I studied at the University of Cambridge, obtaining a BA in Natural Sciences (Part 2 Psychology) and a PhD from the Department of Psychiatry. I stayed on to conduct post-doctoral research, publishing a book and various journal articles on financial decision-making and the assessment of mental capacity among people with intellectual disabilities.
I joined Cambridge Assessment in 2004, working initially as a Research Officer, and then as a Senior Research Officer. I spent several years applying and developing judgement and decision-making theory in the context of examination marking and grading. I also developed a new interest in the curricula linked to assessments, exploring concepts of so-called 21st Century skills, research projects for secondary school students, and alternatives to the most popular qualifications.
Since 2012, I have been a Principal Research Officer. I have led several programmes of research to support the reform of A levels and GCSEs, and I currently lead the qualifications development strand of our divisional research programme. I use a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, and I remain very interested in the many human judgements and decisions entailed in educational assessment, as made by students, teachers and examiners. In particular, I am currently interested in the causes of profession error and why detection is not always easy.
Outside of work, most of my time is spent with my young and energetic family. I also enjoy baking, playing classical music, and holidaying in mountainous areas.