Things are slowly picking back up after the summer. We are nearing the end of August, which means—in Scotland, at least—we can safely admit that summer is mostly in the past. Contrary to my usual Scottish weather pessimism, it felt like we actually had more sunny days this year than last (purely going by memory here; I haven’t dug into the Met Office stats to prove it!). But looking out into the...
I haven’t written here since mid-June. Part of that was the natural rhythm of summer, but mostly, I didn’t feel like publishing for the sake of having something new on the page. In the quiet, though, I spent time listening and reading—and one specific idea kept nagging at me. It started while listening to an episode of Dave Stachowiak’s podcast featuring Dr Leanne ten Brinke, a psychological...
Last Friday, I received the kind of news that stops time. My dear mentor, colleague, and friend, Professor Malcolm, passed away. I knew he had been in palliative care; he had faced his health challenges for a few years now and, in true Malcolm fashion, had always been incredibly open about them. Yet, even when you think you are prepared for the inevitable, the finality of the news hits you like a...
We are officially three days into the Stride the Clyde challenge, and the tally is creeping up! Today’s Distance: 3.42 miles Total Progress: 7.86 / 106 miles The Great Stirling Milk Crisis Unsurprisingly, it was raining again in Stirling today. I started my walk indoors on the treadmill, but about 30 minutes in, disaster struck. I suddenly remembered we had completely run out of milk, and...
I’m officially back! After a few months away from blogging, I’m jumping right back in for a cause incredibly close to my heart. I’ve signed up for the Stride the Clyde 2026 challenge to raise funds for Cross Basket House. Our family recently needed their facility firsthand, and I saw the profound impact they have on families with kids in Glasgow’s PICU and children’s hospital. Now, I’m not...
There is nothing quite like a room full of “energy nerds” to get the blood pumping on a cold January morning. On January 29th, I attended the inaugural Circuit Energy Community Breakfast Briefing. The goal? Bringing together a multidisciplinary mix of SMEs, academics, and policymakers to tackle the gargantuan challenge of decarbonisation. It was a fantastic launch, with plenty of time...
I recently had the opportunity to attend The Data Lab’s “Data, AI and Tech Predictions 2026” event. It was a refreshing deep dive that moved past the usual buzzwords and into the gritty reality of what the next year actually holds for the industry. The session was chaired by Heather Thomson (CEO, The Data Lab), who guided a sharp discussion with an exceptional panel: Stephanie Earp...
It’s the end of the year — again — and I’ve spent far too long scrolling through LinkedIn feeds, wondering what exactly I’m meant to reflect upon this time. (And yes, I told myself it was “research”. Mostly, it was an excuse to avoid writing.) The internet, ever helpful, was full of people asking their children profound questions like: “What made you feel proud this year?”“What did you...
Ah, here we are — back again, tea steaming, heart a little lighter, mind full of ideas. After last week’s heavy truths about the unseen labour women carry in male-dominated spaces, I promised we’d turn towards something hopeful: how to navigate it all with grace, strategy, and self-respect. So let’s talk solutions — practical, human-centred ones. Because change doesn’t come from grand gestures...
There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from knowing you’re working twice as hard just to be seen as on par. It doesn’t come from long hours or tight deadlines — though those are part of it. No, this fatigue is quieter, deeper. It’s the slow burn of constantly proving yourself, of navigating assumptions about your role before you’ve even spoken, of adjusting your voice so it sounds...
Proud Mom. Lead R&D Engineer at PNDC, University of Strathclyde. Oxford Martin Fellow and Oxford policy engagement network KE fellow. Interests in energy technology, policy and sustainable system. Current research areas include the decarbonisation of heat, transport and electricity and the role of hydrogen in decarbonisation.