have served as co-editor/editor-in-chief for the journal Children's Geographies and as editorial board member for the Journal of Geography in Higher Education.

I completed my undergraduate degree in Geography at Durham University, followed by a DPhil at Oxford University on Hausa women traders in Northern Nigeria and later an MA in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education undertaken while a Lecturer in Development Studies at Keele University.

Prior to joining Sheffield Hallam as a Transforming Lives Fellow I was Reader in Human Geography at the University of Hull. At earlier points in my career I been affiliated with Durham University, Liverpool University and Brunel University. In Africa I have had honorary positions at the University of Malawi and Ahmadhu Bello University, Nigeria. I have enjoyed brief sojourns as a visiting scholar at the University of Zimbabwe, Gothenborg University (Sweden), University of Oulu (Finland) and Leiden University (Netherlands).

I have served as the founding chair of the Research, Evaluation and Ethics committee for Save the Children UK.

I have been a Fellow (previously member) of the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) for over 30 years and served on several research groups relating to gender, women, children, youth, justice and developing areas.